Money. Power. Respect.

by K. N. Giles

Number 1.
Take care of your brothers = 2 bags of $.25 chips for me, 1 for y’all –
It’s my money, so I get 2 bags.

Number 2.
“Ma, can I have…” = “How much you got on it?”

Number 3.
I like being fresh and getting my hair & nails done = I gotta get a job because Ma is not gone pay
for it.

Number 4.
“That girl knows what her paycheck is down to the penny.” = How your mother describes you
when people ask about her daughter’s relationship to money.

Number 5.
I like eats & drinks.
I like nice shit. Nothing cheap or at least not cheap looking.
I like fly shit.
I like to travel.
I like to chill.
I like to smoke good “refers” – plural like the old timers say.
I like art.
I like dark chocolate.
I like good coffee, quality coffee.
I like a nice, dark, smooth glass of red wine and good cheese.
I like fresh fruit.
I like sunshine.
I like lush green grass.
I like blue sky.
I like clean water.
I like when my skin glistens.
I like looking at pictures of David Banner and calling him by his real name, Lavell William Crump,
because it makes me feel like I know him.
I like nice shit.
I like fly shit.

Liking cost. And costing = money.
And not that green money, but that YOU money.
YOU gotta like YOU Black woman.
YOU gotta love YOU Black woman.
YOU gotta give YOURSELF permission to be human and ALL that comes with that.

So, I’m about that YOU money.
That good energy money.
That reciprocity money.
That I know my worth money.
That I know I’m putting good out into the universe money.
So, since I’m here today, I’ll keep striving for YOU and ME tomorrow.
Thank you Black woman.