By ReShonda Tate
Fani fans some flames
Anyone who knows anything about former president Donald Trump’s time in office has seen some of everything. No respect for laws, decency, ethics, morals…I could go on and on. Watching 44, even to this day, one might think that politicians/leaders can do whatever they want. And that may be the case – except when it comes to Black women. Black women face a unique challenge where there is no room for error; they are held to a higher standard.
Georgia’s Fulton County District Attorney, Fani Willis is finding that out right now. She’s in a precarious position if reports are accurate that she hired her romantic partner, Nathan Wade, to help take down Trump and his associates. While Trump, being an old, wealthy white man, could navigate such situations without significant consequences, the rules don’t apply for Willis. To take on the likes of Trump, Willis has ZERO room for error. Sad, but true. The allegations that she failed to disclose her romantic involvement with Wade have given Trump and his team fodder to make this case about anything other than their crimes. And they’re doing a darn good job at shifting the discussion. Willis’ personal life is truly no one’s business. But reports that Wade earned over $650,000 from the case raises concerns about the investigation’s independence and even has Trump’s team asking for his case to be dismissed. Willis is a one-together sister. But despite her previous recognition and success, her decision-making has now put her career at risk, illustrating the constant pressure on Black professionals to excel and avoid any missteps.
While Willis advocates for a world where personal relationships and skin color shouldn’t dictate judgment, the reality, especially for Black women, is often different. The social media over-sexualization of Willis adds to the challenges she faces. The hope is that her decisions won’t jeopardize her career or allow Trump’s associates to evade accountability in a society where successful Black figures are held to a stringent standard.
Nazis in Houston
According to the Anti-Defamation League, there has been an 89% increase in antisemitic incidents in Texas over the past few years. Texas also saw an increase in the frequency of propaganda distribution and has become home base for a number of really active white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups, such as the Patriot Front and the Aryan Freedom Network. That’s why it was no surprise to hear about the small group displaying Nazi symbols recently on a bridge above Interstate 45 near downtown and City Hall in Houston. The group also held a banner that read, “make America white again,” alongside one red and one black Nazi flag. The group also was seen outside Houston’s City Hall, where video shows one member with a megaphone and a Nazi symbol on his sleeve. Another man in the group could be seen holding a sign reading, “End Jewish supremacy today.” Some members of the group also used racial slurs against the man confronting them in the video.
The Houston Police Department was made aware of the banner and flags through at least one call, and one or two officers responded to the scene, but say the group would have been within its rights to demonstrate at city hall as it is public property. As long as a group is not causing physical harm, it would be acting within its right to freedom of speech. The bottom line is crazies are gonna crazy. And they’re itching for a reaction from us. Let’s not give it to them.
#EmmysSoBlack
On a very fitting Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black excellence took center stage at the 75th annual Emmys. Winners like Quinta Brunson, Ayo Edebiri, Trevor Noah, RuPaul, and Niecy Nash-Betts took home the gold and made history in their own way. Specifically, Brunson and Edebiri made history by being the only two Black women to take home the awards in the comedy category in the same year. Brunson also cemented her name in the history books as the second Black actress to win in that category and the first one in more than 40 years (the first and only actress to ever do so was Isabel Sanford in 1981.) As for Edebiri, she became the third Black woman to win for her category—previous winners include Jackee Harry (1987 and Sheryl Lee Ralph (2022).
