No president will save you. Obama didn’t. Hillary can’t and wouldn’t have if she could’ve. Trump is not your noose or your pardon. Maybe now that someone you can’t stand is in headed to the white house you’ll wake up and take matters into your own hands. Here are 6 everyday life things you should be doing post-election
1) Love thy neighbor. Talk to the people in your community. If they have struggles or needs and you’re blessed enough to be able to do so, help them. If you’re in need be humble enough to accept help yourself. You didn’t pave the roads yourself so it’s no shame if you need a hand traveling down them.
2) Spend money in your community. Know who lives where you live that has a business. Understand what their products and services are. Keep money circulating amongst yourselves as long as you can before it leaves the community or worse, goes to large corporations like Wal-Mart that only take from communities. Black folks pay special attention to this because historically (omitting Black Wall Street which was destroyed by external jealousy and hatred etc.) we as a demographic have not applied this principle. If someone in your community has a small business or is starting one, talk to them about it. There are other ways to support local businesses even if you’re not in direct need of the particular product or service they offer.
3) Withdraw your support for businesses that do not reflect your principles or share your concerns and those of your community. Investigate the businesses you frequently spend money with. Ask yourself are they aligned with your ideals and secondly are they providing an essential service. Follow through according to the answers to those questions.
4) Disagree in an agreeable manner. Don’t be stupid. Marching to impeach a president that hasn’t taken office is a waste of your energy and frankly, telling of a limited intellect. You may wind up arrested or worse for n o t h i n g at all. Likewise, if you’re happy with the results, celebrate respectfully. The old Jamaican saying “Manners will carry you through the world” still rings true. Talk to your friends and neighbors (many of whom may be distraught), in terms of the positive changes you expect from the candidate you backed. Validate their frustrations while helping to quell their fears. Be caring in your conversations, not smug and condescending.
5) Get involved! Your local government, school board, PTA, HOA, local developers and business people can’t hide from you. Be tenacious in voicing your concerns to them and collaborating with those who share those concerns to effect change in your own backyard. Ask yourself when was the last time Barry (President Obama) stopped by for dinner. Likewise Trump is not coming to your house and in all likeliness is afraid to come into your neighborhood because you make less than 200k a year (if not, congratulations). Unless your entire city is a trailer park it’s not likely that the Mayor’s office can roll away when they see you coming. If there’s something you want changed, get in their faces about it. Know your district officials and state representatives’ names and office phone numbers and take them to task.
6) Be presidential in your own home. Let your family know that they are loved, protected, provided for and reassure them that they can depend on you to keep them secure. Don’t put fear and panic into our youth and seniors. The sun still rises in the east and sets in the West. Let love and faith be the constants in your own home. Inhale, exhale and carry on.
God bless you my peeps. Stay up!
