The day I completed my first half marathon. Never was a runner. Still ain’t. But set out a challenge for myself and trained and did it. Completed 4 more this decade. Want to do one this coming summer again.
6. November 7, 2016
The day before it all fell apart. But I remember that day so well — such hope and anticipation in the office, such a great day with my #DGAF crew, greeting HRC’s plane in White Plains. It was a great day. I choose to remember it.
5. June 26, 2015
The day same-sex marriage was legalized and Obama sang Amazing Grace. Maybe the most hopeful day, politically speaking, I have ever had in my life. I long for that feeling again — and I believe it’s possible.
4. October 31, 2013
The day Cory Booker got sworn in as the 4th black US Senator in American history. The first major campaign I had run. And I had breakfast with him and John Lewis. Still feel proud/overwhelmed just thinking about it.
3. February 29, 2012
The day @nicolederse and I launched @50p1. Hard to believe it’s been almost 8 years already. We had NO IDEA what we were doing or how we were going to do it and yet...we built a real life business. From literal scratch. And it’s thriving!
2. December 28, 2014
The day I summited Kilimanjaro. My dad had died a month earlier. my first trip to the continent from which he had emigrated. I struggled through the night saying his name. I left his initials at the highest point I could find. Like to think it’s still there.
1. July 31, 2010
The day @jehabig married me. Best day of my life, bar none. Let’s hope the new decade provides a day of joy even close to it.
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I’ve gotten a lot of inquiries over the last couple weeks about why the Biden campaign is doing something in X state and not Y, or entreaties for the campaign to invest in Z place (usually TX). I have no control or input on any of it, but it inspired a quick thread: 1/?
I’ll start with this: there are a LOT of good non-presidential-electoral reasons to invest in places: Senate/House races, state leg chamber flips, party building, etc. In no way is this thread minimizing that, and BFP is doing a LOT to support others, financially and otherwise.
HOWEVER, the *purpose* of the existence of Biden for President campaign is to win the presidential election. Which means to win enough states to produce 270 electoral votes.
Because I’ve been a relatively large black man for many decades now, I can forget how psychologically exhausting it is to live with a constant awareness of the perceived threat that is your existence. It becomes second nature, repressed even. It just is. It’s hard to explain.
Anyways, I can’t tell if weeks - months - like this…when people who don’t look like you awaken to your everyday reality…are good…or if bringing those feelings to the front of mind are actually bad for me, personally. This thread doesn’t have a point. Just thinking out loud.
The lump I get in my throat any time I see a police officer, or am walking down a relatively empty street and see a white person approaching me -- knowing they are scared, wondering what will happen — it’s easier just to not think about it. I know that’s selfish but man.
In the interest of public accountability, @jehabig and I committed to run/walking 100km (about 62mi) in May. We’re at 16 after 7 days so...a ways to go.
More than doubled in 5 days. Literally nothing motivates me more than a (sometimes arbitrary and meaningless) numerical goal.
Keeping it 💯: it’s completely explainable that we are down to two white men to become our nominee. Democratic primary voters’ top priority is beating Donald Trump and, mostly subconsciously, I believe the gruesome reality of Trump’s America has put a fear in our hearts...
...about the effectiveness of the racist, sexist campaign he would have run against a woman or a person of color. It’s politically misguided and deeply unfortunate, given the two nominees who received the most votes in American history are a woman and a person of color...
...this is not to diminish the efforts of the Sanders and Biden campaigns or the structural advantages they brought to the table (which were tied up in race and gender, but I don’t want to lose the thread here). It’s also not to say any of this is okay...