|
|
|
June 12, 2020
|
|
This week
"The work is offline. The work is online. The work includes presence. The work includes absence. The work is virtual. The work is in the streets. The work is in legislative halls. The work is in art. The work is in policies. The work is at the polls. The work is where we are." - Bernice King.
On CYG, Aminatou chats with Elaine Lui of LaineyGossip about bringing a critical lens to celebrity culture in this moment, plus small-business ownership and knowing your worth.
|
I'm reading
|
Pie chart
The American Delusions Pie
(Based on today's headlines, aka non-comprehensive.)
Pie charts are available to all thanks to paying members, aka about 10% of the people who read this newsletter. Become a paying member for just $5 per year.
|
I’m looking & listening
|
GIFspiration
Legendary activist Marsha P. Johnson with the truth: "You never completely have your rights, one person, until you all have your rights."
GIF from Pay it No Mind: The Life and Times of Marsha P. Johnson. The film is online thanks to Frameline Voices, an archive that highlights "the stories of those in the LGBTQ community most underserved by mainstream media; youth, elders, people of color, and transgender and genderqueer people."
|
I endorse
Some further resources for people—white people in particular—who are newly committed (or re-committed) to working in support of Black lives:
- "Guess what! Police violence isn’t something you read about or watch on the internets. It’s everywhere cops are and cops are everywhere. That means you can fight it no matter where you are." Here's how to begin, even if you live in a city where there is not already an organized effort to defund the police force. Thanks, Mikki Halpin. (This strategy can also be applied to your county law enforcement, your school board, the list goes on...)
- A series of online workshops from the Make Yourself Useful collective on topics like how to have difficult conversations within predominantly white family and friend networks, organizing your block to not call the cops, and media literacy.
- A gentle but firm reminder from Erica Chidi that you will need to support your own mental health to do this work.
- A template response from Klea McKenna for when you're presented with a professional opportunity you want to ensure is inclusive. I think it's nice to have templates like this to get started, but you'll always find me advocating for a strong personal edit. Make it your own!! I now have an adapted version of this letter in my notes app so I can refer to it easily when I'm replying to email requests.
- And a calendar-based tip, from Karen Hawkins: "Set an alarm on your phone for 3, 6, 9, 12 months from now and when it goes off, look at your life and count how many Black businesses, orgs & artists you're still supporting. How many antiracism resources are you using? How many of your own bias have you addressed?" My calendar is duly updated. Set it and don't forget it!
|
|
|
The Classifieds
|
Expert video therapy, feminist sensibility. Specializing in women's empowerment, anchoring digital nomads/expats. Let's see if we are a fit.
Overwhelmed? Slow Productivity Coach Kate Litterer specializes in intentionality, mindfulness, and habit formation. Download her free workbooks and journal prompts.
Subscribe to Up in Smoke, a newsletter for the modern smoker, the former D.A.R.E. kids, the anxious ones, and the canna-curious.
Obsessed with writers' and artists' daily routines? Me too! Get an irresistible new example every Monday with my Subtle Maneuvers newsletter
Do you love holidays? Subscribe to Forever Holidays – a fun newsletter celebrating fake holidays with cheeky poems, news and music.
PULP is a sex/uality + reproductive rights mag that is looking to raise funds to go independent! We believe a more inclusive media landscape = a more just world. This fundraiser means we can build a home for our mag & launch a robust education arm that meets the needs of our community. Help support us!
|
All of today's ad revenue supports the Black Trans Travel Fund, "a mutual-aid project developed in order to help provide Black transgender women with the financial resources needed to be able to self-determine safer alternatives to travel, where women feel less likely to experience verbal harassment or physical harm." Join me in supporting this effort!
Click here for ad rates and info.
|
Testimonials
"Thank you for a consistently fascinating and excellent newsletter every week
@annfriedman. It makes my Friday afternoon." - Edward Shepard. Every week, I feel grateful that I have a non-social-media outlet for sharing things that I think are important. I love being able to metabolize the news at a weekly rather than hourly rate. And I really appreciate you all clicking and showing up to be part of this thing.
This newsletter is where we are.
Forward it to someone who is doing the work.
Whew, Aminatou and I wrote a book! It's out in ~one month~, and you can pre-order and read more about it at BigFriendship.com.
|
|
|
|
|