You may have Election PTSD. Take care of your Black-Ass minds
Welcome to the 80th installment of This Black-Ass Life! We know you know everything there is to know about the election and possible outcomes and blah, blah, blah. So instead, we want to focus on YOU. How are you doing? Are you feeling stressed or nervous? Please take a moment to read our newsletter and find some tips to prioritize your Black-ass mental wellness. We promise you can peel your attention away from Twitter to take a second to breathe.
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.
I. The Facts
2016 hurt. We are still reeling.
As one reporter covering the 2016 election night said, we “fundamentally did not believe that America would elect a misogynistic man who bragged about grabbing women by the pussy or blanket-declared Mexicans at our southern border “rapists” or threatened to jail his opponent like an authoritarian dictator.” Four years later, some of us are still reeling.
For those who were not surprised, the confirmation of what we know to be true about this country, that white supremacy is undefeated no matter the odds, was also stressful.
The younger and darker you were was also a determinant of how you coped with 2016. For example, one study of college students reported that 25% of them crossed the threshold that would show “clinically significant” levels of stress seven months after the 2016 election.
Their stress level was near identical to students who had witnessed a mass shooting! The numbers, of course, were higher for Black and Brown students and women.
Doesn’t make it better that the orange douche nugget has continued to stress us out since that night.
Why does it matter?
You are not alone and your feelings are valid. Your heightened level of anxiety, sleeplessness, restlessness, and stress are indicative of the time.
Understand that we are all living in a psychologically unsafe time and there are resources for support available to you.
What can my Black ass do?
Acknowledge your stress. This election litmus test for where we are as a country is a lot and you’re only human.
Stop doom scrolling. Seriously, it’s bad for you and there’s no benefit to having the latest Twitter beef at the tip of your fingers. You don’t need to angry share ineffective Lincoln Project videos because you’re mad that such a dumb organization is receiving millions of dollars that could benefit actual effective organizing (just me? sorry!).
Lean into whatever soothing, healthy coping mechanisms you have. We all have to mentally prepare for the fact that there might be sustained uncertainty after Election Day.
Try replacing time you’re spending refreshing polling numbers and witnessing people dunking on each other on social media with some healthier activities like doing a quick breathing exercise, coloring, or spending some time outside (masked up and physically distant, though).
We’re also very big fans of virtual therapy. There’s BetterHelp and this link to a Talkspace free trial for new users.
ll. Other Things
Some of our favorite Halloween costumes
Nas Maraj is here.
This baby as Mayor Lightfoot.
Quincy Brown’s stunning take on Frida.
This by Rickey and Denzel, to mimic this, had me (Mitu) on the floor.
Peep the dog in the corner at the beginning of this other showstopper from Rickey and Denzel.
Normani as the best catwoman we’ve seen.
Ryan Destiny as Lauryn Hill warms the heart.
Ciara almost won Halloween. Twice.
Presenting our Halloween winner: Saweetie as RuPaul and Saweetie as all of Destiny’s Child. Bonus points for this Sorting Hat sketch.
Special mention: ALL HAIL Tabria Majors’ note perfect #BEYLLOWEEN tribute.
Our Black-Ass song(s) of the week (Mitu):
I need an annual I Wanna Be Down cypher.
Things we are looking forward to / things we are not looking forward to:
I (Jumoke) look forward to this shit being over.
I (Mitu) look forward to all of the Christmas music and whatever other fun escapes we have this holiday season.
lll. Text from a Black-Ass Mama
Let me bless you the way my mama be blessing me (Jumoke) at 2:57 am.
Stay Black, thrive and prioritize your mental health over all of the bullshit! We’ll hit your inbox next on November 23.