November 4th, 2020
An open letter to the racist half of America,
Listen, I know you are scared. We had a Black man in the White House for 8 years and that really freaked you out. It jacked you up bad enough to elect a second rate TV personality into the highest position of the land. Yes, he was a bigot, a womanizer and wholly unqualified, but he made you feel “safe”. I get it.
But here’s the thing: Me and my Black and Brown friends and family are here to stay. We are not going anywhere. And you know what else? Our numbers ARE in fact growing. Some day, not that far into the future, you and your white skin will be the minority. I’m sorry, but that’s just how math works.
And while you hold on to your hate and co-sign on our suffering and oppression, we are living our best lives! We are the doctors and healers taking care of your loved ones. We are the scientists fighting in the front lines to make sure you and yours get access to a vaccine. We are your children’s teachers, teaching them about this country’s history, teaching them about love, compassion and acceptance. We are the cops, protecting your neighborhoods, the person in front of you and behind you at the grocery store. We are the lawyers fighting for justice, the engineers building the infrastructure of this country. We are the architects who built your home, the farmer who puts food on your table. We are your LGBTQA neighbor down the street. We are sitting next to you at church and praying to the same God.
Your hate isn’t scaring us, it’s emboldening us. We will continue to build on our bold and beautiful accomplishments. We will create art and music, we will write books and make television shows. We will continue to make headways in politics, in science and in Corporate America. Soon we will be at every table, taking part in every conversation. You will not be able to avoid us. There will be too many of us and we will be proud and fabulous! More of YOU will flock to US, because we offer abundance! This is ALREADY happening, despite all of your roadblocks.
What will this mean for you? Honestly I’m not sure. That’s for you to figure out. I know that what you’re doing now is not sustainable (again, that’s not my opinion, it’s just math!). So, regardless of the outcome of this election that you fought so hard for, I suggest you spend the next few years doing some soul searching. You’re going to have to find a way to live alongside us in peace, to walk with us towards a more just and equitable future. It’s going to be a rough path for you, I don’t envy that. But what choice do you have? As I said, we are here and we are not going anywhere.
Sincerely,
Mahshid
