Rachel Dolezal…. Now quickly give me the names of an unarmed black woman who has been shot by the police. Give me the name of the black women who are presidents of the NAACP and fighting for Civil Rights. Give me the names of black women in your community that are putting in work for the community and standing against racism and all of the injustices that you face…

What has just happened is a 37 year old white woman, who posed as a black woman, who is the president of the NAACP in a city named Spokane with a population of approx. 200,000 people of which less than 5,000 are black has just blown up the Internet. Undoubtedly she will become rich from interviews, book deals, and people wanting to hear her story.
Meanwhile, there are many black women (and other women) that are being killed, harassed, and abused while we turn a blind eye to the injustices being committed against them. These women, whose names we don’t know, whose stories we don’t care about, whose lives don’t matter to us will never be famous, well paid, nor receive books deals to talk about their lives.

Meanwhile, there are many women being their authentic selves that are fighting against injustices all over this country (and world) that we will never bother to study, to research, to know.
Meanwhile, there are many women in your local community; that are barely getting by because they have dedicated their entire lives to educating, uplifting, raising, helping, and making a difference in our community in any way they can. Women who are essentially begging for your support and yet ignored daily.
Meanwhile, we have again been bamboozled with a story that while sensational, potentially educational, and even amusing has done nothing more than to distract us from real issues surrounding us and the work that needs to be done.
Now, let’s get back to the business of using our God given gifts to uplift and move forward the people in our lives and in our communities that need our full attention. Let’s get back to the tasks of making this world better. Let’s focus on our journey to a better tomorrow.
Sleep well, wake up refreshed, get out of your bed and slap the devil in his mouth to let him know that you’re not taking any of his shit… ~ Sean King

Myrlie Evers-Williams – Former Chairwoman of the NAACP (National)