As a black man, I've paid too much for American to be able to abandon it. – James Baldwin, in conversation with Nikki Giovanni
 

I’ve been steeping myself in the work of my black literary forbearers to keep from slipping into a panic (which is tempting, given the state of the world today).  I’m trying to be a good steward of my energy. Tryna keep up the mental and physical calisthenics necessary to be ready for whatever comes next. Che and I have been talking about saying grace again. For the first decade of my life, grace felt like an obstacle between me and a plate of Hamburger Helper. Or a function of growing up in a black family, like having lots of aunties and play cousins. Now it looks like an anchor, or a source of fuel. It feels important to build in moments to pause and reflect, especially amidst the national and international anxiety of this political moment. The tyrannical 24 hour news cycle isn’t built to give you breathing room, so you’ve got to make that space yourself. What could that look like in your life? Whatever your grace is, I invite you to put it in your How to Survive the Rapture tool kit. We’re gonna need all the help we can get. 

After the jump: 

• [Belated] 2016 Year In Review: Forgot to include this last month! (Best viewed on a desktop btw—the mobile version is in the works, but not top priority.)
• Peep This Poet with Warsan Shire's haunting poem about home—important to consider given the national rhetoric about borders and bans and walls. Also, info on the first two poetry titles in Gramma’s catalogue!
• Imma Read: New hive mind segment (named for the 2012 Zebra Katz banger)  featuring a couple things I'm reading. Let me know if you pick them up. Let’s talk about books! 
• Black Girl Bestie Anthems: Because the only thing keeping me from losing my shit is my squad
• Upcoming Events so you know where we’re at this month

Yours,
S.

Click here to view

Warsan Shire
 

home
....

no one would leave home unless home
chased you, fire under feet,
hot blood in your belly.
it’s not something you ever thought about
doing, and so when you did –
you carried the anthem under your breath,
waiting until the airport toilet
to tear up the passport and swallow,
each mouthful of paper making it clear that
you would not be going back.
you have to understand,
no one puts their children in a boat
unless the water is safer than the land.
 
[full text here]
 

 

Saturday, Feb 18, 2-4PM @ Make Shift

You've made your vision board. You've got dope pics to symbolize your squad goals, bod goals, and job goals. You've got inspirational quotes from your faves and foremothers. Now what? In this workshop we'll talk about systems and strategies to get you from visualization to actualization. Topics to be discussed include:

• Planning Walls: what they are, why you need one, and how your vision board fits

• In-depth discussion of organizational rituals

• Criteria for identifying actionable goals

• Tips for how to prioritize when you're juggling multiple projects
  
  To get more info and reserve your spot, visit the facebook event or click here.

[THIS FRIDAY] POC Practice

Friday, February 10, 6:30pm-7:30pm @ 549 Columbus Ave 

Share the event + bring your squad!