“Civility is a Motto” (This Black-Ass Life)
Welcome to the 54th installment of This Black-Ass Life! Inspired by the “good liberals” of Columbia, MD, we’re talking all things integration this week. We also get into Stephen Miller, Jhené & Sean and have lots of music recommendations for you.
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l. The Facts
65 years after Brown vs. Board of Education, American schools are still segregated. This time, it’s not just Southern racists wanting to keep Black kids in underfunded schools, but also progressives all over the country who want us to think they are better than they really are.
Resegregation is on the rise in America. There are many reasons, but the core reason is that largely white and always wealthy people just don’t want Black and Brown children learning with their kids. They do this through several means:
Break away from more integrated school districts to establish their own. Supposedly, they just want local control of their education system, but not surprisingly, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia have the most permissive laws allowing school districts to secede.
Use lawsuits, money, political connections and just outright good ol’ fashion racism to fight integration efforts. This is the case in Dallas, Howard County, MD, New York City and San Francisco.
Adapt their phrasing to disguise their real intentions. Terms like “forced bussing” is in-your-face racism, so they’ve been updated to phrases like “I love my school the way it is”.
Why does it matter?
The very obvious: All children are better off in racially and culturally diverse schools.
We need to be real. White and rich POC progressives cannot espouse socially progressive ideologies and then simultaneously work to undermine them.
From fighting homeless shelters in their neighborhoods while also posting “All Are Welcome” yard signs to being perfectly fine using regulations to keep hazardous waste in poor neighborhoods, progressives need to understand that regulatory walls are the same as the physical walls Mango Mobutu wants to build.
We dare you to make sense of this dichotomy.
What can my Black-ass do?
Get educated. Don’t love the productivity angle here because this is also a moral issue, but again, all students are literally better off in racially and socio-economically integrated classrooms.
Learn where the 2020 Democratic candidates stand on education policies.
Support the National Coalition on School Diversity, which includes member organizations like NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Southern Poverty Law Center and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
ll. Other Things
Nine times?
Now we know why Jhené tatted Big Sean’s face. Here’s Desus & Mero’s take.
Danielle Brooks had her first child then wasn’t done being a queen so she curated a clothing line just for moms.
Prince Andrew taught me (Mitu) a new phrase, so watch out for the “tigers in the woodpile”, y’all.
I know it’s not my (Jumoke’s) song of the week, but Big K.R.I.T. is back and this song is on loop!
This sigh and apology is the funniest thing you'll see this week.
Michael Harriot gave a very helpful and entertaining FAQ on Stephen Miller’s emails and White nationalism.
Not Black-ass anything, but PARASITE is the best movie I (Jumoke) have seen all year. #EatTheRich2020
Our Black-Ass song(s) of the week (Mitu):
I love this Meg Thee Stallion song for Queen & Slim; also you should listen to the whole soundtrack.
Things we are looking forward to / things we are not looking forward to:
I (Jumoke) am looking forward to Queen and Slim. I cannot wait to see this on opening day.
I (Mitu) echo the above and am excited to listen to Daniel Kaluuya’s interview on The Read.
lll. Text from a Black-Ass Mama
My (Mitu’s) mother texted me a photo of my uncle and a man I later came to realize was Derek Hough, of Dancing with the Stars fame. He really could be a young Leo though.
Stay Black, thrive and support Queen & Slim. We’ll hit your inbox next on December 2.