My Weekend Crush

Mississippi, goddamn. Goddamn, hot damn. Some days, you do really feel like anything is possible in America. The tsunami of support for Democratic candidates this midterms is now officially the biggest since Watergate. And we haven’t even hit the full crest yet. But this week Scott Colom’s race to be the next senator of Mississippi was officially called. He will also be the first Black senator in the state in 145 years, since Reconstruction. (And the first to be elected by voters, in Reconstruction they were appointed.) If that doesn’t make you believe in the true promise and purpose of this nation, well, I don’t know what will. (And don’t think I’ve forgotten about Mary Peltola up in Alaska, we’re not done yet.) Nina Simone’s song is 62 years old, but it’s as relevant today as if it was written yesterday. You know that saying about the long arc of the moral universe. Well, we bent it unequivocally toward justice on Election Day. So thank you, America. Thank you, Mississippi – especially the Black voters of Mississippi. Happy weekend, all.