Editor’s Notes: On Black History Month 2021
I am unapologetically, over the moon, absolutely just cheesy cornball, would probably make you roll your eyes levels, proud of being Black, especially during this — the 28 Blackest days of the year.
I am unapologetically, over the moon, absolutely just cheesy cornball, would probably make you roll your eyes levels, proud of being Black, especially during this — the 28 Blackest days of the year.
All I have is an ellipsis. Grief is a flat circle. And I never imagined I would have to live through grieving her.
How do you tell them your poem about pussy doesn’t negate your love for God? That your spirituality isn’t separate but an extension of you?
I am ready to be fearless. To dream beyond Black womanhood and know that I — Black, queer, and not-quite-sure — am worthy, so worthy of all of the love, affirmation, and power the universe can muster.
I always wonder what words my ancestors had for someone like me. In embracing my genderfluid identity, I’ve found great comfort in the deep and wide of the Atlantic — the way the water connects me to kin, named or unknown.
As a Black queer traveler, there are a whole host of reasons why finding other Black queer communities can be difficult. Black Queer Travel Guide spoke to six Black queer people about their experiences of trying to find Black queer family wherever they go.
I hid behind instruments, computers, Whitney’s voice, Prince’s guitar. I sat in front of my computer surrounded by cassettes, illegally downloading songs, awkwardly whispering “I love you more than I know how to explain and I’m scared so here’s a mixtape I made you.”
Are you asking me if I want to work more than just my regular work days? In Black History Month!?!
Pauli Murray was unspeakably brilliant, and their warmth is best captured on their own terms. With over 141 boxes of writings, 800 photographs, and dozens of tapes — the documentary “My Name Is Pauli Murray” shines brightest when it lets Murray take the reigns.
It feels impossible not to see this Martin Luther King Day as one of grief and mourning. But Dr. King’s soft words were never going to save us. Look to his playbook instead.
“Are you watching white supremacists storm the capitol while eating a bowl of popcorn??”
Lee Daniels’ new film follows the icon through her addiction, jail time, queerness (Natasha Lyonne stars as her lover Tallulah Bankhead!), and her fight with the feds.
What if we all committed to a radical reading list for 2021? What would we learn? And with this, what could we do? This collection of books will set you up with hope and pathways toward radical change in 2021.
Like so many others, I’ve been chirping about the end of 2020, as if the transition from one year to the next will somehow magically suture our open wounds.
In Viola Davis’ hands, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” becomes a complex portrait of a queer Black woman hurricane whose footprints loom large over the last 100 years.
She ran a progressive campaign for Queens DA that put New York’s establishment on notice, and now has NYC Council in sight. “It’s not about good people or bad people, it’s just about people. We need to divest from policing and incarceration and invest in the true sources of safety.”
It has felt hard to state how much I’ve been missing my family lately. But Audre Lorde and Pat Parker’s relationship is a testament to the life-affirming power of queer kinship. Their enduring love attests to the power and beauty of Black queer sisterhood.
I don’t think it matters much whether Avatar: The Last Airbender is “respectful” of Asian culture. I think the show is racist, and also I like it. I’m interested in what we do with the sense of agency it gives us, how it allows us to critique the structures that exist and envision our own worlds.
I originally added this movie to my queue because, well, It was black. I love black people, I adore Christmas and I wanted to check out and support black films and who knows, maybe I would find a new classic. I started watching and quickly realized that not only did it feature a mostly POC cast — IT WAS QUEER!
I love Christmas. I love having a guardian gayngel. And even when the movie is not great, I love a queer Afro-Latina in New York getting her very own Gay Christmas Love Story.
I’ve been told I should try to reclaim my ancestral healing practices, and this is something I would like to do. When I try to learn about Chinese things, it feels performed. I wonder if me learning qigong is any better than white lady yoga.