I spent most of the previous month in social media doing what I always do: pretend to be famous and say inane things for the benefit/ridicule of the few people who pay attention to me. Since it was February, I included the hashtag: #BlackHistoryMonth. It was probably offensive, but I assure you, just like my #WarOnXmas series, where I said that I would make people Christmas cookies, but I would use kosher salt, it was all in jest...except the part about paying Katt Williams to shut the f*** up.
Well beyond that, I actually did something constructive with my time. A few essays back I mentioned a woman named Tierra Jackson. She had a somewhat unstable family life, just like me! She was homeless in high school, just like me! She had a teacher who seemed to give a damn about her well being, just like me! It hurt to hear her story, as it reminded me too much of the hell I endured.
My knee-jerk reaction was to start a Fundly account for her with a VERY lofty goal of $7,000. It lasted for a few months, and it just ended yesterday. It earned far less ($2795) than what I originally wanted. It did, however earn more than enough for her to bridge a funding gap she needed pay for school for another year, so there’s that.
The funny thing is, I didn’t really do a damn thing. I started the account, but it was mostly the people who donated to the account who helped Tierra, most of them being anonymous. Sure, I supplemented the 5% that Fundly collects to keep their site going, but that is about it. Next time, I’ll do better, but for now, if you’re reading this and you donated, thank you profusely. You made one woman’s struggle a little bit easier.
If you DIDN’T donate, you’re a terrible person, and you hate children. Don’t worry though, it is not too late to invest in our nation’s youth and prove your loyalty to our future overlords. Anyone who wishes to donate in the future should go directly to North Lawndale College Prep’s website, and donate there: www.nlcphs.org. If you’re writing a cheque, make it ATTN: Tierra Jackson Scholarship Fund.
See? I’m not all ethnic jokes and socialism. Just mostly.