Photo by Matthew Baldwin

This election process has been a difficult thing to watch. As Election Night unfolded and President-elect Donald Trump was announced just days before my wedding, the feeling was totally surreal, to say the least.

I was ready to transition into one of the greatest partnerships the world will ever see, but have that moment be tainted by a president-elect who has done nothing but insult and humiliate marginalised groups and people of colour.

I am a first-generation American born of two immigrants, who in turn, has emigrated to the United Kingdom. I feel attacked from both sides in a pro-Brexit, pro-Trump world.

These are turbulent times, but these attacks on our personhood aren't anything we haven't seen before. Before today, BME people were and continue to be gunned down by law enforcement. Women's reproductive rights were consistently being attacked. LGBT rights were on the precipice of being overturned after years of hard work, and our indigenous people continue to defend our Mother Earth while climate change deniers have their day (quite literally) in the sun.

It's a strange time to be in love. It's a strange time to have so much love in my life when the world is heading in a direction that scares me and has me questioning my place in it.

Instead I choose to write. I choose to fight.

Here are a few things I plan on doing as we enter into this Donald Trump presidency, this pro-Brexit, climate change-denying 2017:

Call people out

Now this is incredibly important and I feel is the foundation for the next four years. Make people feel uncomfortable! Embarrass them! If there's one thing I feel we could be doing more as a society is admitting to the passive racism, misogyny, and discrimination that we let slide throughout the day-to-day. It's kind of a tough pill to swallow that your friend, grandparent, uncle, cousin, neighbour, or whomever, voted for Trump but isn't a hood-wearing cross-burning racist. But they put that all aside to be able to vote for him. They are being passively racist. And it's now our job to tell them so, now matter how uncomfortable that makes them or us feel.

Donate time and money

This is probably one of the easiest ways to fight back. Monetary donations, volunteer work...I plan on doing both.

Being active in groups that are important to me is one small way that we can protect ourselves and other charity groups. One of my favourite British writers Bridget Minnamore wrote an entire piece on this for The Debrief here and mentioned some UK groups worth reading up on and getting involved in like, Black Lives Matter UK, Housing Action Southwark and Lambeth, Sisters Uncut and Anti-Raids Network.

Jezebel wrote a long list of US organisations here as well, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), who has received a record-breaking $7.2 million in individual donations since Donald Trump was elected. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood has received over 20,000 donations in the name of Vice President-elect Mike Pence, as people have been donating in his name since the election. Pence has actively waged war against the reproductive health services charity for years, and I'm sure that fight will continue long into a Trump/Pence presidency.

Other groups that I plan on donating my time and money to include EMILY'S List, Lambda Legal, Stand With Standing Rock, and The National Immigration Law Center.

Support the work being created by women, POC and LGBT writers, filmmakers, musicians and artists

So much of what we consume in the arts is work created by, written by, directed by, or produced by white men. And while the latest Marvel or DC is great, we have to start supporting work created by minority groups.

My friend Jeffrei inspired this one, when she posted this NPR article on Facebook about "reading the book that's not for you."

I try wherever possible to support work made by women of colour or the LGBT community, when there is still so much we haven't heard from those groups, especially within journalism.

BuzzFeed UK highlighted #BlackGirlMagic really well last month here with an incredible list of British women who are killing the game.

I'm so excited to watch Hidden Figures starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae, following the true story of a female African-American physicist and space scientist who calculated flight trajectories for the Apollo 11 flight to the moon in 1969.

These are the kind of stories about black women that I never saw when I was a young girl.

Read and watch everything (including the opposition) *in moderation

I've got to stress that in moderation because too much of that bigotry and racism isn't good for me. But it's important for me to step outside of my liberal bubble. I'm lucky enough to have such a diverse group of friends and family all over the world, and I can hands-up admit that I spend most of my team reading the likes of the Guardian, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. But it's important for me to step outside of that. Know and understand what's being reported to me and why, what it means, and what it means to conservatives, no matter how much I personally disagree.

Focus more on protecting the environment

This is particularly hard for me as I'm definitely the kind of person who'll leave the lights on in the room that I'm not in, or the TV on if I'm not watching it. Living in a city and growing up as a cliche millennial who doesn't prioritise the environment over much else has really hindered my knowledge in these areas.

But it's not cute or funny that our environment is seriously at risk in Trump's government, so I will do as much as physically possible in my rented accommodation to change that.

Energy saving light bulbs, recycling and a full-laundry load are a few of the really simple ways of helping save energy and BONUS cutting down on energy bills. I'm even going to get into Meat Free Monday to reduce my carbon footprint.

And that's me so far! It's important to stress how important self-care is during this time. Don't watch that awful video or read the comments if you just can't bear it anymore. What are your next steps? What do you plan on doing? How can we hold the government accountable in the next four years?

#FreeKesha: Kesha being contractually obliged to work under her abuser devalues women's lives and bodies

"Kesha at the Today Show in New York on November 20, 2012" by Becky Sullivan is licensed under CC by 2.0

Last Friday, Kesha’s request to be released from her recording contract with the producer Dr Luke, who she filed a lawsuit against in 2014 claiming he physically and sexually assaulted her, was denied.

