Girls Just Wanna Have Funds » Politics

Rosa Sat. Martin Walked. Obama Ran. Our Children Will Fly!

Ginger — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:54:26 +0000

YES WE CAN!

Rosa sat so Martin could walk. Martin walked so Obama could run. Obama ran so our children can fly.

We now have the first African-American president who has a mandate! Barack defied all odds tonight taking Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Florida, all states deemed battleground states in this election. We have come so far and he made it seem so easy but his class, style, grace and faith in his God delivered a historic victory. This election brought out the worst of some of us but in the end we have the best result.

A new movement in the direction and it is my hope that we will begin to heal the deep wounds experienced by all.

Welcome, President Barack Obama!!

DNC 2008: Know Your Power: Don’t Let Anyone Discount Who You Are

Ginger — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:29:15 +0000

photo credit: foundphotoslj

At this moment, I sit here listening to The Honorable Elijah Cummings give a speech at the Maryland Delegation Breakfast. To say that his speech gives me anything short of chills is an understatement. I remember asking my husband earlier this week, “who is he?“ I’m familiar with the name but really this week I get to put together faces with the names Ive heard within MD politics.

After giving me an incredulous look, he explained who this man is, what he’s done and I understand more now through this speech why he is so honored and respected throughout this delegation.

Just now he said: Don’t let anyone discount who you are. Let me repeat that for you: DO NOT let anyone discount who you are. I love it. I LOVE THAT! He made that comment in reference to the Obama’s background in relation to others who were born with a silver spoon and you know, that just resonates deep with my soul. I can’t tell you how inspired I am and how fired up and ready to go I am to work for this party. I don’t care about what party YOU belong to but this is something that means so much to me. And, since this is the only blog that I can share this sentiment, I hope you don’t mind.

You see, before the Obama candidacy, I wrote him off as just trying to blaze a trail. Who knew the man would show us how it’s DONE! I talked with a woman over the weekend who simply wrote my going to the Convention as …”well you can go on and get involved with that I don’t get too much involved with politics“…. I wish she could be here. She is an older African-American woman in her 60s who has to her credit, been there done that and has been disappointed. But I want her to know that change, real change is on the horizon.

Even if Barack doesn’t win this election, just being able to have these open and frank conversations about race and it’s place in America today has connected me with people from all over. Especially here in Denver. We have come far as a country, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Words cant express how proud I am of this country. Even though I don’t belong to any one’s political party this election season has inspired me to want to do more in my/our community to continue to inspire this momentum of change. It’s inspired so many to open up dialogue with people you wouldn’t have looked at twice but we’re now opening up and having frank conversations about race and it’s place in America today.

Just earlier today I was talking to a fraud investigator from Bank of America, now, he and I have nothing in common outside of our background in forensics and white collar crime and we had a 1 hour conversation about this nomination process as it was going on while he was at WORK on the phone. I don’t know him outside of calling about a separate fraud related issue.

I said, do you realize that were it not for this whole process we would not be on the phone here today talking about our differences, hope for change for a better America and what that means for you as a white man and for me as a black woman?

We laughed and it’s something that I don’t think I could have or would have experienced were we not here today. My husband is a Republican, DIE HARD, and even stated that he was so proud of this party that he would consider “coming home”. I got that on TAPE!

Our organizer has worked HARD for us this week, in both large and small-making sure above all that we relish the EXPERIENCE. I appreciate her for doing all she has for us with the credentials but most of all her telling us to go inside the arena and just standing there, take it all in and remember that we were here. Remember that we were here making history and no matter our party divisions and ideals, we are one TODAY even if no other day. Just as with my wedding my BFF told me to relish the MOMENT and the EXPERIENCE, forget the mishaps that will happen but catch and hold on to the moment. Today, I did. I didn’t at my wedding but today I remembered her advice and I did and I am glad that I will be able to look back and say we were here.

We made history and I, a woman born in Jamaica, living here in the States, can say that I am truly proud of this country. And, yes, for the first time. I didn’t take politics here serious before meeting hubby in 2004 but now it means much more than voting or pissing and moaning about George Bush.

This could not happen in Jamaica. They wouldn’t allow it and so being able to experience this day knowing and having experienced the tumultuous elections times in Jamaica with the PNP and JLP parties and ducking gunshots and shutting windows when opposing parties collided on election day, I truly appreciate this process that happened before our eyes today in Denver.

So, yes, if no other day, today I am proud of America and never again will I let anyone discount who I am or forget where my power lies, within.

Detour: Blogging From The DNC

Ginger — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 03:49:33 +0000

This week will be a bit different and I hope you’ll bear with me. I wanted to have posts lined up from my fellow personal finance bloggers but decided to go with the moment instead.

