Watch to nurture…….…..
High on The Hog: How African American Cusine Transformed America I know that I am late to the party on this one, but my goodness was this a moving series. Stephen Satterfield is calm, inquisitive, and charming as he investigates the African and African-American roots of modern American cuisine. It is a part cooking show, part historical documentary, and all human interest. Tears were shed while watching. From the history of mac and cheese to the courage and resiliency of enslaved people, this show covers the gambit of information and emotion. I can not recommend giving this a watch enough.
Olivia Gatwood’s Alternate Universe in Which I am Unfazed by the Men Who Do Not Love Me Olivia Gatwood might just be my favorite modern poet. I’ve seen her perform live several times and each time leave having experienced a true Aristotlean catharsis. This poem calls to my soul- an imagination exercise into what happens to all of the time we spend pining over others in the mess of unrequited love and instead focus on what really matters.
The Myth of Race Debunked in 3 minutes Vox does a good overview of the lack of scientific evidence that says racial categories are biological. This means that race is a social construct. That is not to say that there are not lived consequences. Obviously, there are. Many. But I appreciate the digestible nature of this video and think that it is worth sharing.
Kelly Corrigan 2021 Graduation Speech This speech totally caught me off guard. Seemingly trite, but basking in the truth of simplicity. The advice is exactly what I needed at that age and everything I ignored. This is eight minutes of your time well spent.
How to Use Your Privilege for Good Andrea Renae Johnson paints a clear picture of what folks can do in the - “ so, what can I do about it?” phase of understanding one’s privilege. I like her approach that we are both the system and the revolution. It’s not a perfect answer, but a good reminder in the face of losing steam in the long fight for dismantling systems of oppression.
Follow to grow…..
@alexandraroxo Want to know what an embodiment practice is? The stunningly beautiful Alexandra Roxo is your place to start. She teaches folks how to tap into their ‘feminine’ through body and breath. I love her musings, her poetry, and her insistence on living life off of a screen. I am grateful to her for sharing her embodiment practices and hope to include some of these in my own daily practice.
@abcfiend JJ Kim is a brilliant six-year-old with incredible parents that encourage his love of learning. This account shows how JJ’s interests, ranging from NASA to The Strokes, started and are nurtured through a supportive community. I love the videos of JJ shredding on the guitar, interviewing scientists that build rockets, or, learning Korean and Chinese through blocks. This is good, wholesome content.
@ashaisnow Her wisdom is deeply rooted; calling herself a “soul midwife” this priestess talks all things race, spirituality, making money in a feminine economy, and what it means to eat for your body. She is a tremendous resource and her knowledge intersects many of the things that I love dearly.
@cuproject Anti-racist Instagram account directed towards the youth of today. I find their insights and perspective invaluable. They do a great job of scoring the internet to gather the soundbites, tweets, and Tik Toks that help to spread awareness and information about race and equity practices.
@jenniferracioppi Astrologer extraordinaire. She’s the real deal- honest, thoughtful, and chock full of knowledge. She is my go-to when folks ask me where they can begin to understand astrology. Last year, she came out with a book that is a great starter for those interested in diving deeper into their understanding of the cosmos.
Read to root…….
BOOK Burnout: The secret to unlocking the stress cycle by Dr. Emily Nagoski & Emilia Nagoski This explained so much of my personal health struggles over the last few years. Science may lure you in, but the accessible language is what you stay for.
BOOK Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong. Wow. This book is a pure passion project: raw, untamed, and important. Filled with a recollection and analysis of a variety of personal experiences, Hong does not hold back. Nor, should she. I read it in a day because I couldn’t put it down.
BOOK Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. This YA book is EVERYTHING. It is one of the first queer YA novels taught in schools at the national level. It is beautiful, poignant, and speaks to the experience of feeling unseen as a teenager. My only hope is that it becomes a part of the cannon, like To Kill A Mockingbird or Animal Farm.
ARTICLE(S) Could A Feminine Economy Save The World? And 12 Principles of a Feminist Economy I don’t think that the way the world has been run is the way that it should be run. Specifically, we have operated from old masculine paradigms that no longer serve the collective. I firmly believe more folks are waking up to this concept every day. But, what do we do with this? This is a proposed idea that I am intrigued by: the Feminist Economy.
ARTICLE An Open Letter To The Artist by Bobby Steggart. This 2018 article has stuck with me. As we continue to endure times of chaos and heartbreak, this piece serves as a fantastic reminder about the essential nature of being an artist. I often struggle with the identity of an artist because my technical job title is teacher. However, what I am coming to terms with is that my creativity, thoughtfulness, and vision are artistry incarnate; which in turn, makes me a better teacher.
Listen to expand……
We Can Do Hard Things: OUR BODIES : By now, if you don’t know my love for Glennon Doyle -we really should talk. The way she speaks mirrors the way she writes; poetic, artful, and filled with truth. Her whole podcast is magic, but this episode left me in tears. Bodies and body image are my lifelong struggle and the way Glennon talks about it unleashed something in me that I haven’t felt in a while. She says what I have always wanted to say. Make space for yourself when listening to this episode; the tenderness and hurt that was unearthed afterward was important and medicinal for my own experience.
School Daze Playlist This is how I am preparing for the start of the school year; it is my embrace of Virgo season. It sounds like printer paper and new keys. The solace of driving alone to a pep rally. The awkwardness of meeting a new group of students. The smell of school carpet and fresh paint. Brand new whiteboard markers and unsharpened pencils. The malaise of August heat starkly in contrast with a booming HVAC system. Beginning and ending.
Dr. Aviva Romm on Covid-19 and the new waves of decisions As someone who is healing from and living with a chronic illness, I have learned to be skeptical of allopathic medicine. I recognize its great life-saving powers in the face of an emergency, but when it comes to promoting a healthy lifestyle, something is simply missing ( I’ll save my thoughts on this for another time). For some time now I’ve turned to “alternative medicine”- TCM, acupuncture, naturopaths, functional medicine doctors, and a variety of healers. So, it is always wonderful to find a practicing doctor who combines both allopathic and “alternative” medicinal practices. Such a unicorn can be found in Dr. Aviva Romm. She is a midwife, herbalist, hormone expert, and certified MD. Since the interwebs that I follow on social media are all a flurry about vaccinations and mandates, she offers a grounded perspective in the midst of chaos. I appreciate her thoughtfulness, wisdom, and candor. It’s a long podcast episode but filled to the brim with valuable science nuggets.
Support if you can….
Row House Publishing: Rebeckah Borucki is a wellness and meditation expert that I met during my yoga teacher training. She’s as real as it gets. Last year, during the wake of “racial reckoning” that the United States experienced after the murder of George Flloyd, she called out the titan Hayhouse Publishing for their lack of equity practices. This was a bold move. They barely responded. Next, she publicly called them out for profiting and supporting several authors who belong to the category of the “misinformation dozen.” They remained silent. So, she started her own publishing company focusing on promoting black and brown authors. I’m in awe. If you can, they can use whatever donations are possible to sustain their mission.
National Network of Abortion Funds: Welp. Yeah…… This topic might deserve its own time and space. Right now, I am allowing myself to feel anger and rage. It is time to mobilize. Perhaps that starts small with a donation.
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