BNP Testimonies: How My Black Nerd Grandfather Prepared Me For Donald Trump

In response to the staggering election results in which many members of marginalized communities experienced how disconnected they were from their fellow citizens and the country elected bigotry and hatred; Black Nerd Problems put out the call to hear how people were coping. Here is a collection of short essays on what we’re doing, just to get by. The Threat: Cameron Brewer / Facebook: www.facebook.com/cambrewhaha / Twitter: @cambrewhaha / Comedian, activist, and Social Media Director at Black Lives Matter OKC Black Male My Grandfather, William Ford, was the first Black nerd I ever met. Some of my earliest memories are spending hours in his den, watching all of the old Godzilla movies, the ones made before that Matthew Broderick bullshit. He was a big fan of Sci-Fi and Westerns (I sometimes think he would have really loved Cowboy Bebop). When I was 5 years old, he bought me the complete VHS box set of the Star Wars original trilogy and told me to watch out for R2-D2, “the baddest little robot in the galaxy.” And don’t get me started on his love of the Incredible Hulk. He was the first person that taught me it was okay to be Black and love nerdy shit. But more important than that, he taught me that it was okay to be different, to care about different things, and that being Black didn’t mean being having to fit a certain mold. I took these lessons to heart. [quote_right]“You know exactly what you’re worth so don’t let these White people get to you”[/quote_right] Now, my Grandfa…