Today this post by For Harriet, “No One Showed Up to March for Rekia Boyd Last Night” came across my Facebook feed. Thank you For Black Women What Not To Buy for sharing. In 2012, Rekia Boyd was murdered by Chicago police officer Dante Servin. In 2015, Dante Servin was found not guilty for killing her.

Fact: According to Huffington Post during the last 15 years 20% of people killed by the police were Black women.

There were recent rallies in New York and Chicago. According to the For Harriet post, only 20-50 people in New York City, one of the world’s largest cities, showed up for Rekia Boyd’s rally. What is wrong with that? Well thousands showed up in the cold, in the heat and rain for Black men who were killed by law enforcement. There were marches, rallies, tee shirts, hoodies, think pieces and hashtags for their unjust murders and rightly so. But what gets me is that more people will show up for a pair of sweat shop made Jordan’s than for Rekia’s rally. More people will stand in line for a movie than Rekia’s rally. More people will stand in line for overpriced coffee than show up for Black women and girls. We shouldn’t be surprised. Our actions are a reflection of our priorities and in the Black community, Black women and girls don’t matter.

Read: Black women and girls killed by law enforcement

You see Black women are expected fight and die for people who are unwilling to do the same for them. We are expected to do the work while ignoring our needs. We are expected die without you knowing we exist. It has been like this since our ancestors were brought in chains to these shores.

Unlike other Black women who see the truth but are resigned to accepting the things as they are, I am saying no more. For our survival, Black women must unlearn centuries of maid, mammy and martyrism conditioning and put ourselves first. This post is about Black women taking action. Here is what I want you to do:

1. Know that you do matter.
2. Forget marching or rallying. It doesn’t work for Black women. Instead saturate the halls of power. Go to where the power is. That means corporations, colleges, politics and in the media.
3. Find powerful allies who share your vision. You are who you surround yourself with.
4. Cut loose the dead weight. If people don’t want you to succeed or cannot see your vision, cut them loose.  If they are your family or friends distance yourself from them enough to where they cannot stop you from achieving your goals.
5. Get mentors who are willing to invest their time in you. They want you to succeed because your success is a reflection of their investment.
6. Start small and work your way up. Earn your dues so that people cannot question your qualifications and work ethic. 
7. Dominate in spheres of influence. Be so good people cannot ignore you.
8. By being so good, we earn those who are in power trust and get promoted. When you earn trust their trust, you will gain access to new opportunities.
9. Create spaces and networks of your own. Start your own business, political organizations, social networking groups or social organizations.
10. Shape and share positive images and messages of Black womanhood and girls.
11. Provide opportunities for Black women and girls in your networks. Hire other Black women. Let other Black women know about events, contracting opportunities and share tips and tools that will improve their lives.
12. Become a mentor. Give back and give a Black woman or girl guidance. When we uplift one Black girl, we uplift generations.
13. Build empires and legacies. Raise a generation of children to value all Black lives and pass your mindset on to them!

I am tired of being in struggle mode. I am tired of begging. I am tired of being outraged. I a tired wishing others cared for us the way we do for them. The receipts show the cavalry isn’t coming for us because we are the cavalry. No one is saving us because we are saving them. No one is marching for us because we are marching for them. No one will fight for us because we are fighting for them. Wake up sisters. Your lives matter to you and that is what is important. Black women and girls are on our own so lets start working on us. That starts with acquiring power and using it towards our advantage.

What would you add to this list?
A revolution always begins between two years. Start yours today.

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