What else is there to say?
Dear Troublemakers,
How are you? Really? Have you sat with that at all today? Please do.
I am - as you could imagine being a Black woman, mother to a Black son, wife to a Black man - tired, sad, scared, angry, stressed, hungry, mad. I have spent the last decade sitting in pews and standing on stages and exploring ideas in my mind and traveling back to the brilliance of those activists and artists who came before me, and as I write these words I just have to wonder, what else is there to say?
What else is there to say to convince of my humanity?
What else is there to say to plead for my husband’s life?
What else is there to say to change the impulse to see brown skin and pull a trigger?
I have written blogs posts and books and sermons and social media posts. I have said what there is to say. I’ve gotten to the point of just finding old quotes and re-sharing those because they are relevant, evergreen.
But I will not stop.
I will not stop saying the same things.
I will not stop demanding dignity, joy, full life for my community.
I will not stop being here.
A FEW MORE THINGS FOR YOU THIS WEEK…
Come hang out with me TONIGHT! I’ll be in conversation with Natalie Y. Moore - it’s FREE!! Register here!
Today I got to talk about my new book with one of my absolute favorite IG accounts - The Conscious Kid. Check out the conversation here!
These Black Women Wanted A Safe Space For Them. So They Created It.
A WORD…
“First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you're inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won't. Habit is persistence in practice.”
― Octavia Butler
I sure do appreciate you all.
Stay wild and holy and free,
Austin
PS If you haven’t ordered I’m Still Here (Young Readers Version) - get your copy today!!
BOOKSHOP | AMAZON | AUDIBLE | TARGET | BARNES & NOBLE
Thank you for posting about your event tonight - I was so grateful to be able to attend and hear more of your storytelling and much needed perspective.