We pursue visibility often. The need to know that someone or someones have given us a nod of approval, read our words, liked our photos, has reviewed our work. But if visibility is driven by something at its foundation, that foundation I feel must be hate. Whether that hatred is about hating who you are… Continue reading Loving Myself to Change
Author: odeliay
Necessary Endings: Severing that which Binds
I am pursuing decathexis. I want the restoration of time and energy and life that comes from purposefully breaking off a pattern or a mindset that binds me, and keeps me away from nurturing my life. In this time of increased turmoil, I find myself bombarded by daily negative energy and news - declarations that hurt… Continue reading Necessary Endings: Severing that which Binds
28. Beginnings.
Beginnings. San Francisco has been a hard move. It – and this year in general-- has tried to steal some of my happiness that I had been building. But San Francisco had not realized that while it had power, forcibly taken and enacted through the violence of gentrification and hollow liberalism, that I was magic.… Continue reading 28. Beginnings.
Reflections on Commencement upon 5 years of Journeying and Writing
For Trayvon - I think I always start with you because your murder was the first time I had the responsibility of looking into the eyes of a younger generation, and try to find the words to make sense of the senseless. There were never the right words, the proper lesson to do that work, so… Continue reading Reflections on Commencement upon 5 years of Journeying and Writing
On the Broken Nights, Generating Healing
The staples of my desk at work consists of red chili pepper flakes, salt, a glass name plate, and a black and white photograph of James Baldwin. I am sure others wonder why I have a photograph of James Baldwin on my desk, when they have family photos and old cards, because I can see their quizzical… Continue reading On the Broken Nights, Generating Healing
The Gifts of My Mother –Reflections on Mother’s Day
''How simple a thing it seems to me that to know ourselves as we are, we must know our mothers' names.'' -Alice Walker Whenever people ask me why I want to be a writer, I always begin at my mother, who is a writer. I would feel… Continue reading The Gifts of My Mother –Reflections on Mother’s Day
From the Little Girl who Always Sang ‘1999’ too Loudly
I have what feels like a lifetime of wonderful childhood memories of my sister and me dancing and singing along to Prince songs with my sister. We never had a lot of CDs, but would use cassette tapes to record our favorite jams when they came on the radio and found creative joy in curating… Continue reading From the Little Girl who Always Sang ‘1999’ too Loudly
Canaries and Cages
I haven't written anything in a long time. I've started and stopped blog posts, but only in my mind. I've been engaging with writings that others have written and readily shared strong voices of my dear writer friends. But my own thoughts have been stuck on the roof of my mouth and the tops of… Continue reading Canaries and Cages
When Whiteness Rears Its Ugly Head, or #KeepItIn2015
"Tamir Rice was lynched and everybody knows, every black body felt it and every white body dealt." -Tabias Wilson to not be safe on the earth. simply because of the color of your skin. how does a being survive this? -trayvon martin -nayyirah waheed There are things I cannot leave behind in 2015 even if… Continue reading When Whiteness Rears Its Ugly Head, or #KeepItIn2015
For 26: A Look Inward
It has been a few days since my birthday, and I continue to ride the high of assisting my brother in his first murder case that was a big win against a leading prosecutor. Throughout the entire process I was really emotionally and mentally invested in the case, especially for the sake of the client… Continue reading For 26: A Look Inward
Odelia Younge 