Reminded of my first teacher: Iowa’s Land. My first political foray: fighting to save wetland. Where I went to recover: the forest. The land teaches of justice, of hope, of ways of knowing beyond the confined narrow focus of our modern world. I miss nature: small patches of forest, paths along the lakes, the wetlands,… Continue reading My First Teacher: Iowa’s Land (Short Essay)
Tag: racism
Crosspost from Patreon: Examining Whiteness
Crossposted from my patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/examining-32183696 Examining Whiteness Our culture is saturated with whiteness; whiteness and its performative values are socialized within all of us from a young age. Those who are not white are socialized to react to whiteness in specific ways, and those who are white (or white-passing) are socialized to perform whiteness without… Continue reading Crosspost from Patreon: Examining Whiteness
Review: Beyond Black and White by Manning Marable
Review: Beyond Black and White: From Civil Rights to Barack Obama This book is a comprehensive history and critical analysis of the events from the Civil Rights era of the 1960s all the way through the election of President Obama. Manning Marable backs up each essay with scores of intensive statistics and data to further… Continue reading Review: Beyond Black and White by Manning Marable
In essence Thoughts on Life in This American Society
At Home Mournful harmonies and piano arpeggios grace my speakers on this grey-muted day, the clouds heavy with the threat of rain. I sit in the chair provided by my job for at-home work, and it’s stiff back and ergonomic shape adjusted for my unconventional sitting posture — curled up with feet on the seat… Continue reading In essence Thoughts on Life in This American Society
So You Want to Talk About Race
So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo I first heard about this book while it was being written. I follow Ijeoma Oluo’s Facebook Page and Twitter, and enjoy her witty analysis of current events, odd happenstance, and biting mic drops. Finding her voice was partly due to a friend I know who… Continue reading So You Want to Talk About Race
Important Truths We Must Face
I am a pacifist at heart. However, not all ideologies and opinions are equal and okay to freely express, and sometimes one must take a stand even if it means risking it all to fight against hateful ideologies such as neo-Nazism and white supremacy. I’d like to hope we can defeat such destructive ideologies, bills/laws,… Continue reading Important Truths We Must Face
Expressing oneself is a revolutionary act
My partner, who is an artist, discussed with me the other day the types of artists. There is the artist who is creating art with an agenda, who is often a political activist and their medium is art. But then there is the artist that simply creates art to express themselves. My partner discussed how… Continue reading Expressing oneself is a revolutionary act
Reshaping Reality 