Written by Nicole

If last week’s events are anything to go by, it is past time for black women to AGGRESSIVELY stay home. This is especially true if you live in areas likely to be targeted in an uprising. I don’t think I am reaching when I say that recent events should have lit a fire under you to be energized about your safety. Following the election, as it happens every year, black women’s visibility skyrockets, and the (unreciprocated) efforts to get the desired candidate in offices come to the forefront. But listen, there is no magic in a black girl who gets hemmed up in the streets. Losing limbs, livelihoods, and lives is not a flex, even if you think the cause is noble.

But it can be a little more complicated than simply staying home. Some things can jeopardize our long-game even when we we’re not really doing anything wrong. Here are a few examples.

Get off the news

It was never the time to be photographed and recorded with your fist in the air. Don’t believe the hype – your magic does not make you impervious to grievous bodily injury. Your magic cannot cast a spell that makes you invisible to potential threats. People upset with their candidate’s loss can, and will, turn their anger to you, as a random black woman. All this hype about how “black women came through on the election” will not protect us from the resulting vitriol. As sad as it is, we as a demographic don’t have back up. Externally or internally, for that matter. And everyone knows that,  making us an easy target.

Reduce the chances of being a target by staying home.

Quit the “Witness Me” Behavior

There was a post recently about a black woman who used her 6-hour flight to install faux locs. First of all, why would you want to fly in a giant petri dish amidst a pandemic? But that’s another story. And why would you want to share your hair practices on a plane full of strangers? Shouldn’t some things be kept mysterious? Again, other questions for other days. In. any case, do not do anything in public that might draw attention to yourself, no matter how seemingly innocuous.

Lay off social media too

Black women’s desire to be witnessed can sabotage an otherwise solid plan. Rather than announcing your plans for all of social media to see, simply shut up, unplug, and make your moves in stealth. Your victories are still victories even if it didn’t make it to your Insta stories. Not every opinion you have should get posted.

Options for when staying home is not possible

But for many black women, staying home is not feasible. As we have seen from the pandemic, black women have been hit quite hard as many work in industries that can only be done in person. One big way you can work on staying home is by finding remote work. Demand is quite high, but options are still out there. Even if you take a small side job doing virtual assisting or teaching kids English, it gets you experience, and if you’re smart, a few extra hundred dollars a month to set aside for a rainy day. Plus, it can show future employers that you have work-from-home experience. If you are into entrepreneurship, you can try your hand at that, just be sure not to fall for get-rich-quick schemes that are looking to part you from your money.

These are certainly very interesting times. Black women, as an unprotected demographic, need to be careful and strategic about how we navigate the world. Is it fair? No. But if you want to survive, and thrive, you simply have to play the game accordingly. And a part of that game requires some short-term pain for long-term gain.

So stay home.