Dying Young

In all of the hubbub of the upcoming release of Omarosa’s book, the news of another Ferguson protestor dying on Friday didn’t make it into the zeitgeist.

His name is Allen Frazier and he leaves behind a wife and 4 children.

Before getting thrown into the Black Panther/Wakanda vortex, I was doing research into continuing trauma. The statistics are real; African Americans have a shorter life expectancy and higher rates of preventable deaths than any other group (along with Indigenous peoples).

In other words…..we die young. Racism kills.

There are theological implications to knowing that an entire system sets about creating conditions which will kill you and those you love. One of these days, I’ll get back to researching that.

But, even more, there’s something going on in St. Louis. The struggle here is killing people at an alarming rate. So, if you know somebody who’s doing the work in StL, check in with them.

And while I have you here, if you would think about chipping in a few dollars so that Allen’s family can bury him and cover a few bills, here’s the GoFundMe that’s been established: https://www.gofundme.com/v3z357-home-going

Why I Need Afro-Futurism (An Anniversary Day Thought)

I am not an optimist by nature. Never have been.

This is why I need afro-futurism; to remind myself that there are black people in the future.

I need afro-futurism so I can imagine what Mike Brown would be doing with his life had he not been murdered. He should have turned 22 this year.

I need afro-futurism so I can see how other Black people think about what the world could be like.

I need afro-futurism so I can picture possibilities for this world.

I need afro-futurism so I can remember that there is meaning in the struggle.

I need afro-futurism so I can be me.

#MikeBrownForever
#WakandaForever