The break of day
Jack sat in
An office that
Would change his
Life and —
I can’t help
But think of the
Hymn that says
The Blood ‘dun signed my name.
A door which would open
For all those
Coming behind
And remembering
Who was in front.
With this signing
With this mountain climbing
This sport that
Puts together ball and bat
Gave us legacy
Of Black and Athlete
To stand up on
Two feet
And there always
Needs to be a
Dodger Blue 42.
-JBHarris
(Written on Jackie Robinson Day, 4.10.2024)
With Black people, the descendants of enslaved people, being the only imported object this nation seeks to both claim and erase— the objective of these oppressive systems is seek to both mine and erase all those who by their very existence challenge it.
Blackness and Black people cannot be center focus because then this property, being intellectual, creative, or tangible, can be seen and used as authentic-made outside of the control and guided practices of white supremacy, and outside of white supremacist powered capitalism. When we as Black people are erased (the creators of such property, being intellectual, creative, or tangible) as the origin of such authenticity —we can be erased!
Ergo, our creations are turned into property for consumption, for our authenticity to be transformed into product for a greater world that our blackness will not be able to reach: which results in a dark mirror! In erasing what was there, enabling others to replace it with anything more desirable. By doing so, those who practice the systems of marginalization and erasure—powered by racism (including misogynoir, internalized misogyny, and internalized anti-blackness) believe no one will look past the image presented in front of of them.
Because it looks like them. In this case, them is the greater white world.
This property becomes their creation, art, and turned into their genuine experience. Such properties can be mass produced to consumers of the exotic for profit.
At the cost of marginalization and our erasure. Since no Black people are seen, it cannot belong to Black people.
-JBHarris, 2.13.2024
First: This is the last time I’m speaking on this.
Second: I did not watch the 3-hour conversation with her on the Club Shay Shay Podcast. I did not watch the 3-hour conversation with Katt Williams on the Club Shay Shay Podcast. It gave me very much messy Queen energy. I had better things to do than give 3 hours to someone who is still talking about the same pain that happened 14 years ago. -JBH
Mo’Nique-
Wonderful child of God, one who is so talented, we know they did you bad. We know.
As a Black woman, I will go on record that I (personally) never looked at Oprah Winfrey the same after she gave platform to the people that hurt you.
That was a betrayal. That is a betrayal!
We all know about the phone call with Tyler Perry, and the money you didn’t get. We also know that Tyler sent you money.
You deserve all your money and all your legacy. This is fact.
Netflix should have paid you, people should not have ghosted you, lied to you, or shunned you.
Yes, all of this is true.
Yet—what have you done to offset this?
It has been 14 years since your Oscar win and you are still focusing on your pain. You are still focusing on who did you bad, who had the power to do something and didn’t. You are not the first Black woman to be done bad, not paid right, put out a room, or talked about! Sadly, you will not be the last!
Yet, what have you done to offset this?
What is in you to attempt to learn from what is happened, and advocate for your own self? These people have moved on with their lives and careers. Yes, TS Madison was instrumental in getting Lee Daniels to apologize. And that was the right thing for him to do!
Again: what have you done to offset this?
Outside of “Daddy”, who advocates for you?
For those rooms you feel you can’t get back into, who is your intermediary?
Have you rebuilt your network? Do you know how?
Have you learned other aspects of the business? Did you and Sidney study contract law or start your own production company? Because outside of the indie movie Blackbird almost 20 years ago, what have you done?
With you being a survivor of sexual assault, have you considered helping other women in that situation?
How long will you make pain your story and not a stair? How long will you have receipts but no resources? The reality is some of this is you need to heal— some of it is politics, and some of this is knowing who to bring in the room.
You cannot blame people who ghosted you if all you talk about is what they did— and don’t have any resources other than to blame them.
You cannot blame people who want to protect what they are building! Especially, if your reputation of focusing on pain proceeds you.
Ma, they know what you gon say!
I overheard old player say this one time:
“If they got some White folks [in a room], you need some White folks [in a room].”
Beloved, how long will you make pain, betrayal, and what other people did your entire story?
