#0024 Black Women United

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Hey loved ones,

Welcome to a new week and if you're a parent with children of summer holiday age, my thoughts are with you!

It’s interesting. I was speaking to a friend - who is basically my brother - about kids and explaining to him how I’m counting down the time to my empty nester years. He told me he was sad that I felt that way as most of his friends who have children said they were the greatest thing ever.

I had to explain: I love my kids. Never let that be a question in your mind because you breathe on my children wrong and I’ll end up on the 10 o’clock news. However, I am also a card-carrying member of the liberation movement that says parents should also be able to verbalise their desire for freedom. The ability to go anywhere without adding 30 to 45 minutes to your planning time plus snacks. The space to be able to have a conversation without a small person eavesdropping or that classic thing of interrupting as soon as you utter the word “hello”. The absolute joy and privilege to pick up and go off, anytime to anywhere.

As I always say kids are great but they’re also little people and can be just as annoying. Please let us allow parents the chance to bask in the idea of a future with a tiny bit less responsibilty.

The hubby talks Black women

So loved one, I'm not ashamed to admit that I am the wife (in my head) of many a celebrity. Each husband has their individual virtue. There's my very first official husband DJ and broadcaster, Trevor Nelson, who fuelled my love for dark skinned, bald, Black men . Then there's young buck Michael B Jordan whose drive speaks to the entrepreneur in me. And then there's my intellectual hottie, Trevor Noah.

There's nothing sexier to me than a man that can teach you something AND make you laugh. Add the fact that he advocates for Black women and he’s a triple threat ladies (and the few gentlemen). The love only got deeper when listening to the latest episode of his podcast What Now? with Trevor Noah which discusses the Kamala Harris presidential candidacy. Friends, I need you to listen to this episode.

Trevor and his guests unabashedly explore not only the challenges Kamala will face in choosing a running mate but how her candidacy is a reflection of the general experience of Black women in the workplace. Some of what struck me were questions such as whether the American public could really stomach seeing a Black woman in charge with a white man as her deputy and what that would do the pysche of the general populous. I personally had my mind blown by that prospect as I hadn’t even looked at it that way. When you consider that there are several countries on the continent and in the Caribbean that have (or have had) Black women at the helm it’s not unusual to me but for a lot of people in the so-called “western world”, it will be an afront to their entire being. I can’t lie. I enjoyed that prospect.

Watching the US over the last couple of weeks has had a profound effect. From the 1.5 million dollars raised by Black women for Kamala’s campaign (I’m not sure there’s any prominent figure we in the UK would rally around for in this same way? What do you think it would take?) but also having to face - yet again - the realities of what it means to be a Black person and Black woman in the states with the murder of Sonya Massey.

I find it hard to post about those tragedies and have avoided the video hard as I don’t need the additional trauma of witnessing her death. But I mention this as a lead because whether here or in the States, the commonalities between us and our experiences are just so undeniably evident. How many times have we had our qualifications questioned when applying for a job that we are probably overqualified for? How many times have we had to become extra vigilant about our safety from those who are supposed to protect us?

Despite it being oceans away, it's hard not to be affected with what we're seeing. I hope you're taking extra care of yourself during this time.

STORIES TO CHECK OUT THIS WEEK

• 4 Women On Their “Mixed-Weight Relationship” – & How Problematic The Term Is - Refinery29

• Two years on and an NHS trust is STILL failing to fix racism and discrimination - The Canary

• Square Mile and Me: Flavilla Fongang on her career, from McDonald’s to tech’s most influential woman - CityAM

• HSBC UK & UK Black Business Show: Meet 25 Top Black Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2024 - UK Black Business Week

Until next time Loved One,