Just Thoughts

If you like endless rants and opinions on anything ranging from politics to Warframe vs Destiny, this is the place for you

[nowthisnews]

These side-by-side images show the striking similarities between Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic 1963 March on Washington and the 2020 March on Washington led by his son and Rev. Al Sharpton on Friday.

follow @nowthisnews for daily news videos & more

[theblackoutofficial]

#Blackout for Minneapolis. For Louisville. For Toronto. For Brooklyn. #Blackout for Us All.

To the #Blackout Community and Tumblr at large, 

We know you must have a lot of questions or are feeling distressed about the news. The world has been dealing with a lot this year, and it is an especially harrowing time for Black Americans and Black folks abroad. We know your biggest question right now could be summed up by a quote from Toni Morrison:

“What can I do where I am?”

Here at #TheBlackout, we have decided to help you start finding an answer to that question - we feel that we need each other. We need unity, organization, a clear sense of direction, but more importantly, a space where you can be yourself without judgement or fear.

So, in addition to boosting your art and businesses, our highest priority right now is to provide you all with resources to help you start from where you are.

This is a masterpost of places you can donate, find mental health + spaces for radical self-care, and just do something fun. We will be adding on as things change. 

Donate/Boost/Sign:

Minneapolis Freedom Bail Fund  & Louisville Community Bail Fund 

Reclaim the Block

Black Visions Collective

The Official GoFundMe of George Floyd’s Family

Official Petition for Breonna Taylor 

Justice for Regis Official Fund

Tony McDade’s Memorial Fund

Black Lives Matter Network

Mental Health Resources:

Ethel’s Club - Black-owned and operated social club offering access to Black therapists and a multitude of creative events for People of Color. 

Crisis Text Line - A different approach to crisis intervention, Crisis Text Line offers you help when you text 741-741. You’ll be able to chat with someone who is willing to listen and provide you with additional resources.

Shine Text. – Black-owned! Sign up to receive cheerful texts and tips every day. 

Therapy For Black Girls - A Black-owned a directory to help you find Black therapists in your area. 

Tips for Organizing/Protesting:

Knowing your rights - ACLU

How To Prepare for a Protest. (Remember to wear a mask in or to protect yourself!)

A Twitter thread of suggested readings

Fun Online Communities and Things to Do:

Some of our favorite online communities. 

Nerd Culture: @blacknerdproblems, @superheroesincolor

Poetry and Literary Spaces: Cave Canem Literary Balms program for Black poets,  Nuyorician Online Open Mic Events, Well-Read Black Girl

Podcasts: Therapy For Black Girls, Strong Black Legends by Netflix’s Strong Black Lead, The Read with Crissle and Kid Fury.

Hobbies: #BlackBirdersWeek by BlackAFinSTEM (5/31 - 6/8), Wellness Week by Black Girl Gamers. 

Join us for the 5/31 Emergency #Blackout/#BlackoutDay here on Tumblr and Twitter. 

[staff]

Thank you to @theblackoutofficial for providing resources on knowing your rights, how to protect yourself, where to donate, and how to find mental health resources if you need them right now.

Tumblr has always been a fierce believer in free speech and the power it gives to the people who wield it. Throughout history, free speech has been the most important tool used to fight for racial and social justice. The protests being held in honor of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery are no different. They are important. They should not be ignored or derided. The disproportionate violence Black people face from those who have power in our country is not acceptable. It’s on all of us, regardless of race, to stand up for what is right, to demand justice, and to demand change. 

Say their names.

Black lives matter.

[celestialsoma]

Seek to understand, not criticize.

[celestialsoma]

The Double Standard

  So I have an issue.

Dating can be an exciting and nerve wracking venture for everyone, but for half of the planet its also something else.

Yes, I’m referring to my fellow women.

Not to say men don’t experience issues within their own sphere, but this is something personal to me and I dare to say to many others. In my younger years I often dreamed of falling in love with a kind sensitive man who would accept me for all my flaws and eventually marry him. We’d have a nice house, 2 kids, and I’d be a content housewife at the ripe age of 25. As I grew older and more familiar with the opposite sex and myself I soon realized that my fantasies were unrealistic. For one, as an aspiring psychiatrist( I won’t specify what kind, just know it takes a lot of school) getting married and having kids by 25 would be damn near impossible. And as I continue to grow into womanhood I have realized that my need for someone to accept my insecurities and love me came from an inability to love myself. I was not and am not ready to let someone else see the best in me if i can’t do the same. So where does the double standard come in?

Well after all of that I knew I wasn’t gonna be looking for a future husband anytime soon. However my family had other things in mind. I was constantly barraged with “talks” about how boys are hunters and we are the prey, how we need to guard ourselves in the coming barrage of sex hungry young men in the coming years. But I never, ever heard a single warning spoken to the boys in my family. No talks about promiscuity. Nothing about using protection. Not a damn thing about girls who take advantage of men(and mind you they exist). Needless to say I felt jaded, and singled out. It was okay if a man wasn’t looking to commit, but god forbid a woman has the same mindset. From the get go we’re expected to always be on the look out for husband material, to commit, to think ahead in every relationship for a future and skip if there’s nothing there. If a man screws around he’s badass. If a woman has even 1-2 partners over the course of her dating history, she’s characterized as being easy in many circles and sects of society. Abstinence is a burden exclusive to just women, and I’m tired of not being able to share the weight on my back.