One day a friend of mine who I had been meaning to call (but now felt anxious about how long it had been) got on the bus I was on. Instead of waving to him and saying ‘so glad I ran into you!” I literally ducked down, head out the back exit and walked home….in the rain. This is just one of the so many ways my propensity for avoiding uncomfortable scenarios has popped up in my … [Read more...]
To Those of Us Who Are Unable to March: You Are Important
First, I want you to know that I see you. I am feeling guilty that I should be “doing” something, “doing” more. Doing. Doing. Doing. While my body is having a hard time with just being and I am stuck in bed. Ultimately, my guilt is not helpful and this is not about me. But I know I am not alone in my inability to do something I want to do and in my desire to participate in some … [Read more...]
10 Queer Women and Non-binary People of Color Using Media & Art to Get Free
Art, in every of its genres and variations, has been used as a tool, not only of self-expression, but of activism. We’re watching the evolution of art in political spaces: spoken word poetry makes its way from dark holes in the wall into mainstream media with poets being showcased on television series and late night talk shows; visual artists creating installations calling … [Read more...]
Intersectional Feminism: 5 Ways West Indian Women Reinforce Patriarchy
This article was originally published on West Indian Critic and is republished with permission. One of the aspects of weaving intersectional feminism into your life as a Caribbean woman involves a lengthy process of unlearning the damaging ideas and beliefs thrust upon you by Caribbean society. Even if I once had a West Indian teacher wrongfully assert that the Caribbean … [Read more...]
5 Undeniable Reasons We Need To Talk About Christian Privilege
When I was four years old, my parents moved me from Los Angeles to northern Idaho, where I would live for thirteen years—plus a year-long stint in heavily Mormon Utah during first grade—until I moved away to New England for college. During this time, I was exposed to a poor and working-class, white-dominated culture in which evangelical Christianity was the reigning … [Read more...]
Filling our Cups: 4 Ways People of Color can Foster Mental Health and Practice Restorative Healing
This article was originally published on Threads of Solidarity: WOC Against Racism and is republished with permission. As strong, as brilliant, as loving, and as powerful as we may be, we weren’t built to be superheroes — we were built to be human. — Threads of Solidarity, “Giving from an empty cup/How not to die” The strong, Black woman. The Asian “model … [Read more...]
Living the Contradictions: How My Disability Changes the Way My Masculinity is Perceived
When I was in the Job Corps and had to choose a trade to learn, I chose the one that most of the male students and the masculine-identified AFAB ones did: construction. It was, to the sensibilities of a bunch of working-class 16-to-24-year-olds, the only trade offered that was macho enough. And I sucked at it. I was clumsy. Motor coordination and balance have always been … [Read more...]
Why I Do What I Do: Homelessness and Disability Justice
[Image description: The photograph shows ten open brown paper bags — five in the front and five in the back.] Hey, Lunch Lady! Over here! In Santa Cruz, I’m known as The Lunch Lady. Since last August, I have been distributing bag lunches to homeless and hungry people living on the street and in one of the city parks. What began as an experiment giving out nine lunches on … [Read more...]
The Good, the Bad and the Weird of Being Queer and Muslim
Both of my parents converted to Islam in the early 1970s, so I was born and raised as an African-American Muslim in the US. When I was younger, my connection to Islam, spirituality, and Allah was tenuous at times. I wouldn’t understand faith and spirituality in a deep way until I left home for college. This is the way for many people who were raised in religious … [Read more...]
How Rage is Radical
There’s so much in this world to be enraged about. Everyday there’s another video, another story, another harmful policy, another tweet, another lived experience, another injustice ... What are we supposed to do with all of it? Where are we supposed to put it? How do we breathe with all of it in our chest? This constant state of rage can leave folk feeling powerless, … [Read more...]
Why Access Matters: What’s Missing From the Conversation of Reproductive Justice
In 1994, a group of Black women coined the term “reproductive justice” in an effort to create a movement that, unlike mainstream pro-choice activism, would be inclusive of people who are most marginalized. To that end, reproductive justice as a movement encompasses far more than abortion rights. It also includes fighting for a living wage, equitable family leave policies, … [Read more...]
Unraveling the Layers: Surviving Emotional Childhood Abuse
Content Warning: This article uses the term emotional incest, discusses childhood emotional abuse, and harmful parental relationships. The first time my therapist mentioned the term emotional incest, I was taken aback. The term alone elicits a gut level reaction. She wrote down the book information for me to look up when I was ready. I wasn’t ready for quite some … [Read more...]
Try a Little Tenderness: 3 Ways Being Tender is a Political Act
Whenever I come into a new space, there’s always a sense of nervousness and anticipation. From the time I was small and up until now, I was painfully shy in new settings, took time to come out of my shell, and struggled to relate to other folks my age. Finding community that looked like me was even more challenging, which made finally finding it that much more … [Read more...]
Intersectional Feminism: 5 Ways Class Changes Your Experience of Womanhood
This article originally appeared on West Indian Critic and has been republished with permission. Socioeconomic class influences all of our daily routines in the Caribbean. What we do on a morning (full, balanced breakfast vs. bread and tea), how we commute from place to place (bus vs. sedan vs. luxury four wheel drive), where and how we work (cashier vs. civil servant). … [Read more...]
