Well, this past month racial tensions have been high in our country over the recent murders of unarmed Black people by police. Of course, those murders and the countless ones before has affected me as Black woman. Everyday, I know what it feels like to be fearful of police. I have never had a good interaction with police in my entire lifetime. Before you say " Well Caris, you must have done something wrong." First, fuck you for having that assumption. Second, being a Black person is always seen as a threat to police officers and most white people, no matter my education, how I respectfully and proper that I speak, how much money I have, how I dress, etc. There is always is going to be microaggressions, discriminatory behavior, and even aggressive behavior towards me. I cannot take off my Black skin when I get home unlike the cops that can take off their uniforms. This something that I and Black people deal with because this is who we are. Never forget that.
I have to have ongoing conversations with my middle school aged son about racial issues. I have had "The Talk" with him about how to interact with police that could possibly save his life. Notice I said possibly, because there have been numerous cases of Black people that complied with cops and were still murdered by cops. It hurts to think that someone would see my baby's skin as threat without knowing him and would want to harm or kill him. Plus, he's on the autism spectrum, so his quirks may be seen as offensive to authorities. As we know, cops have no training or empathy for dealing with people with special needs or disabilities. Of course, I'm worried. However, I know changes and reform are coming. I'm so supportive of those who are protesting in the streets for justice and reform. Those who are genuinely are allies to the cause doing the work online and behind the scenes. I would love to be out protesting, but again we are still in pandemic and have a family to be healthy for. Plus, I don't trust the cops to respectfully allow people to protest peacefully without harming them such as on the night of June 1, 2020, where cops and military personnel tear gassed peaceful protesters in Washington, DC, well before the 7 pm curfew.
The society now, with the many tools that we have through technology, will not allow let racial discrimination, the whitewashing of history, and injustice slide by the waist side. I was talking to my mom, who grew up during the civil rights era of the 1960s. She doesn't understand why people are out in the streets being "radical." I told her that there is no more Kumbaya, that doesn't work anymore. The government only takes notice if there is blatant disruption to the status quo. Now it's Kumba-Fuck the Police and the System and fucking their shit up. We've had enough, we are not backing down. I feel very good about it. In order for anything to progress, it has go through a turbulent period and that's where we are at now.
Before I shut down off my laptop, I have to say a bit about allyship in sex work as a Black sex worker. Luckily, this past month some providers and client accounts have shown me where they stand in regards to their views about racial issues in society and sex work. Quite a few have got a block or an unfollow from me. Of those, I was really surprised in their responses to tweets and threads about current issues. I used to think they were alright months ago, but I guess not, so they got removed from my timeline. For me, I respect genuine allyship. Don't do it because it's trendy or the cool thing to do, do it because you genuinely care. I can see that in your timeline. I'm no fool. All that I ask is that you are empathetic, respectful, and listen to our, as Black sex workers, grievances in regards to the racism and colorism that we face in sex work and civvie life. Also don't be afraid to align yourself with us such as retweeting us, being inclusive on your timeline, standing up to microaggressions and to those who leave racist comments on our posts. You may gain a new friend or few, even clients, too.
I just want to give a quick shoutout to those who gifted me for Juneteenth. Thank you and blessings to you.
Wishing you love and light.
Black Lives Matter.
Fight the Power.
Fuck the Police.
**By the way, my summer hiatus is ending on July 15th. I will be available to see friends again starting July 16th. I am currently pre-booking. Please book via my website!