Dear President Trump, After sending you that long, heavy list illustrating impacts of internalized racial inferiority yesterday, I feel the need to remind you of some of the things that the people of color at the Undoing Racism workshop said they like about being part of their respective groups. Every one of the four lists … Continue reading The second ring propping up racism: Gate-keeping
Democracy Under Siege
Long letters, fatigue, and overwhelm
Dear President Trump, I’m not sure what’s gotten into me the last few weeks (months?) with the much longer letters. I know they can be a drag and you’re probably even less likely to read them when they are longer rather than shorter, but since you don’t read them at all, I’m not going to … Continue reading Long letters, fatigue, and overwhelm
Addiction to racism
Dear President Trump, Even though I can’t find explicit reference to it in my notes from the People’s Institute’s Undoing Racism workshop*, I’m 99% certain that at some point during those two days the idea that America is addicted to racism was introduced. I do see in my notes reference to the high degree of … Continue reading Addiction to racism
The numbing down of America
Dear President Trump, Apparently you didn’t get the memo, or the Constitutional law lesson (duh), that it’s not ok for US Presidents to “joke” about cancelling elections. You also apparently don’t know (yeah, right) that elected officials aren’t supposed to turn official gatherings, addresses, or meetings into campaign events. You’re like a child who’s constantly … Continue reading The numbing down of America
“Internalized Racial Superiority;” the other IRS
Dear President Trump, Yesterday I mentioned my penchant for getting persnickety about people’s word choices and I need to add here that I’m also fond of picking apart other's arguments. I do this with everyone, but definitely find myself doing it more with people of color and with other white women. Essentially, I’m more critical … Continue reading “Internalized Racial Superiority;” the other IRS
Caring is risky and hard
Dear President Trump, It’s one of those Sunday evenings when it feels like I’ve been up for two days straight. I slept in until 8 this morning and got plenty of sleep so it’s really not an exhaustion that makes logical sense, but it’s real. My feet hurt and that “please don’t look at me … Continue reading Caring is risky and hard
Righting (or rather “lefting”) this American context
Dear President Trump, Today, in this American context we have dozens of families making funeral arrangements for loved ones killed by hateful young white men with twisted agendas and weapons of war. We have hundreds of children in Mississippi who don’t know where ICE took their parents. We have a biracial couple in Ohio looking … Continue reading Righting (or rather “lefting”) this American context
God’s boundless love hasn’t exactly reconciled race and clan
Dear President Trump, Yesterday in church the opening hymn was Joyful, Joyful, We Adore You (the real title is The Hymn of Joy). With an opening line of “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore You, God of glory, God of love” it’s quite an awkward one to sub out the word “God” with “love” like I’ve been … Continue reading God’s boundless love hasn’t exactly reconciled race and clan
The most obvious proximal cause
Dear President Trump, Some days I can type the standard greeting to you pretty much on autopilot; today is not one of those days. I am not, however, seriously tempted to replace it with something nasty or accusatory since I’m doing my best to channel my inner Michelle Obama and thus working at going high … Continue reading The most obvious proximal cause
Thoughts, prayers, and our collective failure of imagination and will
Dear President Trump, Thoughts and prayers. Prayers and thoughts. And thoughts prayers. And prayers thoughts. Thoughts prayers and. Prayers thoughts and. It really doesn’t matter how the words are arranged, does it? The words can even be heartfelt and as sincere as humanly possible and that doesn’t matter either, does it? The people who are … Continue reading Thoughts, prayers, and our collective failure of imagination and will
Daily Trump Letters 