Kesha claims the abuse began when she first signed with him in 2005 (she was then 18-years-old), and continued until she checked into rehab in 2014 for an eating disorder. Haley Potiker has written a brilliant in-depth timeline of Kesha’s career to date.

In her injunction request, Kesha said, in part: “I know I cannot work with Dr. Luke. I physically cannot. I don’t feel safe in any way.” Her full complaint can be found here.

Unfortunately Kesha’s is not the first woman who has to see her abuser everyday. Work with him everyday. Watch her friends and colleagues speak to him everyday. Women across college and university campuses are doing it now. Women are forced to come home to their abusers with no way out.

The law has been written to protect the property of men and women continue to fall under that definition of property today.

Much of that is made clear from statements New York Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich made when giving her verdict.

As stated by The Hollywood Reporter, Kornreich said it wasn’t reasonable for “the court to decimate a contract that was heavily negotiated and typical for the industry,” as well as after being told that Dr Luke had invested $60 million in Kesha that it “decimates your argument…my instinct is to do the commercially reasonable thing.”

And there you have it. The corporation has now become more important than the safety of women, and its rights must be protected instead. Of course contracts have been signed and there are legal obligations to uphold that contract, but when the mental and physical safety of people are at stake you would think that that would take precedence over the money. I can imagine there have been other contracts nullified for less. Are women expected to write anti-rape clauses in their job offers and contracts now to prevent anything like this from happening?

As of right now Kesha and Dr Luke’s work are being kept separate--however--she is still signed to his label in turn, he owns what she produces. Once again, woman’s autonomy is rendered useless. Her body is not her own. Her creativity and her work is not her own.

Meanwhile, female musicians are lining up in support of the #FreeKesha movement.

Kelly Clarkson (Dr Luke produced “Since U Been Gone”), Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Alessia Cara, Lorde, Lily Allen and Demi Lovato among so many others tweeted in solidarity with Kesha.

Trying 2 not say anything since I can't say anything nice about a person... so this is me not talking about Dr. Luke https://t.co/lLhtUHbmgG

— Kelly Clarkson (@kelly_clarkson) February 19, 2016

My heart is with @KeshaRose. 💜

— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) February 19, 2016

There are people all over the world who love you @KeshaRose. And I can say truly I am in awe of your bravery.

— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) February 19, 2016

really disappointing to hear about this kesha case. no one should be denied freedom from their abuser, nor freedom of their creativity.

— ac (@alessiacara) February 19, 2016

standing with @KeshaRose through this traumatic, deeply unfair time. send good vibes her way everyone

— Lorde (@lorde) February 19, 2016

My thoughts are with @KeshaRose today. I'm sorry you've had to endure this experience.

— lily (@lilyallen) February 19, 2016

#FreeKesha 💗 this is only gonna make you stronger, you brave and beautiful girl. Prayers are with you 🙏🏼 @KeshaRose

— Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) February 20, 2016

Her fans are also planning a protest next Friday outside of Sony’s offices in New York City.

Kesha's strength lies in the fact that she's spoken out against her abuser in a very sexist, male-dominated industry. Having to relive her trauma throughout an entire legal proceeding only to have the justice system fail her is simply tragic. Not even fame, wealth and social standing are enough to protect this woman from her rapist, so how can regular women feel safe enough to report their assaults?

Rape culture remains alive and well in 2016.

The revolution will be televised: Beyonce's "Formation" brings pro-black politics to our screens

This weekend, Beyoncé pulled a Beyoncé and graced us all not only with a brand new single and an iconic Super Bowl halftime show performance, but with her politics. 

A black woman and music icon with unyielding power, Beyoncé has been criticised by many by not being "feminist enough" because of her costume, choreography and language as well as not being "black enough" because of her blonde weave.

With the drop of "Formation" Beyoncé literally puts up the deuces to those former accusations. The video features references to the Hurricane Katrina devastation, the Southern black LGBT community, Ferguson, Martin Luther King, the importance of hair to black women, and so much more. Just when it couldn't get any better, she brought a Black Panther Party crew of dancers with her to the Super Bowl.

But now the critics are back shouting reverse-racism (which isn't a thing).

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani claimed that by referencing the Black Panther Party, Beyoncé was launching an attack on cops and called for "decent, wholesome"entertainment during the Super Bowl - whatever that means. Giuliani remains out of touch with American culture by claiming: "this is football, not Hollywood." Hollywood and the NFL remain multi-billion dollar industries that work hand-in-hand, and systematic racism permeates within them both.

Meanwhile, the day Beyoncé’s "Formation" world tour tickets go on sale on February 16, protesters are planning an anti-Beyoncé rally in front of the NFL Headquarters in New York City. The EventBrite page posted by an anonymous organiser plans to tell the NFL they don't want "hate speech and racism" at the Super Bowl.

