Black History Forever

the shortest month of the year is not enough

Hello Beloved Friends

I was really into coloring, and now I’m learning how to draw! I hope to have my own coloring book soon, altho I still need some practice!

HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH

(( in case the link fails, I have embedded a video of Nina Simone being interviewed about her song “To Be Young, Gifted, and Black” it is a 9 minute video that includes her performing the song ))

I am writing this on March 7th, a full week into March. But I love Black history and I fully intended to make a post dedicated to Black History.

(( A video of Audre Lorde reading Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power))

Unfortunately, I spent much of Feburary responding to crisis and managing my own activation in response to the rapid onset of fascism, and just didn’t publish as many newsletters as I wanted to!

the key to my self regulation and survival. This + thinly sliced apples is so life giving

It’s always been an injustice that Black History Month is the shortest month of the year.

This year was especially unfair.

This time of year that is meant to celebrate Blackness and Black people was co-opted by unintentional violent white men.

And it’s not lost on me that one of the only forms of competent pushback and resistance I see happening is from a black woman

I do see white people resisting, I am grateful to the govenor of Maine, but there is a way that Jasmine Crockette resists that makes me feel safer. I think because

The intervention matches the harm

The intervention matching the harm is a principal in transformative justice. If someone steals your car, its not appropriate to trust them. Often, when we are in relationships of cyclical harm we are so focused on surviving and maintaining our sense of homeostasis.

Abusive dynamics often deplete us of time and energy, pushing us into a minset of scarcity. Income and relationships external to the abusive dynamic become increasingly difficult to maintain.

Under these conditions we are just trying to stay above water, so rocking the boat is out of the question. When harm happens, we often suppress our reaction to it, minimizing, pushing down. We may attempt to justice, but when it doesn’t go as planned, we often drop it.

For the intervention to match the harm it often means blowing up the boat we are clinging to. This is why abusive dynamics are so impactful, and while the dynamics play out interpersonally, we feel the impact communally.

It is so diffult to leave abusive dynamics. In my expierence, it takes a lot of COURAGE, clarity, and trust in a higher power or in one’s own intuition/ expierence.

In Jasmine’s responses I see someone matching the harm and I am SO grateful.

our queen <3

I think we, at a minimum, need to commit to celebrating Black History every month for 2025, if not for the rest of our lives.

We have so much to learn from the brilliant Black people that came before us, and from the living Black people who are with us on this earth right now!

I say this as a non Black person who feels that my life was saved and changed by Blackness.

Like this video of Eartha Kitt really helped me re-examine my ideas of love, duty and sacrifice.

Celebrating Blackness is a value AND a practice

Last night I went to a virtual event at the legendary Charis bookstore and listened to Helen Nde, an folklorist and writer, speak about her book of African stories. Helen actually has a substack and a community dedicated to African folklore called Mythological Africans

I am obsessed with stories, and I consider myself to be a storyteller! So I was committed to attending the event and was so grateful for the virtual option.

I really enjoyed the Stories Dr. Y and Helen shared, and I was moved by Helen’s advocacy at the end of the talk. Helen asserted that we should all be learning and studying African stories, proverbs, and folklore.

I believe that humans originated from Africa, and that African stories, especially ancient stories, have much wisdom and insight for us.

Some of us may remember this depiction of Anansi, the trickster spider god, from our childhood

I agree with Helen! You can purchase her book here.

We need to do more than just saying Happy Black History Month. We need to study and uplift Black culture, and actively support and love the Black people around us.

With that in mind…

The Deeep Space Craft Needs your Support!!!

The DEEEP Space Craft is a Safe Art House for Black, queer, trans & intersex beings. Some of the most brilliant people I know live at The Deeep Space Craft. They are vsionary artists and healers, people who breathe life into liberatory futures. I only want to live in a world where they are thriving.

Please support me in supporting them. You can make a one time donation ( via venmo @mastersatanas or cashapp $circuscircuscircus or paypal hashtagsnatchpower@gmail.com) or become a sustaining patreon for as little as $1/month.

I will be continuing to celebrate blackness in my future newsletter by highlighting black businesses and projects for you to support :)

Saying No is more important than ever!!!

We need each other, now more than ever, but how can we truly trust each other if we can’t trust each other to enforce our own boundaries or vocalize our limits? How can we trust each other’s yes if we never hear a no?

The How to Say No workshop finally has a date and time!!!

In honor of Aries season, we will be learning How to Say No on Wednesday March 26th from 7pm EST to 9pm EST

I haven’t released the tickets yet, but I encourage you to sign up for the waitlist. I will be releasing the first round of tickets exclusively to the waitlist at a 50% discount.

Even if you can’t make the time, ticket holders can submit questions/ access the recording forever!

Join the waitlist here

I’m observing Ramadan and it’s changing my life

I share more below the paywell!! Thank you everyone for reading! Talk soon! xoxoxoxo

who knew incense smoke + a $5 sunset light could produce something so beautiful???