“Seek to understand and then to be understood.” A quote I learned my senior year of high school but that I have been reciting religiously lately due to its relevance. Please keep this quote in mind as you continue reading this article.

I’ve seen people say, “It’s over, get over it.” Well, no, it’s not over. The horror is just beginning. I’m not even speaking about Trump, I am speaking on the EVERY DAY direct effects that this election has had and will continue to have towards minorities in this country by white supremacists. There are so many comments that I have read or overheard (all by whites) that speak on how they’re “over” the negativity and don’t want to read about it on Facebook anymore or hear about it anymore etc, etc. My Caucasian friends, how nice it must be to be able to just log off of Facebook or plug in your headphones. Minorities can’t do that. We are going to have to live and experience all the hate and pain in the world from fellow citizens of this country because of this election. I saw a quote only minutes after the results were shared that read, “If you’re not anxious/scared for your/your family’s well being right now, you have privilege. There’s no other way to put it.” My best friend, a Caucasian female, who although we have such different views, and though not always possible to, always seeks to understand my stances on things (reason 5 million that she is my best friend). When I posted this quote, she told me that she didn’t understand. This makes sense, why would she? It is not her reality. I tried to explain verbally to her, but did a crappy job. So, to anyone else seeking to understand, here is an article to show you why we, as minorities in this country, are terrified. Let's start with a couple of my experiences within the first 24 hours since the end of the 2016 Presidential election.

The first occurred minutes after the election results. I posted a Facebook status about how now what we as a country need to do is love hard. A stranger told me to “get on the boat.” I presume he was speaking of a slave ship? I may be reaching but that’s what I took from it.

Getting out of bed and going to campus was hard the day after the election. Real hard. But with a text message from my dad reading, “Baby girl, please keep your head high, and don’t be trapped or pulled in by others ignorance. God didn’t bring us this far to leave us”, it made things a little easier. Then I got to campus...and it got hard again. There was chalking everywhere that read things like, “Fuck your safe space” and “Democrats can kiss Trump’s ass!”

I saw my friend from high school, Jules Vetter, a queer male, post some hate that had been thrown his way on Facebook as well. Here are a 2 of the 17 screenshots he sent me which consisted of the bashing of Vetter's sexuality in the most crude ways imaginable; too crude to include in the article quite frankly. In the second picture, we even see the lad admit to the privilege so many whites deny as he says, "My dad will pay my way out of anything so if I want to come after you I can."

Here are two stories shared in a group message with my sorority sisters right before I went to bed. I didn't sleep too well, as one could probably imagine.

Didn't wake up too well either. I visited New York journalist, Shaun King’s Facebook page this morning and I read even more terrifying stories and saw even more saddening photos that he had shared of instances of hate and racism occurring across the country yesterday. They bought me back to the same tears that I woke up with yesterday morning.

This guy has been added to Trump's transition team. The duty of this team is to advise Trump on policy issues up until his swearing in January in efforts to help him prepare for his first 100 days in office. "Kris Kobach was the architect of the most racist law in modern American history. SB 1070 passed in Arizona in 2010. What did it mean? If you have brown skin or an accent, police had a right to stop you, detain you and demand you prove your citizenship."

And then this. THIS. An organization that used to hang my people from trees by their necks, will be openly parading through the streets. In particular, the streets of North Carolina, where I lived for a year after Katrina, have many friends and where 3/4 of my extended family (from both my mother and father's side) lives. HOW can ANYONE not understand our fear and outrage?

Speaking of handing people from trees...is this actually the year 2016?

Racism and hate is nothing new. It has been around since the birth of thos nation, however, we now have a blatantly racist leader. The fact that this country has elected a leader who’s campaign was basically built on racism and hate, seemingly gives white supremacists that worshiped his hateful platform, the “okay” to be openly and harmfully racist. That is why we are petrified; for our safety, honestly. As you can see, our fear is NOT unwarranted.

To those feeling sad and scared, let those emotions drive your activism and whatever you do don’t loose hope! Look at this, millennials!!! WE are the future!!

Yesterday on campus, before my friend, that I mentioned previously, and I had that conversation, before I tried to explain to her how I was feeling, before she understood why I was feeling what I was feeling, you know what she did? She held me as I cried. I don’t think she knew why I was crying, but she just knew I needed support. Moments of support and love will yield change in this country. #makeempathygreatagain. I am going to end with the Facebook status that I posted immediately after the election results: “Love hard and don't stop. Keep teaching love and acceptance to all you encounter, bc this has opened the door to sooooo much hate we are about to experience. Didn't think possible, but to even more hate than before. Love hard, y'all bc that's all I can think to do.”