What is it about black people celebrating their  blackness that makes people so afraid? Pro-black does not mean anti-white.

Beyoncé has unleashed her rally cry at a time when it seems to be the most difficult to be black in America. With over 1,000 black deaths at the hands of police in the past year and the most recent Flint water crisis, her call to arms couldn't come at a more appropriate time.

Conversations about race seem to be getting louder and louder. At the end of the month it will soon be #OscarsSoWhite, with many wondering how this year's host, Chris Rock, plans to open the show. The 2016 presidential race slowly draws near and Hillary Clinton has dropped the ball in her conversations with Black Lives Matter. Beyoncé is making sure that staying unapologetically black remains in the spotlight. Take up space, be loud and feel empowered for those who came before us.

#Stop35k: Why I could be forced to leave my home, job, and fiancé

My connection to England stems from my grandfather. He studied law at Oxford before I even knew that was one of the most prestigious schools in the world, let alone before I ever thought about moving to England.

It’s funny—there are so many books and films about just upping sticks and moving to London. Those films don’t actually go into the difficulty of not just moving countries, but after having decided you want to build your life here, they never tell you how hard it is to stay.

Or rather, how hard the government tries to push you out.

I moved to London in 2011 to do my Masters in International Journalism at City University. Moving to London never actually seemed like a possibility to me before, because it was my ultimate goal to get to New York City. But with $45,000 tuition fees at NYU, a £13,000 tuition fee for City seemed like pennies (although, who knows what students are paying today).

Yes, it was actually cheaper for me to move from Virginia to London than to move from Virginia to New York City.

I always knew that I wouldn’t end up living in my hometown, so when the opportunity actually arose, I just went for it. I already had family in London, who had emigrated from Ghana over 20 years ago now. I also had friends there.

I slipped into my new London life with ease. I’d found where I belonged.

It came easy for me. It’s easy if you have the money. This is very important. You have to be prepared for the visa fees, taxes and cost of living. No one cares where you get this money from, as long as you have it and can pay.

I was lucky enough to have a great deal of support from my parents. Not many people have this option.

Five Years in London

"London Clouds" by Stefano Montager is licensed by CC by 2.0 

Every time I see that Samuel Johnson quote, I get a bit pissed off. You know the one, it’s the one that goes, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.” Well, I can safely say that London’s tired me out. I’ve not even made it halfway through this life and I am exhausted.

Five years. I never thought I’d get to five years. I didn’t think I’d get to stay after one.

I moved here at 22 to start my master's course, having never lived outside of Virginia before. I’d never even lived an hour away from my parents before, much less a six hour plane journey over 3,000 miles.

New York had always been the goal for me—my best friend in high school got into this fantastic New York college and I wanted to join her there, but tuition fees kept me from going out of state. Funnily enough that same reason got me to London later in life.

But it was easy. I slipped right into London life seamlessly like I'd lived this life 20 times over.

Let's talk about girls' mental health

Gif from Tumblr

Following last week's reports that girls in the UK are among the most unhappy in the world because of low self-esteem and body image issues (some of which I've battled with personally), Girlguiding UK released its report that almost half of British girls are seeking mental health help and are failing to find it. The research also shows that self harm is the number one health concern amongst girls and women aged 11-21. Mental illness, cyber bullying and depression followed closely behind.

Self-harm is something very unique to the female experience. When I was growing up, I read books and watched films like Girl, Interrupted, The Virgin Suicides, Speak and Thirteen and I would wonder how bad things would have to get before you could cut yourself.

I was 18 when I first cut. I'd just started college and I was heartbroken and confused. And I also thought that I knew better, but I would do it anyway. Because I'm smart, I thought, I would cut my inner thighs and stomach because I knew that no one would see.

Miley Cyrus made me recognize my body dysmorphia

Miley Cyrus is one of those popstars I never paid that much attention to. Primarily because she hit stardom when I was losing interest in the Disney Channel and traded in boy bands for pop-punk bands. I always felt so much older than her as well, but a quick Google has shown me we're only five years apart.

Miley's sat down with Marie Claire for its September issue and has made headlines for saying that playing Hannah Montana had given her body dysmorphia--along with a countless number of sad stories about growing up in the public eye. Well, sad how unsurprising it all sounded.

But it was the dysmorphia that really stuck out to me. I realise now, at age 27, that I was exactly the same growing up. I had absolutely no idea what I actually looked like when I was looking in the mirror. For...as long as I can remember. At least from puberty.

She says:

"I was told for so long what a girl is supposed to be from being on that show. I was made to look like someone that I wasn't, which probably caused some body dysmorphia because I had been made pretty every day for so long, and then when I wasn't on the show, it was like, Who the fuck am I?"

Naturally starring on one of the most popular TV shows at the time at age 11 is completely surreal, but that feeling is so relatable, even now.

I grew up thinking about how fat I was, pretty much every day. I wish I could remember a day that I wasn't pinching at my stomach or pulling at my thighs. I don't remember even learning what "fat" was, but it's just been a constant my whole life. Thinking about it. Feeling it.