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Showing posts with the label anti-oppression

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Conservatism, Reaction, and the Elder's Responsibility: A Message to My Age Grade

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Conservatism, Reaction, and the Elder's Responsibility: A Message to My Age Grade Great Day, Fam. This one right here? It’s not for everyone. If you’re not at or approaching Eldership—defined in our tribe as about 55 years old and up—you might not feel all of this. But if you’re curious, or if you’re one of those younger souls already walking with wisdom, you’re welcome to keep reading. This message is for the Elders. For those of us who should know better. And yes—I’m including myself. Let’s Start With the Mirror I’ve got to confess something. I’ve been guilty. Guilty of being reactionary. Guilty of falling into the trap of conservatism. Guilty of romanticizing the past. Guilty of looking at our young people and calling them “soft”—as if we were born warriors, as if we didn’t have to become who we are through fire, failure, and guidance. Many of us Elders are stuck in a loop. We remember only the highlights of our youth—the toughest times we survived, the boldest moments ...

Breaking the Chains of “Excellence”: A New Lens on Black Success

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Breaking the Chains of “Excellence”: A New Lens on Black Success I had an epiphany today. Well, it’s been creeping up on me for a while, but today, it finally hit me in full force. And before I go any further, let me say this—this is more of a message to myself. I’m not trying to offend anyone or shake anybody up too much, but sometimes, we have to be real with ourselves before we can be real with the world. Lately, I’ve been digging into some serious research, looking at the gaps in my own education—specifically, my Africentric education. And when I say gaps, I mean areas that were straight-up neglected or hijacked. We talk a lot about history, but what about the deeper political and economic structures that shaped our people? What systems did we use before we were forced into the ones we operate under today? As I started peeling back the layers, I realized that we’ve been having the wrong conversations. We talk about white supremacy, but we don’t always dig into the soil that it grow...

Kuumba Toast - Countering Oppression with Creativity (Sample)

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  Creativity is how we process the world. It's a by-product of our existence and something we just do. It's also something that can be developed and honed to have a more profound impact on the way we interact with our surroundings. Creativity is often associated with artistic endeavors, but the most powerful creativity is one that goes beyond art. Tapping into your creative potential can be done in many ways. Some people take up hobbies such as painting or music to get them through life. Others take part in political activism and social movements. In today's show, I will examine creativity as an alternative tool with which we can confront institutions of oppression and exploitation, create new communities of mutual aid and cooperation, provide alternative sources of employment, and generate models for human development that are consistent with our high potential as a tribe. Join us for todays discussion and be sure to get on the email list so that you can get the full artic...