We can be forgiven for occasionally feeling pessimistic about the direction that humanity is taking given all of the chaos that is occurring in the United States and around the world. Around the world, anti-Black sentiment and white nationalism are growing. While aging, white males (and the women who support them) deprive women of their God-given agency, women are losing their human rights. Despite their continued admiration for Black sportsmen and entertainers for making their lives happier, Black folks have witnessed our allies abandon us. The most crucial issue, the health of our environment, is in jeopardy as the ultra-wealthy are ready to tear down all the barriers put in place to preserve the planet. Still, being grateful is the greatest way to move forward. People who live in a condition of thankfulness and gratitude are able to access opportunities that are both positive and powerful, which are otherwise unavailable to us when we are dwelling on the Sunken Place. Being grateful and appreciative gives us hope, which makes them superpowers. Hope is so strong and essential to our lives and well-being that it is actually spiritual plutonium, in case you were unaware. So, figure out why you should be grateful and make the most of the happiness and goodwill it brings. We require it.
WHITMIRE PLAN TO END HOMELESSNESS
John Whitmire, the mayor of Houston, recently declared his intention to eradicate homelessness. Even though others have pointed out how challenging this problem is, Whitmire retorted, “It’s not a moon shot.” It’s not too difficult. We’re coming together. Making it unlawful to sleep in public places at night is a key component of Whitmire’s plan, which calls for the cooperation of several city departments in order to reduce the number of individuals sleeping on the streets. The plan also calls for the establishment of 12 civility zones, which are not locations for homeless people to sleep but rather places where they may access housing assistance and mental health support. Using $70 million from federal, state, local, and philanthropic sources, the initiative will fund outreach, diversion, housing, and shelter. It is estimated that $25 million of that comes from city money. Whitmire’s team claims that once the initiative’s start date is set, all Houston residents who are classified as homeless—roughly 3,200 people in Harris, Ft. Bend, and Montgomery counties, according to their estimates—will be placed in housing within 30 days. Keep an eye out.
YOU MAD? YOU SAD? OKAY
People from all walks of life are urging Black people to move past their defeat in the 2024 election. Some of those appeals come from well-meaning people who believe that obsessing over the Trump victory—and all the nasty things that go along with it—will only worsen our mental and emotional health. However, those who are making this demand of Black people could not give a damn about how we are feeling. All they want to do is boast that they were able to re-elect a candidate with 34 criminal convictions. Someone who boasted that his true business strategy was to hold out on paying his contracted parties and then wait them out in court. A brilliant businessman who has filed for six bankruptcy. a US president who, while still in office, made an attempt to topple the US government. However, because Black people’s angst is still so loud and overwhelming, demands for them to move on aren’t being heard. Check out the Defender Roundtables’ response on this subject. There are no wrong responses, in my opinion, about how Blackfolk should act right now. It is our duty and right to fend for ourselves.
