There are several “firsts” after this election, and I am at a loss for how I feel about that, especially since so many people are manically happy about it. As the first born in a family that primarily values younger siblings, “first” meant responsibility and accepting my role as “lesser.” However, I feel that the “firsts” from this election cycle simply mean that many of us have not learned our lessons from the “firsts” of the past, and having seen a lot of “firsts” mess up in my lifetime based on their inner circles, I am concerned.
Leadership is not just about being appointed to a position, because appointment only means power if those surrounding the leader are supportive. I have been sabotaged as a leader many times before, and it does not get any easier feeling like a failure when people I was supposed to have support. None of the people ever apologized for pulling the rug from under me, and I imagine most of these Black women–a favorite target of the dominant narrative–will find out just how much the tears, hugs, and smiles mean very soon. I envy none of them, because they have more to lose.
Black people have always been directed toward celebrity worship to motivate us to exhaust ourselves for others for free, so I stopped worshipping “firsts” a long time ago. To me, “first” just means that the dominant narrative let someone else stand for the destruction without taking responsibility for anything. I hope that “first” does not turn into “never required to be accountable,” and I hope those working to sabotage these “winners” will be put on the chopping block just like the targets.
