Staying Ready: The Exhausting Reality of Always Being on Guard
There’s a level of exhaustion that comes with being Black in a world that constantly reminds you your safety, dignity, and rights are fragile. It’s the kind of exhaustion that stems from knowing you can’t ever let your guard down. There’s no freedom to relax, no moment to simply exist without wondering if the next political shift or societal wave will undo what little progress we’ve made.
For me, this reality hit hard recently. I was flipping through an old comic book, something meant to be lighthearted, when I stumbled upon a drawing—a Black baby, drawn as a monkey. A Black baby. An innocent child. Reduced to a grotesque, dehumanizing caricature for laughs. The fact that anyone could create that, publish it, and find it funny is horrifying. The fact that people still would is even worse.
It’s not just the comic. It’s the way racism has become emboldened again, creeping into politics, policies, and daily life under new guises like "free speech" or "immigration reform." It’s the rollback of diversity and equality initiatives. It’s corporations like Walmart quietly stepping away from commitments to equality. It’s people openly talking about a desire to return to segregation or even slavery, as if those times were anything but a nightmare for us.
The Weight of Staying Ready
There’s a phrase I often hear: "Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready." It’s meant to be motivational, a reminder to always be prepared. But for Black people, it feels like a curse. We don’t get the luxury of preparation. We’re in a constant state of vigilance, always scanning for the next attack, the next injustice, the next moment when we’ll have to fight for our survival.
This isn’t a new phenomenon. For generations, we’ve had to protect ourselves, our families, and our communities. We’ve had to monitor the political climate because a single shift could determine whether we’re safe or in danger. Rights we fought for—civil rights, voting rights, workplace protections—are fragile, and the people who hate us know that.
We see it in the rhetoric about "going back to the good old days." For them, that means an era of unchallenged dominance. For us, it means oppression, degradation, and terror.
A Return to the "Good Old Days"?
What do they want? That’s the question that keeps me awake at night. What does someone mean when they say they want to "Make America Great Again" or bring back "traditional values"?
When people talk about these so-called better times, they’re often talking about a period when Black people were enslaved, segregated, or completely excluded. They’re talking about times when our labor was exploited, our lives were expendable, and our humanity was denied.
To hear these sentiments now, in 2024, is infuriating. It’s not just ignorant—it’s deliberate. It’s an intentional effort to roll back progress and strip us of our rights. It’s why Walmart decided to quietly end their equality programs, claiming they were unnecessary or too controversial. It’s why lawmakers are attacking diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, framing them as "woke" nonsense rather than necessary tools for creating a just society.
This isn’t about fairness or balance. This is about control.
Racism Isn’t Hiding Anymore
What scares me most is how bold people have become. Racists are no longer hiding behind closed doors or anonymous messages. They’re in our workplaces, our governments, and our schools, proudly proclaiming their hate. They’re using platforms to dehumanize us, to strip away our protections, and to make our pain invisible.
It’s the boldness that terrifies me. It’s the knowledge that they don’t feel ashamed, that they don’t see us as deserving of respect or dignity. It’s the fact that a comic depicting a Black baby as a monkey doesn’t make everyone uncomfortable. That kind of dehumanization—turning a child into a joke—is horrifying because it shows how easily people justify their hate.
And when they justify their hate, they justify their actions. That’s how rights are stripped. That’s how lynchings, massacres, and segregation happened. Not because people didn’t know better, but because they believed it was okay.
Why This Hurts So Much
It hurts because we’ve fought so hard. It hurts because, despite centuries of struggle, we’re still in a position where everything can be taken away. It hurts because no matter how much we contribute, how hard we work, or how much we endure, we’re still seen as less than.
Black people built this country. We bled for its prosperity, we labored for its wealth, and we’ve given it everything we had. Yet, we’re still here, fighting for the most basic of rights: to be seen, to be respected, to exist.
What Do We Do?
So, what now? How do we move forward when it feels like the world is moving backward?
- Stay Vigilant: We have to keep our finger on the pulse of politics and policies. We can’t afford complacency.
- Call It Out: Racism thrives in silence. When we see it—whether in a comic, a policy, or a workplace decision—we need to name it for what it is.
- Protect Our Spaces: The spaces we’ve created for ourselves—our businesses, media, and communities—are sacred. We need to defend them from co-option and erasure.
- Support Each Other: Now more than ever, we need to stand together. Whether it’s through buying Black, mentoring, or simply being there for each other, our unity is our strength.
Final Thoughts: Living Without Rest
I’m tired. Tired of living in a world where I can’t relax, where I can’t just exist without fear. I’m tired of seeing the same hate I read about in history books coming to life in my present.
But I’m also determined. Determined to speak out, to fight back, and to protect what we’ve built. We deserve better. We deserve a world where we can raise our children without fear, where a Black baby is seen as beautiful and full of potential—not as a caricature.
To anyone who reads this and feels the same pain, the same anger, the same exhaustion: You’re not alone. We’ve been fighting for centuries, and we’re still here. That’s our strength. That’s our legacy. And that’s what will keep us going.
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