2016 has been an extremely rough year for all but especially for the black community. We have been tried, we have been tested, and we have been disrespected. We may have all had our own separate struggles but many of us have shared our struggles as well. With the continuous loop of black lives being taken unjustly and bullet riddled black bodies being displayed in heart-wrenching videos, we are all exhausted mentally, physically and most of all emotionally. With black women continually being degraded, black men still being treated as imminent threats simply for existing and our entire culture being made fun of and somehow simultaneously appropriated at every turn, we will need to take time in 2017 to heal all of the damage 2016 did. For this reason, here are 3 things we will be canceling, effective January 1st, 2017.

1. Watching videos of black people being killed

This past year too many black men and women were murdered at the hands of the police and crazed vigilantes. Quite a few of these deaths were captured on video. While we are thankful for the evidence those videos provide (though evidence still doesn't guarantee justice) seeing the bodies of our own being riddled with bullets for little to no reason is exhausting and painful to watch. We saw time and time again as black men, women and children were killed on video. We saw people lose their lives, we saw the aftermath as families struggled to grasp what happened and grieve for their loved ones. We as a community saw all of this on a continuous loop. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, mainstream and online news stations, they all played back the footage; many utilizing the autoplay feature. In 2017, many of us are choosing to opt out of viewing these videos. We can fight for justice without having to constantly watch such graphic and heartbreaking footage.

2. Agreeing to disagree

Sorry. That's canceled. It's over. While this isn't something that only black people have been dealing with I will include it because it applies to our community along with others. I haven't been a big fan of agreeing to disagree for some time now but 2017 is not going to be the year it makes a comeback either as far as I'm concerned. Too many of the topics people want to disagree with put either my rights or the rights of others I care about in jeopardy. We can agree to disagree on whether McDonlad's really does have the best fries (I mean they don't. Have you ever heard of Rally's or Arby's??) but I refuse to agree to disagree when it comes to #blacklivesmatter, LGBT rights, women's reproductive rights and other important issues. If you want someone to happily agree to disagree with you as you attempt to strip rights from myself or people I care about, look somewhere else. I am not interested.

3. Being the ever-patient educator to the ignorant masses

For reasons unbeknownst to me, the privileged love to look to the oppressed to educate them. While it does make me hopeful that some people are at least trying to educate themselves on things they may not have ever noticed or understood before, I'd like to remind you all of the power of Google. There is so much knowledge available on the internet. A simple Google search can change your entire life. As many in the black community before me, I have been the person a well meaning person has looked to in order to better understand something I and black people have struggled with. And while we're glad some of you are out there attempting to reach out and learn, we are not your personal tutors. See, we have in fact been very busy struggling, what with the police brutality, general racism and cultural appropriation running rampant in this country. The last thing we need added to our plate is to also be responsible for opening the eyes of those who are just beginning their journey to become woke. So, in 2017 we are hereby canceling all impromptu lessons on the black struggle. You can find all coursework online through the power of your soon to be favorite tool Google. Best of luck!

Here's to practicing some much needed self-care and feeling better in 2017!