last week, my phone was stolen at the workplace and there is this Black owned market I want to vend that is being gatekept — i love a good gatekeeping moment when it is employed with integrity and intention, but when it is used the further the agenda of colonial celebrity, is it really for Black people? I intend to move on because it is not my job to make everything accessible, especially spaces that are run by cisgender folks. AND I am huge on sitting in my truth as a projector that I wait for invitations, and I do not force myself into spaces where I am not feverishly wanted. I love myself too much for all that.
i learned a very valuable lesson when my phone got stolen — institutions very much have the capacity to take the L when harm happens. i told my workplace that i needed them to replace my phone, and they did. too often, the onus to recover falls on the individual. i proved a different culture of response can and does exist. i was at work, sharing my thoughts, ideas, and life and a perpetrator took a valuable item from me. there ought to be collective accountability here, and i am so glad i have learned the art of self advocacy. Next time, do not take the L unless it’s yours.
xoxo, care ecologist