“Amerika trips me and proceeds to ask me how I fell; whips me, then asks me how to stop the bleeding.” There is no conversation about the state of mental health in Amerika’s Black communities without discussing the violence wrought on them by racial capitalism—a term coined by Cedric Robinson. Robinson, a pioneer in the study of the Black Radical Tradition, argued that the “development, organization and expansion of capitalist society pursued essentially racial directions.”1 It is this pursuit that has helped shape many of today’s societal ills, including poor rates of Black mental health. Historical oppression, including slavery, sharecropping, . . .
poverty
AAVE is not a thing.
neither is African amerikkkan //
no more than our slave tongue //
is supposed to be adopted by the slave owner //
capitalism got us tryna achieve our way to freedom . . .
Anti-Consumerism & Voluntary Poverty
‘Mutual Aid’ as both concept and practice was reignited under the conditions of the pandemic that called for collective approaches for survival. However, as the years have continued, mutual aid has been redefined continuously and is now synonymous with ‘charity’ (which is not a bad thing, but is quite different). Crowdfunding links are flooding the internet by the hundreds, but as time continues, pushing more people into the margins and squeezing them financially, that method seems to be increasingly becoming less and less effective. And for whatever reason requests for funds are made, the fact that it is overwhelming, continuous . . .
Building Power with Food Sovereignty
Let’s talk about food sovereignty, Africa, the economic impoverishment of the diaspora and Indigenous people at large. How does Africa, the biggest continent on the planet, import 85% of its entire food chain? African countries consist of 27 out of 34 the countries around the world that are unable to feed themselves, according to worldatlas.com. That’s 27 out of Africa’s 54 divided countries. Half the countries of Africa! The countries the world atlas refers to are also heavily involved in conflict or are in post-war devastation. This is all neo-colonial industrial military complex profiteering and resource extraction. Europe still has . . .
Dear Charleston, The Shootings Aren’t Going To Stop
Violence is at the core of the existence of the United States. Violence is at the core of the existence of Charleston. So as an oppressed nation within its borders, violence in our communities should not be surprising to anyone. What should be surprising is that we continue to look to those responsible for the violence for solutions to solving it. . . .
Poverty & Capitalism: Who Is the “Poor”?
In every country of the world, there are people living in poverty. Even in the world’s richest countries the poorest people often live in poor housing and struggle to afford basic goods and services like heating, transport, and healthy food for themselves and their families. Based on a broad definition, poverty can be considered a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living. Poverty means that the income level from employment is so low that basic human needs can’t be met. Those who are in monetary poverty . . .
Dave Chappelle and the Disposability of Poor Black People
The fact that Dave Chappelle grew up in a professional class setting and now holds millionaire status should cause viewers to interrogate the class components of his standup. Not having an intimate connection with the poor Black communities who may be harmed by his rhetoric is a feature of his class privilege. . . .