the speakeasy

No Justice No Pride

the speakeasy

pop culture fix

Black In Space: A Virtual Black Pride Experience

Black Pride in DC is a chance to celebrate our community’s resilience, honor our history and organize for a better future! This year, I attended afro-futurist art shows, alien burlesque…

Tahirah Alexander Green —

Jun 30, 2020

audre lorde

queer theory

book features

Year of Our (Audre) Lorde: June’s Uses of Anger

We are in the middle of a revolution. My Black woman’s anger is here to signal a necessary sea change. Understand that all of our freedoms are bound up in…

Jehan —

Jun 29, 2020

community

eric garner

politics + activism

Ferguson and Community Trauma: Defining Peace For Ourselves

We see violence not only in the crimson of blood spilled far too many times but also in the varying shades of brown on the skins of people of color.…

Helen —

Jun 24, 2020

#blacklivesmatter

criminal justice reform

politics + activism

On the Front Lines: Alternative Forms of Protesting Police Violence

Alternative forms of protest are necessary to make activism accessible. Sometimes, they’re even more effective at creating change than a permitted march.

Hannah Hodson —

Jun 23, 2020

black lives matter

No Justice No Pride

politics + activism

Black Trans People Have Been Modeling Mutual Aid Before It Became a Buzzword

For the Gworls is a prime example of how Black trans organizers have found ways to keep one another safe, housed, and healthy despite violence at every turn.

Bailey —

Jun 23, 2020

the speakeasy

Yao

webcomics

Baopu #74: Radical Reconsiderations

As a queer Asian woman, I’m asking questions and finding my place in activism beyond self-love.

Yao Xiao —

Jun 20, 2020

black lives matter

juneteenth

politics + activism

On Juneteenth, Heed the Calls of Black Trans Freedom Fighters

On a day commemorating Black freedom, we, particularly non-Black people, must recommit to freedom for Black trans people.

xoai pham —

Jun 19, 2020

No Justice No Pride

personal essay

first person

How To Write A Spell Against White Supremacy

To me, magic means resilience and connecting to ancestors who survived the tragedy of the Middle Passage. Magic runs through my veins and feels like my birthright. It’s stronger than…

Neesha Powell-Twagirumukiza —

Jun 19, 2020

black lives matter

juneteenth

politics + activism

Juneteenth: A Celebration Syllabus

Just as the Emancipation Proclamation meant nothing to the people who its message hadn’t yet spread to, Juneteenth reminds us that it takes work and time for the joy of…

Ari —

Jun 19, 2020

#blacklivesmatter

greatest hits

politics + activism

24 Actions You NEED to Take to Help Trans Women of Color Survive

This isn’t just exhausting. This is intergenerational trauma, oppression, and maybe even genocide. This violence is specifically targeted against black and brown women, gender non-conforming folks, and especially trans women…

Lexi Adsit —

Jun 18, 2020

foolish child

Saturday Morning Cartoons

webcomics

Foolish Child #74: Karens Don’t Get It

“Karen” is a whole conversation about: white fragility, white privilege, white women weaponizing their tears against Black people when we don’t comply.

Dickens —

Jun 17, 2020

black lives matter

greatest hits

first person

Living While Black, Queer and Sometimes Mistaken for Male

My white queer friends don’t know why it’s such a big deal for them to not do any of the stupid and obviously illegal things they tend to do if…

Brittani —

Jun 15, 2020