In being transparent, if I allowed pain to be my story, this brand known as JBHarris or WhatJayeSaid would not exist! I would have neither catalog, nor credits. I have chosen not to make pain my entire story — it is a stair. The purpose of a stair is to elevate!
I urge you to not get stuck here — but it seems that you are! I cannot understand why. The only reason you continue to pour out pain is for attention. As long as you focus on pain, there is no reason to get attention for anything else.
You want the continued empathy from us as a people, without us asking, “What are you going to do about this?”
Nall, we gon ask! We ask because we are conversing and protecting our empathy! We want you to do well— and because we love you, we are going to ask!
People do what they deem important. Your pain has overtaken, does overtake, any space you are in! Pain is an old song too many people know the words to— not many people are brave enough to go to the other side of it.
Why?
It will require them to give up the right to keep benefiting from their pain. It will require them to grow, develop, to confront, learn and change.
They have to show up as someone else.
At this age, 4 years from SIXTY, will you not show up as someone else?
Heal…show up as you know you can. Like you know you must. The longer you focus on them, you will never go where you need to.
Love,
I grew up on Lil Kim, Trina, Queen Latifah, Yo-Yo and TLC. The first time I heard Lil Kim rap? It was over with–I am still a fan of hers. In seeing Nikki Minaj–I had seen this before. She had taken Lil Kim –the Queen Bee– … Continue reading It’s Not The ‘Big Foot’ I’m Worried About–It’s The Misogynoir
In 7 calendar days, Megan The Stallion has taken over the world.
I only have this question: ”How can one be so bothered if no one said your name?”
I have watched how the world has tried to shame, shun, and erase Megan The Stallion for the last three years. I have witnessed respectability politics be used to erase her, to diminish her, and her ‘lie’ be used as evidence of how much of the wrong Black woman she is.
Every Black woman knows why she lied, and there are Black women whom have lied about far worse for other Black men, and may go to their graves with those lies. And yet, she kept going. She buried the pillars in her life, and kept going.
After almost falling apart on SNL performing Anxiety off the Traumazine album– she kept going. And out of the ashes of some of the hardest things she had to face came Cobra. That song details her realizing the people around her didn’t care for her. She is vulnerable, and knowledgeable–the video for this demonstrates this. The world watching her, expecting her to die–but yet she had to accept the world was going to look at her, but she wasn’t going to die for its amusement!
And from Cobra–we got HISS.
I was at work and snuck to listen to it. For three minutes, I heard that Black woman who had been through some of the most traumatizing things in the world, snap off! I had to remember she’s not even 30! She’s younger than my little brother! In watching what has happened with Megan over the last three years, it is remarkable to see her win to the level she is.
HISS is her answer to everyone who had something to say, who has her live rent free in her head, and her standing 10 toes down in what it is she plans to do, wants to do, and she said just what she said! Saying I am proud of her is an understatement.
Seeing Nikki Minaj spin out for days when Megan didn’t say her name, to see her fanbase scramble to defend the maniacal nature of Hip-Hop’s version of the Brother’s Grimm Maleficent, and the same fan base that doxed the resting place of Megan’s mother Holly–thinking Megan mentioning ‘Megan’s Law’ is too far!
While Nikki Minaj is platforming the people who seek the destruction or erasure of Black people, Megan now owns her Masters, publishing rights to her music, and still gets to enjoy her power as an independent artist! I echo the wisdom of Erykah Badu: ”Who is the Queen of Rap again?”
HISS is Megan’s answer to a world that doubted her, the people who wanted her to fail, and her realization if she will have to have her back if no one else will. Now, Megan has hinted at another album and a tour?
It sounds like she has adopted the mantra of Beyoncé:
“You know you that bitch when you cause all this conversation-
Always stay gracious, best revenge is your paper.”
Beyonce, Formation
Check. Mate.
Note: It has now been revealed Roda Osman, the Black woman who was assaulted in Mid-2023 (she claimed with a brick) has been found to have lied about the specifics of her assault. She was assaulted yes, but she knew who it was. Since she set up a GoFundMe to solicit money, and the story was not true — she was charged with theft by deception.
We are at a pivotal, teetering point in this Black collective. As much as I want to say this is a community, it is not. One of the holders of culture and community is its women.
