🎧 I can not quantify how much the following podcasts helped me get through the anxiety of Election Week. Shoutout to Futuro Media’s In The Thick, Latino USA, and Crooked Media’s What A Day podcasts.
📺 Looking forward to Season 5 of The Expanse starting December 16th! After seeing the trailer, it seems like s5 will take storylines from Book 5, Nemesis Games, and Book 6, Babylon’s Ashes.
Spoelstra has GOT to win COY this year or it’s all bs. 🏀
{Tweet from @ AshleyNicoleBlack that reads: “They tell us we don’t matter in so many ways. But Black people, Black women, we matter. We have value. We affirm and take care of each other, even when no one else will.”}
Today’s grand jury ruling in Kentucky is just more proof that in the US (and abroad, don’t get it twisted) Black lives don’t matter. The ruling doen’t even mention Breonna Taylor. Another reminder that Black folks (and Black women in particular) will never get justice in this country.
From NPR Code Switch: Battle Of The Books 🎧
The Code Switch team has been mired in a months-long debate that we’re attempting to settle once and for all: What kind of books are best to read during this pandemic? Books that connect you to our current reality? Or ones that help you escape it?
🎞️ From British GQ: John Boyega: ‘I’m the only cast member whose experience of Star Wars was based on their race’ Photos © Danny Kasirye
“It’s so difficult to manoeuvre,” he says, exhaling deeply, visibly calibrating the level of professional diplomacy to display. “You get yourself involved in projects and you’re not necessarily going to like everything. [But] what I would say to Disney is do not bring out a black character, market them to be much more important in the franchise than they are and then have them pushed to the side. It’s not good. I’ll say it straight up.”
🎥 From LA Times: Read ‘Black Panther’ director Ryan Coogler’s moving tribute to Chadwick Boseman
“I noticed then that Chad was an anomaly. He was calm. Assured. Constantly studying. But also kind, comforting, had the warmest laugh in the world, and eyes that [saw] much beyond his years, but could still sparkle like a child seeing something for the first time.”
The Washington Mystics Are Thriving Despite Key Absences In the Wubble🏀
Knowing that Delle Donne, Cloud, Sanders and Charles weren’t playing this season, I kept my expectations low. But now that my team is 3-0, it’s time for me to talk my sh^t! Respect the champs!
Risk your health or be broke - that’s all you’re offering the League MVP? Throw the whole season away.
From Swish Appeal: Is WNBA abandoning necessary caution in denying Delle Donne’s request to opt out of 2020 season? 🏀
About time!
From USA Today: Washington NFL team to announce retirement of ‘R——s’ nickname, reveal new name Monday 🏈
From SlamOnline: Bill Russell’s Lifelong Fight Against Racism 🏀
The Boston Celtics proved to be an organization of good people––from Walter Brown to Red Auerbach, to most of my teammates. I cannot say the same about the fans or the city. During games people yelled hateful, indecent things
“I have seen a lot of pundits say that “they don’t really mean ‘abolish the police’ they just mean reform” and while I’m sure that is true in some circles, it needs to be said that many of us absolutely mean abolish the police.” 📰
From The Mary Sue: Yes, Some of Us Actually Want to Abolish/Defund the Police
📚 From NBC News.com: ‘Harry Potter’ alternatives: Trans-inclusive fantasy and sci-fi books
Here’s a primer on novels in the genre written by and about transgender and nonbinary people.
Part of our misunderstanding about the nature of policing is we keep imagining that we can turn police into social workers. That we can make them nice, friendly community outreach workers. But police are violence workers. That’s what distinguishes them from all other government functions. … They have the legal capacity to use violence in situations where the average citizen would be arrested.
From Time.com: Why Are Black Women and Girls Still an Afterthought in Our Outrage Over Police Violence? >But when Black women and girls like Aiyana Stanley-Jones, Tanisha Anderson, Atatiana Jefferson and Charleena Lyles are killed, it is often out of the public eye. And in a world where the pains and traumas that Black women and girls experience as a consequence of both racism and sexism remain structurally invisible and impermeable to broad empathy, these killings recede from the foreground quietly.
A Conversation On Race Is A Horrible Goal >A conversation is a horrible goal. I’m not interested in having your version of a race conversation. I want your race solutions. I want your race activism. I want your race scholarship. I don’t want to have any more conversations as goals. All of the necessary conversations have been happening.
Maintaining Professionalism In The Age of Black Death Is….A Lot
Your black employees are exhausted.
Your black employees are scared.
Your black employees are crying in between meetings.
Your black employees have mentally checked out.
Your black employees are putting on a performance.
I used to be on the OKP message boards all the time (lurking, rarely posting). The cure for that addiction was getting my own blog. 🌐
A Blessing and A Curse: The Rich History Behind Black Twitter
“In my experience, just when you think you understand the Force, you find out how little you actually know.”
I know the SW fandom is rife with racism and misogyny, but I’m really enjoying the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. 📺
📺 LeVar Burton Kind Of Confirms Season 2 Role on CBS Access’ ‘Picard’
“How do I say this without getting in trouble…I think that is reasonable to assume that those people are still a part of Picard’s life and – sure, what the hell – yeah, absolutely! You’ll see us all, probably not all at the same time but, you know, never say never.”
New York Liberty trade Tina Charles to defending champion Washington Mystics >Charles has played for the New York Liberty the past six seasons and is now headed to her third team. She started her career with the Connecticut Sun, then coached by current Mystics head coach Mike Thibault. One of the best active players to never win it all, Charles finally has a chance to get what she never could from the Liberty: a WNBA championship.
Oprah stresses seriousness of coronavirus on black community: ‘It’s taking us out’
It’s not only ravaging our community, but people who have preexisting conditions.”
There is an intersection at which R&B, hip-hop, and New Jack Swing meet, and it’s safe to assume that the first crop of rap battle participants have all been musically inspired by Babyface and Teddy Riley in some way, so this mashup of titans actually has epic potential.
New Podcast: Three Black Chicks open.spotify.com
Sharonda, Taima, and Jazmen tackle the topics of relationship, dating, and black women as superheroes—and they don’t mean the Wonder Woman type.
From the AV Club: Samuel L. Jackson drops more profane wisdom with Stay The Fuck At Home
From IntrovertDear: Let’s Use This time to Teach the World the Greatness of Introversion
For those who can work from home, this period of social distancing is leaning more towards the strengths of introverts. Of course, extroverts are fighting this every step of the way and many are in leadership positions at companies because their strengths are usually privileged in the workplace.
NCAA cancels March Madness over coronavirus pandemic www.engadget.com/2020/03/1…
Grateful that I was able to vote quickly and easily. From what I’ve seen on the news and on social media, folks in other states like Texas were not as fortunate.
🏀 Will miss her leadership in WAS.Best wishes to Kristi Toliver back in LA! WNBA news: Los Angeles Sparks sign Kristi Toliver
I’m doing InCoWriMo next month. Want a letter? Let me know!
incowrimo.org/join-in/