She should get to see Black Panther. I am so angry about this right now.

I mean, it's a combination of things: the time of the year, the fact that the way the medical establishment ignores and discounts black women's pain is in the news again, and the Dora Milaje featurette that just came out. But I saw the featurette and I was just filled with rage at how unfair it is.

So much all of this.

(the fact that it's not just malpractice against black women, but malpractice against FUCKING SERENA)

She should get to see Black Panther. I am so angry about this right now.

Every time I see a trailer/commercial/featurette, I think that.

All I can hope, frankly, is that maybe now that it's happened to someone as famous and talented and brilliant as her, more people will take it seriously.

Seriously though, rage tears. Gonna have to find one of the fundraisers to take kids to see it and donate to it.

The Code Switch podcast just did an episode that in part deals with the fact that just being a black woman in the United States prematurely ages them at the chromosomal level due to the high amounts of continual stress that comes with being black in this country. It's heartbreaking and it made me think once again about what she dealt with all. the. time.

It surprises me sometimes, how much I still miss her.

(the fact that it's not just malpractice against black women, but malpractice against FUCKING SERENA)

The thing that pisses me off is that she is famous and wealthy, and they STILL discounted her. Her team should have been familiar with her medical history and been watching her for symptoms. It is INEXCUSABLE that she had to GET UP AND WALK OUT OF THE FUCKING DELIVERY ROOM to get a nurse, who then "thought that the pain medicine was making her delirious" If it was this hard for Serena Williams, just think about how hard it is for an ordinary black woman patient. And God forbid if she is uneducated or poor.

Question: if ita was the inspiration for a kickass superhero, what would her origin story and powers be?

There's a reason I'm asking - Tom is creating 100 heroines for his Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1538223149/make-100-heroines) and I suggested making one in honor of ita. The character wouldn't be named for her, and only we would know about it. Just kind of an inspiration/Easter egg based on one of the bravest people I've known. Totally non-exploitative. I could even run it by you guys before it becomes final, for feedback and approval.

I saw the action figure picture the other day, and it stuck with me, for this project.

Oh boy. Keeping the superpowers down to a reasonable level is going to be hard.