Habari gani, fam? 2020 has made me keenly aware of my place within my community, and how important my relationships are to me. When George Floyd was murdered by police officers and the collective frustration of millions of Americans bubbled over into street protests, it meant a lot that folks checked in on me because … Continue reading Kwanzaa 2020: Ujima
Kwanzaa 2020: Kujichagulia
Habari gani, fam? Today we focus on the principle of kujichagulia, or self-determination. Any people that have struggled to throw off the legacy of slavery and institutional racism fundamentally struggle for the right to determine who they are themselves, instead of accepting the role the dominant culture pushes on them. As Black Americans, we deal … Continue reading Kwanzaa 2020: Kujichagulia
Kwanzaa 2020: Umoja
Hot take: achieving unity is an active effort that requires us to see the virtues in others and the flaws in ourselves.
The 40-Year-Old Version
What can I say about this year that hasn't already been said better by someone else? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZj8lrSZHsE A novel coronavirus has spread across the world like a less-virulent (and less-deadly) Captain Tripps, wreaking havoc on the already tattered social fabric of this country. The President of the United States thinks it either doesn't exist, will … Continue reading The 40-Year-Old Version
The Rabbit and the Police
I am a black man who lived his entire life in the United States, keenly aware of the fact that any encounter with the police could result in my death. It doesn't matter why they've approached me. I could be stopped for a busted tail-light, or someone might be breaking into my house, or I … Continue reading The Rabbit and the Police
A Mindful New Year
Hey, it's (sort of) the first day of the new decade! Er, depending on who you ask. Judging from the many, MANY "Best of 2010s" articles I've read over the past few months, the consensus seems to be that decades begin at Year 0. Since the significance of these markers is completely artificial, that's a … Continue reading A Mindful New Year
A Worker’s Prayer
After a couple of months out of work, it feels really good to be gainfully employed again. To respect the privacy of this secret burrow location, I won't say exactly where I'm working. But I can say that what I'm doing now adheres to the practice of "Right Livelihood," which means I'm not making my … Continue reading A Worker’s Prayer
Friday Fiction: Bookkeeping
Changeling: the Dreaming is a tabletop role-playing game where you play one of the Kithain, half-fae/half-human creatures who struggle to keep imagination alive in an increasingly banal, hostile world. I created Carver "Bunkin" Johnson for the game's recent Twentieth Anniversary Edition, and thought it might be fun to imagine him in his native Baltimore during … Continue reading Friday Fiction: Bookkeeping
(Review) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The most shocking thing about Aldous Huxley's Brave New World is how pleasantly it presents its dystopian setting. The World State as it exists in AF 632 (or the year 2540 as we know it) is a paragon of monolithic stability where nearly every aspect of life is manipulated by the government. Human beings are … Continue reading (Review) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Iceman, Vol. 1: Thawing Out (Review)
If you're one of the original five X-Men and your name isn't Jean Grey or Scott Summers, chances are you've got a bum deal. Angel is mostly known for having his wings torn off and replaced by cybernetic ones as one of Apocalypse's Four Horsemen. Beast was arguably most popular during his stint with the … Continue reading Iceman, Vol. 1: Thawing Out (Review)
From the Desk of Jakebe T. Rabbit 