What The Obamas Taught Me About Perseverance

Sometimes politics can bring out the worst in people. Just downright mean, ugly, nasty, shocking stuff.

The increase of hatefulness stemming from the past presidential elections has been unbelievable. Watching people take sides, stop talking to each other, and experiencing relationships fall apart in churches, workplaces, and different communities has been disheartening and eye opening. For a long time, I was naïve when it came to the ways of the world regarding voting and supporting a particular group. I never had a major issue with someone being conservative, liberal, nonpartisan, or those who could care less, because I didn’t feel threatened by anyone who had an opinion or belief system that differed from my own. I’ve learned that a huge part of maturity is being able to coexist with others you may not relate to personally and to still respect them when they have different views from yours. Even if and when you don’t understand them.

When the Obamas were in office and as they exited, I couldn’t believe the different media stories, articles, threats, and horrific social media posts that rose during that time. A lot of people hated the Obamas. And still do. They hated what they supported and represented. And the hate intensified as each year progressed. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for them. But I believe they persevered as best as they could. To maintain one’s character under the scrutiny of constant criticism and blatant disrespect speaks volumes. I’m not certain I could have remained silent while enduring constant insults or being cut down and unsupported and attacked by different media outlets, public figures, and strangers on the internet who didn’t really know me. How do you move through something like that?

At first, I pretended I didn’t notice how different people I knew, some whom I once considered friends, continually exposed how racist, sexist, and prejudice they were. I was disappointed and a little hurt but have learned to be okay with letting people go. Perseverance isn’t easy. It can be difficult and discouraging, but if you can hold the positions and space God ordained for you to have and maintain your composure, even when you’re strongly disliked and people want to get rid of you or harm you or see you fail, move through your fears and stay strong. You’ve got this.

The Day I Became A Kidney Donor

About a year ago, I had a dream my dad wanted to talk to our family about something serious. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss, but I knew it was something I needed to prepare myself for. Around the time after I had this dream, I remember stopping by my parents place and sensing something was going on that they weren’t telling me. I tried to dismiss what I’d been feeling, but I couldn’t shake it. Something serious was happening. As I returned to my home after visiting them one day, I was in my kitchen washing dishes when a heaviness hit my heart like nothing I’d ever felt before. Something’s wrong with dad. That’s what that dream was about. God, what’s going on? As I continued washing dishes, I started crying and praying. Then in mid-spring, my dad held an unexpected family meeting that would change all our lives forever. He hesitated at first, and as his voice started cracking and he started crying, he said, “Well, I wanted to talk to ya’ll to tell you that I have kidney disea...

Thoughts From a Black Educator: Qualified, Credentialed, and Constantly Undermined

I’m a Black educator in my fifth year of teaching middle school English, and in my third as the 8th Grade English PLC (Professional Learning Community) Lead. And while I genuinely enjoy the purposeful work I get to do, seeing the growth of my scholars, and continuing to hone my skills in a content area I’ve loved since I was a little girl, I’ve had to confront some unpleasant experiences in this space. I’d been through much worse when I was an academic advisor at a Christian university. Racism, sexism, harassment, and workplace bullying were sadly norms in that environment. However, some of what I’ve experienced as a Black educator hasn’t been normal … It doesn’t seem normal to be the only Black educator in my department – in a predominantly Black school. One of my Black colleagues once said, “It should look like a Tyler Perry movie in here.” But it doesn’t. It didn’t feel normal being reprimanded in a meeting (during my second year of teaching) by an administrator who went in on...

The Day I Made A Will

When I was a teenager, I remember writing a list of my greatest fears. One of the things I listed was death. Looking back, it was an interesting item to list because inevitably, death is something each of us will face at some point in our lives. Even though it’s no longer a fear of mine, I understand why and how it’s not a comfortable thing for everyone to navigate. But regardless, this past summer I completed a detailed will. I signed it, had witnesses sign it, and got it notarized. As I was getting everything done, one of the witnesses looked at me and said, “You know, it’s just that you’re so young…” I’ve learned that death doesn’t care how young or how old you are. You can be five, fifteen, thirty, or fifty, and it’s still something that happens. Completing my will wasn’t scary. It gave me peace of mind having documentation in place stating my detailed directives and requests. A year ago, I had one of my kidneys removed. It was a surgery that came with risks that were presented cle...

Making Waves