Thread by @IAmSophiaNelson

As a professional Black woman, a former attorney and now in my 50s like the judge, I felt physically unwell at how the Republican senators spoke to her—yelling at her and demeaning her—because I have been there too many times. thegrio.com/2022/03/24/lif… 1/ #ConfirmKJB

Not in public at a job interview. But definitely in the boardroom or conference room or on the college campus. I simply spoke my mind like all the men in the room. Or like the white women in the room. 2/

It was not always well received. I was labeled angry, hostile, not easy to work with. These are the words people use to mar your soul and clip your wings. 3/

Twitter and social media were ablaze with the righteous outrage of Black women, who know all too well what we saw playing out. The crass societal demand of us to smile when we are being verbally lynched. 4/

The pressure to not break, not strike back or even ask to be treated with the dignity and respect that every human being deserves. I want young Black women to know that you are worthy. That you matter. That you are human. That shedding tears is OK. 5/

That protecting yourself and speaking up for yourself is allowed. And that we do not want this for you. We want you to be treated fairly, equally and respectfully in the public square and the private sector. 6/

We want you to be treated in ways that honor your self-care, mental health and wellness, and most of all, your joy, as Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said. 7/

I must tell you, as someone who was a Republican for over 20 years, these hearings broke me down. This is not the same party I joined in 1988. This is some kind of dark cult or club for the angry and those who continually engage in recriminations and vengeance. 8/

Be clear that Judge Brown Jackson was not well treated this week. You didn’t imagine it. It wasn’t “just politics.” There was no “sparing.” There were no “heated exchanges,” as many media outlets tried to suggest. There were only a handful of angry, aggrieved white senators. 9/

Memo to young sisters: What we saw was not OK. We must work to make sure that your generation never has to endure such a disgraceful process again. 10/