Vital Information for your Black-Ass Life
Welcome to the 63rd installment of This Black-Ass Life. Here are the facts: Rona is here, we need to socially distance ourselves, and there are helpful tips and recommendations we can all follow to survive. This newsletter is dedicated to Naomi Campbell who tried to tell us EIGHT MONTHS AGO to be careful out here. Thank you, queen, we don’t deserve you.
Don’t forget: We've managed to grow this list thanks to y'all forwarding to friends so please keep it up! Forward this link to subscribe to five friends. And send us topics you'd like to see covered, texts from your Black-ass people, and any Black-ass anything from around the world and web.
l. The Facts
The world is panicking, understandably, due to the spread of coronavirus. We are running out of cleaning products, hand sanitizer and toilet paper.
We need to keep to ourselves if we can, to help flatten the curve and contain the virus.
Why do I need help with all this alone time?
Because you are human and being near other humans is an essential part of our mental and physical health.
How can my Black-Ass survive social distancing?
Vital Information for your everyday life
Don't buy what you don’t eat normally. For example, if you don’t eat lentils, don’t buy lentils!
Here’s what you should buy from the grocery store.
Take breaks from the news and social media.
For people who are single or otherwise, don’t call your ex, despite what this article says. This is apparently a big problem and we urge you to just say no!
Entertain yourself
Read a book, read a book, read a book. Here are some books we loved: Such a Fun Age, I Can't Date Jesus, We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, Hunger and Sing, Unburied, Sing. Get free e-books via the Libby app.
Special shout out to Jasmine Guillory, you must read: The Wedding Date, The Proposal, The Wedding Party, Royal Holiday and soon-to-come Party of Two.
Podcasts are a great way to pass time: Scam Goddess, The Read, The B. Scott Show, Still Processing, FANTI, Keep It and Bodega Boys.
Catch up on all the tv. You need the distraction; we recommend comedy: A Black Lady Sketch Show, First Wives Club on BET+, Living Single, Smart Guy, Proud Family and the soon-to-return Insecure.
Watch Bon Appétit’s YouTube channel. It’s perfect.
Curate and watch cinematic themes, maybe a deep dive of Eddie Murphy’s filmography, Black gangster movies of the 90s, romantic comedies of the early 2000s, movies featuring four Black women hanging out, etc.
Protect yourself
It’s understandable that your anxiety can be triggered during this time. Here are tips from the CDC for how you can cope.
Here’s more from TalkSpace on how to protect your mental health during this time.
Go outside if you can. We are not currently under quarantine (fingers crossed), so trips outside are okay, particularly during off-peak hours. Just keep a safe distance when you see people coming your way.
Be kind
We are all doing this because we are prioritizing the health and welfare of other human beings we don’t know. That’s a really good thing. Be proud of yourself.
Check on your neighbors, families and friends by calling and FaceTiming them.
Don’t have house parties, go to clubs, be in large crowds, etc.
Don’t hoard provisions and food.
Show kindness to yourself by taking time to breathe, not feeling like every moment needs to be productive or trying online yoga/meditation classes.
Donate money to your local food bank and to worker relief funds for those forced out of work without pay. Here’s where to donate to hospitality workers in D.C.
ll. Other Things
Taye Diggs has HAD it.
Serena Williams is not playing with y’all. She is going to spend 6 weeks in solitude.
Da Baby might be Da Problem.
Keep holding them accountable, Simone!
Our Black-Ass song(s) of the week (Mitu):
Bey soothes me, so I’d recommend her and my favorite song on Lemonade: All Night.
Things we are looking forward to / things we are not looking forward to:
I (Jumoke) look forward to making intricate meals and baking like my life depends on it.
I (Mitu) look forward to watching shows I’ve been meaning to try for a very long time like Good Wife and Buffy.
lll. Text from a Black-Ass Mama
My (Jumoke’s) mama just sends me Amazon screenshots without comment. Mama knows what she needs.
Stay Black, thrive and if you can help it, don’t go out! We’ll hit your inbox next on March 30.