When allies move on, there are consequences

Image of a person in silhouette from behind, pulling luggage and walking through an arched portal toward a colorful sunset horizon

This year, I have grown accustomed to the almost steady monthly stream of patron cancellations. It has been a very rough year as a writer eking out a living using Patreon, and while I occasionally write for publications, the rates are not what they once were. Throw in the lack of bookings for speaking engagements …

Read more

The ghost of Carolyn Bryant and the racism of eating the dogs and cats

eerie, ghostly and slightly disjointed image of a body behind a screen or window, where only the head, outstretched palms and part of the torso are "visible" as black silhouettes againstg a white background

At last week’s presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, Trump made a number of eyebrow-raising comments that induced eyerolls and chuckles for their sheer absurdity. The biggest one being, “In Springfield they’re eating dogs, they’re eating cats.” Trump was referencing the recent influx of Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, along with a claim …

Read more

Make America share reality

White woman with a thick black scarf and blue shirt or jacket whose face is mostly obscured behind a large sheet of ice she is holding in front of her with her left hand

Back when my organization offered anti-racism training and workshops, our approach with groups was to start the work by creating a shared vocabulary around anti-racism work, from which we would build toward creating a shared vision and understanding of racism and how it works. Over the years, it is an approach that I have adopted …

Read more