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Stand up for DEI initiatives, boycott like hell, and, oh yeah, save this school! [1]

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Date: 2025-01-29

I am not strong all the time. Hell, I doubt I crack 25% on a good day. No fake shit here—no interest, no energy. Lately, I’ve been marinating in self-pity, angst, and, most of all, a slow-burning, bone-deep resentment.

Not proud of it. But here we are.

I can’t slap on a happy face while the world burns. Can’t pretend it’s all gonna magically sort itself out. And even if by some miracle it does, the same old “kumbaya” crowd will crawl out of the wreckage, strumming their banjos, insisting we all hold hands with the same bastards who set the fire in the first place. Because that’s gone so well before.

One Love

I’m in the hell no camp. Accountability matters. The monsters keep creeping up because we keep letting them slink away. Over and over, we waltz to the edge of oblivion, act shocked, and then reset the clock like goldfish with amnesia.

It’s Batman letting the Joker off all over again.

Me? I’ll be in the back yelling, “Hell no, fuck that, fuck you—clean up your mess, and don’t expect a goddamn hug for finally doing the bare minimum.”

But when the smoke clears, my voice will get buried under accusations of bitterness. The world will rebuild. Time will pass. And sure as shit, in fifty to a hundred years—if we even get that long—here we’ll be again.

Rinse. Repeat. Fascism.

I’m tired. I’m lost. And I’m trying to channel all this into something — anything —besides writing and animating.

Help me try to save a worthy school

A good friend of mine, a sister in the autoimmune struggle (because life loves a challenge), and an all-around phenomenal human hit me up with some heavy news. A school—not just any school, but a lifeline for youth in Arizona—is on the verge of shutting down.

She slid into my DMs on Instagram, not with some meme or a half-baked “thoughts & prayers” post, but with a real plea—one that slapped me upside the head and yanked me off my sorry ass. Because this school? It’s actually making a difference. And now it’s teetering on the edge, because of course it is.

So, here I am, typing this out because some things are worth fighting for. And this? This is one of them.

First—what is the Orme school?

The Orme School is a co-ed, college-preparatory boarding school located in North-central Arizona for grades 8-12. Founded in 1929, The Orme School remains rooted in its history as a working cattle ranch through its equestrian and sustainability programs while simultaneously preparing the next generation of leaders through rigorous academic and sports programs. Orme's commitment to its past and the future are embodied by its motto: Excellence. Tradition. Character. Orme students are challenged through a demanding academic program, team and individual sports, horsemanship, and the rigor and fulfillment of living in a small, intimate community. Our graduates are competent, confident, and well-positioned to meet the challenges of college and the world beyond. The School is dedicated to the principles of equal employment opportunity. We prohibit unlawful discrimination against applicants or employees on the basis of age 40 and over, race, sex, color, religion, national origin, disability, military status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable state or local law. - The Orme School website

Unfortunately, COVID hit the school hard, and we all know Trump’s idea of education stops at teaching kids to Sieg Heil and perfect their goose step. Now, they’re in a race against time—either raise six million dollars fast or shut their doors for good.

Would you please consider sharing this. I won a writing contest to attend their summer camp when I was 9. I left such an impression that someone anonymously sponsored me to return four more summers after that, and I believe they would've helped me go to high school there for a semester if they hadn't passed away. This place changes lives, and there is nowhere else like it. I still think of it as home and am heartbroken at the thought of them closing. I'm asking absolutely everyone I can think of to spread the word. I know I'm not the only one they've helped. Their sustainability program was ranked the second best in Arizona. They offer a hands-on experience unlike any other, and it would be tragic to lose them. Covid hit them really hard financially. I hope you are doing well, girly. Thank you for reading. — Rebecca According to the official Orme Instagram page: Arizona has $32 million in unclaimed corporate STO tax credits-- 100% of which can be redirected to save The Orme School! This funding costs you NOTHING and could make the difference in keeping Orme's legacy alive. Act now to secure our future and email [email protected] for more information!

To further learn why Orme needs to raise six million and what happens if they do not, please read more here:

www.instagram.com/... A post shared by @ormeschool

Boycott the Fuck out of Walmart and Target

Anti-DEI folks have always been hypocrites. They’ve never had a problem with some guy who knows a guy handing a cushy job to his golf buddy’s nephew, but the second a marginalized person gets a shot at the so-called American Dream with a bit of help, they lose their damn minds.

Merit-based, my ass.

Trump’s cabinet was a parade of people who could barely chew gum and walk at the same time—their only qualification? Ass-kissing the rich.

Yet no one called them quota hires—probably because they had the “right” skin tone. Funny how that works.

If you’re White, getting a leg up is just good old-fashioned networking—a sign you’re decent folk. If you’re Other? Well, tough shit. Starve and die, bitch. No help for you.

Essentially.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives—proven to boost companies and increase revenue—have somehow become the latest boogeyman for White supremacists. Because, apparently, the only way they can “win” is by hobbling everyone else.

Call me crazy, but if you’re really as badass as you claim, shouldn’t you be able to crush us so-called inferiors without tying our hands behind our backs?

It’s almost like they don’t want—or can’t handle—a fair fight. Almost like they’re not as strong as they pretend to be.

Gutting DEI programs doesn’t just screw over the marginalized groups they’re designed to support—it weakens entire communities. But that nuance is lost on the Ethnostate Chest Beaters, whose only real talent is punching down.

Now, companies like Walmart and Target—once touting their commitment to DEI—are rolling over like obedient lapdogs after Trump and his band of racist jackboots gave the signal. They’re ditching diversity programs while smirking behind their hands, preaching about “merit” like it’s ever been a level playing field.

Fuck that.

Let’s not go quietly into that good night, tell them what we think with our dollars and boycott. As one sister eloquently pointed out on Substack, that shit works:

The hell are Democrats doing?

This ain’t business as usual. No, I do not think we need to "reach across the aisle." Are you out of your damn mind? That may have worked in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, but this is Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood, and all bets are off.

I will always be a liberal—because fuck modern-day conservatism—but for hellfire’s sake, we gotta stop bringing teaspoons to a knife fight. We can be strategic, we can be principled, but we need to fight like we’ve got something to lose—because we do.

Miss me with this “But he’s the prezz-oh-dent, so we must respect tradition” nonsense.

No. No. And no.

Fight, dammit. Fight.

And to that end—let’s be real—we don’t have enough strong leaders to push back against what’s coming. Crockett and AOC notwithstanding (because those two are badass), but the cavalry ain’t riding in. It’s on us to protect our Trans and LGBTQ+ fam, to stand with Native communities—who, in case you missed it, Trump and his goons are actually targeting for deportation.

Where the actual fuck is he planning to send them?!

This has never been about immigration. It’s been all about a slow, deliberate round-up of all the brown people. And the folks who suddenly “don’t care about the price of eggs” knew that all along.

We either lock arms and fight for the soul of this place, or we let darkness roll in—and if that happens, it’ll take one hell of a beam of light to burn it away.

One Love,

—A

My Substack: oneangryblackchick.substack.com

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/1/29/2300114/-Stand-up-for-DEI-initiatives-boycott-like-hell-and-oh-yeah-save-this-school?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=latest_community&pm_medium=web

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