Right now I’m packing for an early morning flight as we’re headed out for the Democratic National Convention held in Denver, CO. Going to the DNC this year is HUGE for me as it is both historic and meaningful for various reasons. I will be here with my husband and some other friends from a local listserv. We are lined up for quite a few chick events so that should make for some good fun and camera time.

I can’t wait to meet Nancy Pelosi, Michelle Obama and I am praying to meet Michelle Fenty as well. She is the first lady here in DC, married to Adrian Fenty, DC’s mayor.

Oh, and you’ll get a chance to meet Robyn and Nikki, two attorneys here in DC that I am sure will start cutting up on camera. Don’t worry, Robyn already has her own show here in DC, The Urban Flow so she is a pro and Nikki is a panelist there as well. *teehee* Can you tell I’m excited!?!

I go back and forth about how much of my personal life I want to share on this blog, but I figured why not, this may not be personal finance related but it’s meaningful to me and wanted to share it with you. But I’ll do my best to add some personal finance related articles as I do have a few ready to go this week.

I bought a Flip Mino just for this so look forward to my vlogging during this week as I’m sure there will be many highs and few lows given the amount of protesters scheduled to be there.

Ginger, over and out.

An Open Letter To Soledad O’brian Regarding CNN’s Black In America

Ginger — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:00:54 +0000

Dear Soledad,

I’d like to thank you for the time and effort put into researching and producing CNN’s Black In America. After looking at the various segments, I can tell you spent much time with the interviewees getting to know their stories, understanding their issues and perhaps giving others ignorant of the plight of this segment of the population a sobering view of what it is like for some blacks in America.

However, as a Afro-Caribbean woman myself, I couldn’t help but feel slighted by the glaring fact that this documentary is clearly one-sided. I will admit to being excited and filled with all sorts of great expectations about what new information this documentary would bring. Sadly, it did nothing to bring to light any new information not already shared by AAs such as myself or my general peer group.

You see, many of us are educated, hold jobs, have not only a college degree, but multiple degrees and are married to men who aren’t running the streets and *gasp* play an integral role in the lives of their children! In fact, our husbands and partners are able to navigate the system moving smoothly from one position to another without the feeling that they are akin to a white man with a criminal record when looking for a job. We are also women who do not value having children out of wedlock as your documentary would like to have the rest of America believe, most of us do value the tradition of family and a two parent household when possible.

CNN’s Black In America lacked dimension in telling the stories of African Americans who do have stable marriages, value education as a core function of their legacy, work hard for what they want in life while teaching their children the value of living a life free of drugs and incarceration.

I can only imagine the questions and the stares I will get as one of few black women in my graduate class. Will I have to battle questions which the documentary left unanswered? You see, the questions left unanswered will be fielded by women such as myself who do not live such a reality. Imagine the questions by my white counterparts? The images displayed all around American households are not representative of our experience, it is representative of the experience a segment of the population. The documentary should have been titled Poor, With No Hope: Black In America.

Why aren’t hard working middle class families portrayed just as in depth as the high school drop outs? Where are the interviews with multiple AA couples who have been married for years or perhaps more than a generation and what that means for the younger AAs looking to them for guidance as they take the trip down the aisle? Your documentary gave black women little hope and/or options for happiness. They are left with the option of marrying a man of another race or growing old and alone with no partner to call her own. After all, they are less likely to get married because many of our men are in jail, high school drop outs or lack the ability to make a solid commitment. Yet, there’s the 55% of black women who are married and 50% of them who do stay married for the long haul.

Where are the interviews with that segment of the population? With the rise of the first viable AA presidential candidate, one would think this would be an important time to cast a positive image of Black America, not reinforce the plethora of negative stereotypes already out there which supports what we all already know. Even then, what answers do we have for the segment of our population that are downtrodden? I understand this is a plight of my people and we will have to figure this out some way, but in the mean time, a follow up documentary is needed. One that celebrates the triumphs of those who did not fall prey to drugs, welfare, absentee fathers or incarceration. One that discusses their struggles of shaking off the constant portrayals of blacks in America as poor, lacking education, drug infested and having a perennial presence in the revolving doors of of the criminal justice system.

Where is that story?

It’s time that large networks like CNN and journalists such as yourself take responsibility for the information disseminated in American households. If you’re going to tell our story, then make a sincere effort to tell all sides. Not the the side that makes for a salacious documentary which garners historical ratings; it is both irresponsible and frankly standard in America today. Because, being black in America means for most of us being bombarded with dismal statistics about our race leaving us with little hope for change or solutions for the problems we face today. The challenge for CNN would have been to take this time to celebrate the leaps and bounds we have made as a race in spite of the downtrodden stories.

Your documentary has been told by many a news network and sadly, it’s nothing new.

Respectfully Yours

Ginger - Girls Just Wanna Have Funds