Can you imagine not eating on Thanksgiving Day? What if your decision to remain hungry could build a school for your community? A cause just might be worth avoiding the macaroni and cheese, turkey, dressing, peach cobbler, and greens smothered in meat fats. Twenty-four years ago, a hunger strike led by a concerned Chicago coalition forced politicians to listen and build a new high school. It wasn’t November when the students, parents, activists, and grandparents decided to st

Today is Halloween. It’s scary to imagine the ghosts that have surrounded us since birth. I’m not referencing zombies, flying spirits, or the vampires responsible for childhood nightmares. The ghosts of white supremacy, patriarchy, and religious hypocrisy are real. Emile Suotonye DeWeaver’s book, Ghost in the Criminal Justice System: Reform, White Supremacy, and an Abolitionist Future , is a game-changer. Each chapter challenges common perceptions of structural oppression and

Last weekend, a capoeira comrade invited me to a “No Kings” protest. While I appreciated the invitation, I declined and instead spent time with my parents during their short visit to a nearby town. I settled for honking the horn to encourage a group of protestors marching down the street. While I’m aware that presence offers the best present to help others engaged in the struggle, I am hopeful this post and subsequent writings add to the protestors’ calls for social justice,

Stars The Umoja team inhaled and exhaled. We sat in plush seats on a black minibus behind tinted windows, like superstars of African-centered diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging initiatives. The bus’s vents circulated a mixture of Egyptian musk, incense, perfumes, air conditioning, and positive vibes. We pulled away from the curb at 8:45 AM on a mission. At the stop sign on the corner of 7 th  Street in Sacramento, our driver turned right. We entered th

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On Juneteenth, I sat at my desk and gazed out the window. I searched between the blue sky's white clouds for questions, answers, and...