Habari gani, good folk -- and happy new year! I hope everyone had a great celebration surrounded by people they loved. Or had a cozy night at home doing what you love. Or made the most of where you were when we crossed into this arbitrary, uncharted territory of 2026. We close out Kwanzaa as … Continue reading Kwanzaa 2025: Imani / Faith
Author: Jakebe
Jakebe is a cyber-rabbit who makes his burrow within the analog space of Silicon Valley, CA. He enjoys telling stories, talking about stories and exploring aspects of the human condition through stories.
Kwanzaa 2025: Nia / Purpose
Habari gani, folk? Day 5 of Kwanzaa is all about Nia, or Purpose -- which is admittedly one of the trickiest principles to talk about because it's so big and so vague. How does anyone truly know their purpose? And how can our individual purposes align with the ones we've set for our communities? These … Continue reading Kwanzaa 2025: Nia / Purpose
Kwanzaa 2025: Ujima / Collective Work & Responsibility
Habari gani, everyone? When I joined the furry community way back in 1996, it was a vastly different place. The Internet was still kind of new in those days, and most of the spaces were owned by small(er) hosting companies or individuals. Personal-run websites were connected by themed web rings; art was spread out in … Continue reading Kwanzaa 2025: Ujima / Collective Work & Responsibility
Kwanzaa 2025: Kujichagulia / Self-Determination
When I think about self-determination, I think about Zootopia. I know, I know. I know! But as a furry and a person of color, I was really taken by the metaphor. Here is this immense place designed so anyone can be anything they wanted to be -- while also taking into consideration the realities of … Continue reading Kwanzaa 2025: Kujichagulia / Self-Determination
Kwanzaa 2025: Umoja / Unity
Habari gani, everyone? I've observed Kwanzaa for the past several years and found it to be a truly enriching exercise. Over time I've become more and more focused on the importance of community, and the Seven Principles (or Nguzo Saba) are useful lenses to gain a new perspective with. I don't have a kinara (those … Continue reading Kwanzaa 2025: Umoja / Unity
Who I Am and Where I’ve Been
Greetings! It's been a minute since I've written here -- long enough that it felt appropriate to give the blog a fresh coat of paint and reintroduce myself. My name is Jakebe T. Lope, and I am a jackalope online. I am also a Black American, part of the wonderful African diaspora, though I'm not … Continue reading Who I Am and Where I’ve Been
Kwanzaa: Imani / Faith
Habari gani, everyone? Today is a celebration of imani, or faith. Faith is a tricky concept that brings people uncomfortably close to spirituality. Here it means to believe, with all of our hearts, in our people -- our parents and teachers and leaders, and in the righteousness of our struggle. Even the secular language leans … Continue reading Kwanzaa: Imani / Faith
Kwanzaa: Ujamaa / Cooperative Economics
Habari gani, folks? Today's principle is ujamaa -- cooperative economics. I'll admit that my relationship with this principle has become increasingly tenuous. This stage of capitalism requires increasingly direct appeals for money just to survive, and it feels like we've been hoodwinked into cannibalizing our interests to ensure cash keeps flowing toward the rich and … Continue reading Kwanzaa: Ujamaa / Cooperative Economics
Kwanzaa: Ujima / Collective Work and Responsibility
Habari gani, folks? (By the way, this is a "traditional" Kwanzaa greeting meaning "What's the news?" in Swahili!) Today we celebrate Ujima, a Swahili word for "collective work and responsibility." This speaks to the multi-faceted, intersectional nature of our shared struggle. Inequality (and white supremacy) is a hydra that targets groups with different tactics, but … Continue reading Kwanzaa: Ujima / Collective Work and Responsibility
Kwanzaa: Kujichagulia / Self-Determination
Habari gani, everyone? Today's principle is kujichagulia, or self-determination if Swahili isn't your thing. Right after ensuring we're united with our kin in common struggle, the ability to "define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves" is the most essential principle. For most of us living in subcultures, we intrinsically know the … Continue reading Kwanzaa: Kujichagulia / Self-Determination
From the Desk of Jakebe T. Rabbit 