Hello, Friends. How are you? Did you have a good week? Looking forward to the weekend? We’ve got some good stuff on our calendar, including a show & tell at the end of #SkateLikeAGirl Camp today, a swim meet in the morning, and three performances of Ship Brooklyn.
How about you? Anything you’re looking forward to?
One of the biggest things that’s been on my mind this week is the murder of Nia Wilson. She was 18 years old, a student at Oakland High, and was stabbed to death by a white man at the MacArthur BART station (BART is the train/subway in the Bay Area). Our city is in mourning and seeking justice and peace for her family. Olive attended a vigil for Nia at the station where she was killed. Protesters have filled the streets. Artists have been responding with portraits (the illustration above is by @broobs.psd). Writer, Elizabeth Gilbert, worries Nia’s story won’t get the attention from newsrooms that it deserves.
It’s a tragic, disturbing loss. Let’s say her name. Let’s remember why the message of #blacklivesmatter is so important, and sadly, still so needed.
Here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share:
– Related to the conversation we’ve been having this week, here’s an essay where the author argues that “don’t feed the trolls” is really bad advice. Thanks, Amy.
– Hah! This is how to take photos to sell a house.
– Love this idea. A researcher wrote 270 Wikipedia pages in a year to get female scientists noticed.
– White Americans’ negative attitudes toward immigrants are driven overwhelmingly by racial prejudices, not “economic anxiety,” according to a new study. (WP)
– As I’m working on getting the boys’ room ready for Ralph’s return, I remembered the Napoleon Dynamite mural.
– What are your thoughts on lavish pet care? (NYT)
– A little story about how we try to ease each other’s pain.
– I bought a cordless vacuum. I chose the V8 Absolute and it arrives on Monday. I’ve been told I will love it. Do you use a cordless version?
– I’m still thinking about this NYT profile on Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop.
– Blessed are the Unemployed, Unimpressive, Underrepresented.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I’ll meet you back here on Monday. I miss you already.
kisses,
Gabrielle
Ellen
July 27, 2018 at 7:14 pmThe Nia Wilson story seems to me as compelling as the Kate Steinle story, yet in this case, it was a very intentional white man snuffing out the life of a young black woman. As liberals are we/I too fact based and accommodating of variables and nuances? Was he mentally ill? Isn’t any murdered? Mental illness does not lead to slaughtering people, but the slaughters of people are certainly mentally ill. Does our/my fear of appearing judgemental and uninformed distance me from the appropriate outrage and desire for action. I am doing it here, but I want dearly for there to be extreme consequences for the murderer and the disgusting supremacist group who arrived to antagonize the vigil.
This is all too much.
On a lighter note the real estate photos were just what I needed. How do we hold all of this in our heads at the same time. Life is so beautiful and horrible all at once.
JF
July 29, 2018 at 7:33 pmI am not sure what you mean by “the slaughters of people are certainly mentally ill.” I don’t know the details in this case, but by no means are all murderers, or even most murderers, mentally ill. Awareness of mental illness is important, but it is important for the vast majority of people with mental illness that we do not automatically slap that label on the perpetrators of heinous crimes.
Patrice
July 27, 2018 at 7:31 pmThank you for speaking out on the murder of Nia Wilson. It was vile. It was senseless. It was, I truly believe, racially motivated. Black victims are often portrayed as deserving of their fates, when more often than not, they’re simply existing. And this why we will continue to say #blacklivesmatter.
Willa
July 27, 2018 at 9:03 pmRest in peace and power, Nia Wilson. Please, all of us, especially the multitude of white women reading this blog (including me), please let’s recognize, examine, and try to root out the white supremacy we have all internalized as a result of growing up in this country and this Western culture. We must root it out from our own beliefs and routines, our families, our schools, communities, start figuring out better ways of doing things, and truly seeing and listening to the people who have been and are being terrorized by this culture.
Carole
July 28, 2018 at 7:21 amThe piece about empathy? Spot on.
Nikki
July 28, 2018 at 12:06 pmThanks for linking to the Paltrow/Goop story, it was a great read. I’ll be thinking about it for a while, too.
Kelly Feeney
July 28, 2018 at 1:37 pmI am reading Robin DiAngelo’s book WHITE FRAGILITY: WHY IT’S SO HARD FOR WHITE PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT RACISM. I can’t think of any book more essential for these times. Rest in Peace, Nia Wilson.
Morgan
July 28, 2018 at 7:00 pmPlease do a followup on the new vacuum cleaner!
Rebecca Belu-Henss
July 30, 2018 at 6:53 amMan, do you hit the nail on the head. Black lives do matter! Gabby, I’ve read your blog for years and am amazed at your insight, creativity and erudite commentary on all matter of topics. You are a refreshing voice of reason in an unreasonable world. What you do is so meaningful. Thank you for being a strong, intelligent, open, feminine voice!
Lynne
July 30, 2018 at 10:02 amThank you so much for this, Gabby. Thank you for being such an ally, and thanks to you and Ben Blair for raising such wonderful children, who feel empowered and empathetic and willing to stand up for justice.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Ellen
July 31, 2018 at 2:06 pmMy apologies, that was clumsily put.
What I mean is, that in that moment of murder (in my opinion) there must be some sort of madness to allow such a severe break from valuing human life. I am deeply frustrated with the go to excuse of “mental illness” when a white man commits violence.
Like you, I feel that that particular excuse puts added and unfair negative pressure on people and families who experience mental health challenges. I have close family members who have had mental health crisis episodes of hospitalization followed by diagnosis and years of diligent medical maintenance. I would never intentionally suggest that mental illness makes one a murderer.
Ann
August 1, 2018 at 6:33 amI can’t wait to see what you do in Ralph’s room! I loved the Napoleon Dynamite mural! I’m in transition mode for my guy’s rooms now. Again!
Whitney Ingram
August 2, 2018 at 8:44 pmThat Gwyneth article was the most satisfying read. She drives me batty!