Rage Relief Kit #1: Anger Is Out of the Closet, and the TV Is Off

Are you angry? Do you need relief? For some it can come from exercising. For others it can come from rest or talking to a therapist. For me, when I'm filled with rage, I simply pretend it's not there, put it in a box, put that box on a shelf in my mind, lock that shelf in a closet, then dust my hands off and move on. And this worked great, for a long time, until I started running out of shelves.

Now anger is out of the closet. And she is FLAMING (mad).

I've tried to reason with her, but she wants to burn everything down right now, so I'm going to channel my rage into something productive — going for walks, writing, drawing, cooking elaborate meals, listening to music, spending time with friends, greatly reducing my alcohol intake, eating healthy, not spending any money with any business that wouldn't support me or the Rainbow Coalition of people I love this Friday on February 28th, ... and cursing. A lot.

But cursing can get out of control quick, so you have to find an appropriate outlet for it. A place where your swear words have real power and impact.

Like Congress.

When asked about Elon Musk, Rep. Jasmine Crockett had two choice words:

So it is in this spirit — the spirit of Rep. Crockett — that I encourage us all to express ourselves. For too many, silence equals consent, so we have to speak up, lest, in the immortal words of Zora Neale Hurston: “They’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it.”

Here are some things you can express yourself about!

Win With Black Women Turns the TV Off

The news about Joy Reid on Sunday, followed by the shakeups at MSNBC and NBC, affecting the likes of Lester Holt, Jonathan Capehart, Katie Phang, Ayman Mohyeldin, and more on Monday, hit me hard. This industry is tough and only getting tougher as cable news continues to wane and print/digital media struggles with how to sustain themselves with shrinking audiences and dwindling revenue. And seeing so many talented journalists, many of them Black, lose their jobs either after cuts or major changes is a disturbing trend — but not unusual. Who can forget the great DEI role die-off of the last two years as all the high-level diversity and inclusion roles started being cut in entertainment and media before Trump won the election and returned to office?

While we could sit around and sulk, that's not really an option, is it? That's definitely what the folks at Win With Black Women thought as they launched into action shortly after the announcement came down about Reid on Sunday. The group organized a Zoom call with the now-former MSNBC anchor and pushed out messaging on how her viewers and other followers could support her, recommending dialing 212-664-4444 (and pressing 1, then 2) to MSNBC to voice their concerns, following Reid on all platforms, and turning off MSNBC after watching her final show on Monday.

This is also great advice for supporting all impacted Black journalists. So along with supporting Reid, for everyone who brings you the news daily, please:

• Follow them on social media
• Subscribe and/or follow them on their new platforms
• Cancel subscriptions and/or not watch networks that don't support their diverse talent either in front of or behind the scenes

I Think You Betta Call Your Congressman. Tell Them to C'mon, and Get Their Sh*t

There are a lot of spirits we're channeling today. From Rep. Crockett's "Fuck off," to Hurston, to now neo soul chantuse Eryka Badu telling a man he better call Tyronne, and tell him to c'mon, and get that man's shit.

Only this time the man is Congress.

Don't know if you've been following the news out of Washington lately, but absolutely everything is on fire. Complaining on social media about the latest move DOGE is making is nice, but most Congress critters are in a demographic that remembers yellow, old-school, "can use a dial," landline phones. Basically, they respect a phone call, a letter, even an email more than social media or a signed petition.

You can find your representative in the House here. And you can find your senator here. Let's start FedExing our Congressional beefs to Capitol Hill's front door!

A Hell of A (Sober-ish) Black History Month

I picked a great time to stop drinking!

The USA is self-immolating, and while some of the 92 Percent are living their best lives (napping, spa days, maybe taking a siesta while the world burns, etc.) the rest of us are pretty stressed out.

I'm part of that 92 percent that's stressed out, child. I can't have a Jack Daniels, Coke, and a smile anymore. Or tequila. Or anything. I'm just out here, raw dogging life when lately "life" is a sloppy drunk who needs to go to bed.

I still drink socially, but there was a time for a very long time that my favorite way to unwind from a long day in the news mines was a stiff drink. And I had a lot of long days, so that was a lot of stiff drinks! After a dry-ish January, I went into Black History Month stone cold sober. I've only had alcohol a handful of times this month compared to the near daily cocktail or two I used to have. The results are all the usual things — my skin is clearer, my head feels better, and when I DO drink the punishment is more severe, as in now one drink means I'll be tired the next morning and more than two or three drinks means a hangover.

So lesson learned: If you don't want alcohol to start making you sick, don't stop drinking!

Also, alcohol is really bad for you, but I'm sure RFK Jr. is busy working on reversing that right now, among other things. So this is also your reminder to get all your vaccinations now (boosters also because some vaccines wear off over time) before we get vitamins and prayer for polio.

FYI

Don't spend with anyone today who you couldn't invite to the cookout. Yes, it's Friday, Feb. 28th and there's an economic boycott going down today, and per it's organizers you should buy anything today unless it's absolutely necessary? Just buy it tomorrow, or pick a store you feel has crossed a line and never shop there again (if you actually want to be effective).

Orgainzed by the nonpartisan People’s Union USA group, it's unlikely that any store is going to collapse from the weight of a one-day save-a-thon, but this could send a powerful message.

I'll let HuffPost's Monica Torres explain:

Critics call this grassroots campaign, which has been largely social-media driven, mostly ineffective since it lacks a focused target. But one of the boycott’s biggest strengths is how it is now a national conversation starter.

“A single-day boycott is more symbolic than financially disruptive. Most businesses can absorb a 24-hour dip in sales, especially if consumers make purchases before or after the event,” said Americus Reed, a marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. “However, the real power is in the message ― it signals collective dissatisfaction and can create media attention, which is often more impactful than the short-term revenue loss.”

Until next time.

Yours truly,

Danielle