If you read my spill about the past 20 years in Million Woman March history, then “The Force is with You.” Check out my Instagram page @therealruffstarr to reflect on some of the action from the Woman’s March on Washington. Although there are many human rights marches occurring on a regular basis around the world, last Saturdays #WMW made it a blessed day in history to march for a cause. It was the day after the third most important Inauguration for America, and the weather was great! The average person, that typically don’t frequent protests and marches came out. A lot of people had their moment to exercise their freedom of speech rights and just scream to the top of their lungs that enough is enough of the bullshit already! There were all kinds of signs with the word pussy on it, or pictures of a vagina. I wish I could have captured every single sign, but it was so many people.
For decades, women have stood together in solidarity as mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends with a common goal for humanity. Equal Rights! That is what brought the world together on Saturday January 21, 2017. Shout outs to all the brothers, fathers, grandfathers, boyfriends, husbands, sons and LGBTQ that was at the march in support of the women’s liberation movement of the 21st Century.
Trapped in a society where the patriarch is supposed to be the leader of the household, yet in a time in history where American households are more divided than any other time in world history. Divided because of several reasons: There are million’s of single family households in America, children growing to the age of maturity without one or both parents in the home, and cross gender imbalances creating a new norm for society.
African Americans specifically, our families are being divided and conquered. The Minister Malcolm X spoke about this in 1964 at the April 8th Militant Labor Forum:
“The greatest weapon that the colonial powers have used in the past against our people has always been divide and conquer. America is a colonial power. She has colonized 22 million Afro Americans by depriving us of first class citizenship, by depriving us of civil rights, actually by depriving us of human rights. She has not only deprived us of the right to be a citizen, she has deprived us of the right to be a human being, the right to be recognized and respected as men and women. In this country the Black can be 50 years old – he is still a “boy.” I grew up with white people. I was integrated before they even invented the word and I have never met white people yet, if you are around them long enough, who won’t refer to you as a “boy” or “gal,” no matter how old you are or what school you came out of, no matter what your intellectual or professional level is. In this society we remain “boys.”
So America’s strategy is the same strategy as that which was used in the past by colonial powers: divide and conquer. She plays one negro against another. She plays one Negro organization against the other. She makes us think that we have different objectives, different goals. As soon as one Negro says something, she runs to this Negro and asks him, “What do you think about what he said?” Why, anybody can see through that today, except some of the Negro leaders.” (“The Black Revolution.” Militant Labor Forum. Palm Gardens, New York. April 8, 1964).”
To whom the force is with, we should all know and understand that all “Black” people originated in the Motherland, commonly referred to as Africa. A lot of people don’t want to be associated with the colonial term “Africa”, “African American” or “Black.” That is the beginning of our division. For classification purposes I commonly refer to the term African American and sometimes I refer to the term “blacks” in America. However, as a native West African, raised in America, I consider myself an African American. When I speak of “Blacks” in America I am referring to “Black” people who were born and raised in America. Does it make a difference?
Growing up African American is a different experience than growing up as a “Black” person in America, as well as a different experience growing up as a “Black” American in Africa or a “Black” native in Africa, and just as different for a Caucasian person in Africa or in the America’s. But differences are a blessing. We should embrace our differences more and stop fighting over resources. Whether locally or globally. The earth may become over populated, but our differences make up such valuable collectives that the world is ever expanding.
The results of this past election season, has changed the way I engage in politics. A lot of people think politics don’t effect their everyday levity. For example, we make comments like “I don’t vote, because my vote doesn’t count.” Yet it is our everyday lives and habits that are effecting political agendas. We can’t love each other; and hate each other, be racists, bigots, sexists, and divided while marching 3,000,000 deep around the world for a woman’s cause.
All women’s causes are the same. Once women come to the age of maturity we bleed once a month, grow breasts and have babies. These are major life issues that are way bigger than a cross genders insecurity about society not accepting him and gender equal bathrooms. Is it bigger than #blacklivesmatter? The woman’s ability to reproduce and the scientific and political intricacies that revolve around that is more important to me than anything. However, as an African American woman, I feel like I have to work harder than a white woman to be able to afford a decent maxi pad, brazier, and care for my babies.
In most states around the USA, the minimum wage is just under $10/hour. I believe if you are over 30 years old and have a High School Diploma, are capable and responsible to hold a job, the least you should be making is $15/hour, whether you are working full time or part time. With all the costly taxes, insurance costs, food and housing inflation, yet still, people are barely making $10/hour. Over worked, under paid, families cannot afford child care or summer camp programs for their children. The issue of why men get paid more than women in America is another story. Do black men get better jobs than black women or vise versa? The issue of abortions, safe sex, and real adult education in our public schools and churches are also key issues. How are single mothers and fathers, low income families, and Sr. Citizens striving to take care of themselves and their families in such a socially divided country? These are the issues a women’s march need to address and nurture.
We all exist because of mothers and fathers. Whether it was love, hate, rape, or science that made you and me, the fact is that we exist. How do we exist in harmony? That is the question. As the content developer and Brand Analyst of three websites, DMVLINKUP.COM, UNIVERSALFACTSPRODUCTIONS.COM, RUFFSTARR.COM my aim is to make a difference in humanity through science, art and theater. However, my responsibility to keep the lights online with the three sites I manage is based on my competence in coding and scripting minor programs to engineer my thoughts and vision to life on the Word Wide Web.
In the 21st Century the least that anyone over 17 years old should know about coding and scripting is that if you try to copy and paste a YouTube code to your Facebook profile and you miss a few letters and numbers in the code you copied, your profile page will output an error message. That’s how most programs work for all websites. If you miss a part of the code in your script, your not going online. Even if your domain page is up and running. Even with major programs, like with those that engineer the new technically advanced vehicles. When a code goes bad, the vehicle stops running. Then you have to take the vehicle to the dealership for a technician to re-enter the code for mobility. So anyone, like myself, who deals with coding, scripting, and design on a regular basis, has a strong sense of organization, order, and protocol. The same principles that keeps our communities alive and the world going around. Its simple mathematics. Mix up the wrong characters and you’ll have technical difficulties. #codeinthestreetz #WMW #MWM #RMW #HOC #vote2020 #whentheygolowyougohigh!
Sources:
Malcolm X Militant Labor Forum May 8, 1964
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