2015 has been an amazing year for me in a lot of different ways, but one of my absolute favorites is learning about the wonderful people who are putting themselves out there with their stories. This year I got to meet Nora Jemisin (author of "The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms") at Writers With Drinks in San … Continue reading Kwanzaa 2015: Kuumba (Creativity)
Month: December 2015
Kwanzaa 2015: Nia (Purpose)
Why are we here? The answer to that question depends on who you are and what you believe. Many people believe that we're here to reflect the glory of God and praise His creation; there are a lot of different ways to do that, but if it leads you to a more positive and compassionate … Continue reading Kwanzaa 2015: Nia (Purpose)
Kwanzaa 2015: Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
Want to know something really great? Read the Wikipedia entry on Ujamaa here. Julius Nyerere developed a political and economic blueprint for lifting Tanzania out of poverty back in the 60s. The idea was to remove barriers and dividing lines between the people within Tanzania and replacing them with incentives to fostering a national identity … Continue reading Kwanzaa 2015: Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
Kwanzaa 2015: Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
The principle we focus on today, this third day of Kwanzaa, is Ujima. It's a word that points to the idea of collective work and responsibility, which is a concept that I feel is missing from so many of our communities. One of the things that binds a society together is this very ideal, that … Continue reading Kwanzaa 2015: Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
Kwanzaa 2015: Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
I am a gay black man. I am a Zen Buddhist. (Thank you, Kevin.) I am agnostic -- I don't know if there is a God, but I don't believe that being a good person should be dependent on that. I am a writer, gamer, geek, lover of animals, myths, and the intersection between them. … Continue reading Kwanzaa 2015: Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
Kwanzaa 2015: Umoja (Unity)
We live in extremely divided times. Here in the United States, the population is split by race, income, politics, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, hierarchy of values and so many other things. Across the world, it feels like the same; if it's not religion, it's ethnicity. If it's not that, it's national background. If it's … Continue reading Kwanzaa 2015: Umoja (Unity)
(Personal) Choices
It's that time. Best of the year lists are popping up all over the pop-culture and entertainment blogs. Books, movies, TV shows, art installations, plays and musicals, even memes are being reviewed so we can try to make sense of the past twelve months. We spent how much time obsessed over that back in February? … Continue reading (Personal) Choices
(Friday Fiction) Br’ers – Break
And here's the next little bit. Still figuring out the setting while trying to make connections between Greggory's experience and experiences I've had being a "black face in a white space". This one stems from SO MANY TIMES being the only black guy with the feeling of "you don't belong here" heavy in the air. … Continue reading (Friday Fiction) Br’ers – Break
(Wednesday Fiction) Br’ers – Orientation
I wanted to find a way to marry two of my interests, and came up with this setting. I'm still figuring things out, so the snippets will be a little rough for the next two weeks, but I thought it was time to share it. Greggory looked in the mirror and saw an alien staring … Continue reading (Wednesday Fiction) Br’ers – Orientation
(Personal) Going Back to Go Forward
My childhood was spent in a procession of hostile places. At home, I had a severe, distant mother and an alcoholic father to tend with; my sister got into trouble a lot and ran away from home several times, so there was always something terrible going on there. At school I was a poor, shy … Continue reading (Personal) Going Back to Go Forward
From the Desk of Jakebe T. Rabbit 