With what has been revealed as it relates to Roda Osman, her assault in 2023, her life being torn asunder and unrecognizable? The backlash from this information has unleashed wolves.
While Roda was assaulted, she was seen by health care professionals, and as documentation of what happened to her— it didn’t happen has she said.
Roda knew who attacked her.
She said she didn’t.
Her attacker, his first name is Olan, admitted he hit her — with a water bottle rather than a brick. He came out later —proudly! — admitting he hurt her. He hit her with a water bottle — not a brick!
To date, there has been no blowback or reaction to him for his behavior!
Roda was out drinking with associates, it’s sketchy what proceeded him hitting her, and she protected this Black man that hit her.
What I see on the horizon is the further dehumanization of Black women — spearheaded by Black women and women.
Moreover, one of the tenents by of humanity and empathy is belief. Having Black people suspicious of other Black people to the point no trauma, no pain, no experience can be believed is monsterous! We cannot ignore how detrimental this is!
Black women are being robbed of belief.
For all the Black collective whom have not conceived or experienced terror, there are
members of the collective who have! This cannot be discounted because a lived experience is incongruent, uncomfortable with someone else’s reality.
With further examination, I am faced with duality regarding this situation.
One: what is going on in her life that this type of stunt is an option?
Two: the fact that this group think about BW to the point of gaslighting/ excusing abuse is a choking arm of white supremacy!
The right type of Black woman doesn’t exist — and she never, ever has! I refuse to accept, to acquiesce, to imbibe the belief believing a Black woman is detrimental!
I reject the idea believing a Black woman, believing Black people, cannot be a safe bet.
I refuse to become a White woman among Black women, weaponizing the “right” kind of Blackness to Black people! I will not deny the existence of the trauma from any Black person because of historical approved agreement and pushed narrative that is sustained by that denial!
The Choking of white supremacy functions to immobilize, silence, and stifle the voices and experiences counteractive to the narrative it needs to remain in power! In rendering its victim unconscious, the victim cannot see its own demise or destruction.
The victim is complacent with their own demise.
“You cannot make me hate Black people” is a wisdom I echo from a friend of mine. But, I would be naive to think there isn’t a pocket of Black people who hate will not hesitate to hate me.
See the Bonus episode of WHATJAYESAID: THE PODCAST of the same name by clicking here. The year of 2024 is poised to be a fight, and this cannot be unseen. This is the year to decide what you will support, giving all strength and alertness … Continue reading Black. Woman. Scholar.
Note: Look for a poem of the same name during 30 DAYS OF JAYE.
As rough as January 2024 has been, it seems to be indicative of what lies ahead of us as a nation and as Black people. It is reminiscent of the National Book Award speech by Nikky Finney made referencing all the global African ancestry who made their way to that moment to celebrate with her.
I’ll say it again: Mississippi has always hidden its dead.
This site of my ancestry on this shore has been Death’s Hall Closet.
There have been 672 people recovered in Jackson, Mississippi behind the Hinds County jail in Mississippi is not shocking. Neither should it be to anyone else whom has tangential knowledge this place exists.
Mississippi is one of the places where the most lynchings took place, and some of those were reported on by Ida Bell Wells Barnett in her investigative journalism work. This is the same place which boasts of all things gentile and elegant, forgetting that the state was stolen from Indigenous peoples, with captive peoples swinging in Southern breezes, for little, for nothing, or for being the evidence that slave owners fathered their own workers for the lush lands our ancestors farmed and were buried in.
Death has replaced cotton as the major product of export. The bones and bodies of Black people are found all over the state. The evidence of their existence hidden in the Bibles of the White people who owned them, in the stars and bars to hide the fact treasonous racists died defending the right to own and sexually assault human beings. Such traitors were willing to die for this lie! Then, they were granted canonization by the Daughters Of the Confederacy who called The Civil War the War Of Northern Aggression. With the sleeper cell of Moms For Liberty continuing the dubious task of murdering collective histories, first-hand narratives, and banning books which deconstruct the honor given to their dead.
