These last few weeks have been so full! We’re in the midst of so much and it’s exhausting and overwhelming, yes… but also exciting, inspiring and gratifying. Depending on what perspective I’m able to view things from, really. Do you have that experience too? About some things at least?
There’s no central theme to today’s 5 things, but here’s what’s been going on in my head!
Finished The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love by bell hooks and woo 😮💨. Another 5 ⭐️ from me (can’t believe I’d racked up 3 of these and it was only Feb!). Definitely a book I’ll be coming back to again and again because there’s so much to integrate and unpack about the ways in which we condition AMAB folks to self-betray perpetually to uphold the CCPWSD, and even as they benefit from it, it costs them (and all of us) so much. Not to mention the complicity of everyone else in upholding the patriarchy. Like it or not, we’re all deeply conditioned to keep the system systeming. Like mama bell, the Dalai Lama, Thích Nhất Hạnh and many other philosophers, thinkers and sages have counseled since forever, compassion for ourselves and each other allows us to see and hear each other. We all deserve better.
We are well on our way to resuming doula support services at Santa Rita Jail AND we still have barriers to overcome, including funding to meet insurance requirements for all our doulas that most of us cannot afford the burden of. If you’re interested in supporting community doulas to continue supporting incarcerated community members as well as funding our doula match program for families who may not otherwise have the fiscal capacity to access reproductive support, or if you want to support the collective in our work, please consider donating to our gofundme (once I’ve set it up 🤪) or becoming a regular donor through our patreon.com/rlbc. Every little helps! Donate once or as many times as you can/like. Sharing about our work with your networks helps. We are so grateful for your support! We couldn’t do this without you.
My #tbr list rn is messy. Life got hectic in Feb and I just didn’t read as much as I did in Jan. March is all over the place so I’m tryna figure out how I wanna play it. I was sure it would be really easy to not add any more books to it but everyone around me is always recommending incredible books. So maybe it’s more simple than easy, whelp! Anyway, I want to finish a few books (that I’ve already started) this month at minimum. I will, no doubt, start a few more but I’ll let those land where they will.
Three teas that are currently in my rotation and bringing me joy on top of adding to my general wellness - fresh thyme steeped with ginger and honey. Delicious and supporting my immune system… What’s not to love? Earl Grey. Black. Always a fave. One of these days I’ll get my hands on some bergamot and make my own blend. I love this tea so much. Green tea, always a hit. I love it in the late afternoon especially, when I’m feeling sleepy. It gently warms and grounds me and I love it. What are you drinking?
Imani Barbarin aka @crutches_and_spice is a Black disability rights and inclusion activist and speaker who shares insightful, eviscerating, hilarious & brilliant observations on the state of the world and in the disability community. I’m so grateful for her and her platforms. Check out her website, her tiktok and BOOK HER TO SPEAK at your events. We need her voice heard.
p.s my little book club idea is kinda warming up, if you think you might be interested in gathering once a month or so in a space obsessed with bell hooks & Octavia , a future where Black & Brown folks are thriving and all books birth, life and death… lmk here.
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