My question is this: where are the rest of them? It is nonsensical to believe these type of mass pauper graves are only found in Jackson, Mississippi. In the state that witnessed the murder of Medgar Evers, generations of lying or silent coroners, constant domestic terrorism, rifles in Hope chests, and body parts preserved in jars in libraries from lynchings—no, I don’t believe this is the first and only mass paupers cemetery behind a jail!
The fact it exists is disturbing—but also reassuring. These people were not lost, but stolen, made missing, and some murdered. For the state to want to charge people for the return of their loved ones is on par with what the powers that be —the evil which inhabits that state — does. What is most reassuring is exposure and the speed of that exposure!
There’s nowhere else left for these Death Dealers to hide. The evidence — the descendants of these reluctant dead—can speak for ourselves.
And for them.
I know where my line starts. And that might be the scariest thing.
Family history is complicated for me, and it always has been. For most Black people I venture to say that family history is complicated. And from what had been revealed in the last 10 days in Mississippi —all I can think is the lyrics of Nina Simone:
Alabama’s gotten me so upset
Mississippi Goddam, N. Simone (1964)
Tennessee made me lose my rest
And everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam
I do not find it irony that this song blew her voice out.
My maternal and paternal lines begin in Mississippi. My mother’s family is from Mound Bayou and my father’s family is from Macon. While married to my second husband, I found out the town was one of the first all-Black cities in the state. The name of this part of the nation is taken from the indigenous peoples it was stolen from—which translates to big river, or gathering in of all the waters.
With the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, the nation sees Western expansion, which my Native/Indigenous accomplice in the chat self would recognized as, “This is when colonization ramped up as Native peoples defended their land.”
Mississippi became a state in 1817.
Illinois became a state in 1818.
Missouri became a state in 1820.
I bring these other states into this conversation because this is where my parents grew up: my mom in Missouri and my father in Illinois.
Yet, I am aware both sets of my grandparents were part of The Great Migration. I know some of the reasons why they moved, and for the sake of some familial privacy, I won’t list them here. I know they moved to make better lives for themselves and their children: that’s the textbook answer.
The real answer is two-fold:
1.) economic advantages
2.) to flee racial violence.
This is more complicated for me because we would visit Mound Bayou ( “Down Home” as my Aunt Stella would call it), and I would be in distress the whole way there—and the whole way back to St. Louis.
And when I googled the Tallahatchie Bridge, which overlooks the Tallahatchie River? This is the body of water that housed and gave up the body of Emmitt Till. Whose family hid out in Mound Bayou, MS after the murder trial.
The fact 672 people were found behind a county jail in Jackson, Mississippi there should not be shock.
Mississippi has always hidden its dead.
Note: Johnathan Majors, You cannot ask a White woman to be Coretta Scott King.
The life and legacy of this woman have been intertwined with a man the world still vacillates between belief, erasure, and whitewashing.
This woman had a comfort for her own children after the death of her own husband —captured by the lens of Gordon Parks—whom I’m sure in pillow talks, told her he would say he would try his best to make the world better for the four children he was to leave in it.
Martin Luther King, Jr.—the man who preached his own funeral after seeing the Mountaintop, but never The Promised Land!
You cannot ask any woman to be Coretta. It is not fair! It diminishes the memory and uniqueness of this woman who is hewn out of rock she did not ask for! “Being Coretta”means you are asking a woman to use a mantle, a title, to take a place in the life of a man who is destined to do great things—and will also to die early!
You cannot ask a woman to be Coretta!
Whom left destiny, legacy, love, and did her best to put life together and make it normal for children the world would see their last name before their faces.
In even proposing a woman to become Coretta you were asking her to be a partake in the darkest part of necromancy. Asking her to become what God only made one of! A woman who stopped her life, to give life, and leave legacy in the world! A woman who would do as best she could, with the life given to her, with the cards dealt to her, and missing a man no one man could replace.
And having to even fight for him, fight to mourn him, to fight for him to be remembered completely even in his complexity! Demand he be respected, even when he could no longer speak for himself. Until she, herself, died.
No, you will not heap that Call, that demand for regal selflessness onto us in a world where we still fight to be Black and woman: when you seem to value one more than the other. We can never be too sure which one it is.
I Breathe Fire 