The Imagination

I am a firm believer in the power of the imagination. I believe in dreams and their ability to transcend reality.
lacigreen:

sageprinze:

This is important to see and understand for everyone. Please, if you see someone in a public restroom that you think might not belong there because they don’t look like you, don’t scream or yell at them, have some compassion and go about your business.

^^ 90% of trans* kids don’t feel safe at school, and one part of the problem is that they have no safe access to bathrooms.  kids have been expelled for using the “wrong” bathroom, others are bullied or beat up, trans adults are chased out by security, harassed, and humiliated.  something as simple as going to the bathroom becomes a daunting, scary, and even dangerous endeavor and its got to stop.  we all deserve privacy, dignity, and safety in the restroom. 

lacigreen:

sageprinze:

This is important to see and understand for everyone. Please, if you see someone in a public restroom that you think might not belong there because they don’t look like you, don’t scream or yell at them, have some compassion and go about your business.

^^ 90% of trans* kids don’t feel safe at school, and one part of the problem is that they have no safe access to bathrooms.  kids have been expelled for using the “wrong” bathroom, others are bullied or beat up, trans adults are chased out by security, harassed, and humiliated.  something as simple as going to the bathroom becomes a daunting, scary, and even dangerous endeavor and its got to stop.  we all deserve privacy, dignity, and safety in the restroom. 

(Source: allprideinside, via anarcho-queer)

Diaspora is simultaneously a state of being and a process of becoming, a kind of voyage that encompasses the possibility of never arriving or returning, a navigation of multiple belongings.

Paul Tiyambe Zeleza (via manufactoriel)

(Source: genetparadise, via wadeinwords)

raincityvegan:

Massage Oil – Coconut oil soothes tired and sore muscles. Add a few drops of essential oils for more effect.
Athletes Foot – The powerful antifungal properties of coconut oil make it perfect for any fungal infection. Add a few drops of oregano or tea tree oil for more antifungal power.
Acne – Coconut oil gently fights the bacteria that cause acne. Dab it directly on the offending pimples and watch them shrink.
Cleanser – Coconut oil makes an effective and gentle cleanser to remove the grime of the day.
Lice – Coconut oil kills and removes this pesky problem.
Stretch Marks – Prevent and soften stretch marks from pregnancy with coconut oil for soft and supple skin.
Warts and Moles – Rub oil into area and cover with a bandage. Rub in fresh oil and place a new bandage each day.
Moisturizer – Coconut oil is an excellent way to soften and hydrate dry, rough, or damaged skin.
Face Scrub – Mix coconut oil with baking soda, sugar, or cinnamon and oatmeal for the perfect face scrub and exfoliator.
Dandruff – Massage coconut oil into the scalp to ease symptoms of dandruff, both itching and flaking.
Curb Appetite – Take a spoonful before meals to curb appetite so you don’t overeat.
Wrinkles – Rub into lines, creases, and wrinkles to rehydrate skin and soften those wrinkles away.
Sore Throat – Dissolve a spoonful in your mouth and let it slowly roll down the throat. This will coat and protect the throat, boost the health of mucus membranes, and fight any infection.
Ring Worm – Rub coconut oil onto affected area to kill the fungus that causes unsightly ringworm. Add tea tree oil to clear the infection even faster.
Lip Balm – Coconut oil hydrates and protects lips. Coconut even offers some protection from the sun, about an SPF 4.
Cold Sore – Coconut oil has antiviral properties that will help the body get rid of the virus that causes cold sores. Rub it on when needed and add a drop of oregano oil to speed healing.
Lubricant – Coconut makes an all-natural personal lubricant for intimate moments without chemicals.
Gum Removal – Coconut oil gets the sticky stuff out of hair, carpet, and anywhere else it doesn’t belong.
Pet Health – Coconut oil can do a multitude of things for pets, both topically and internally. It improves breath, makes for a shiny coat, eases joint problems, cleans ears, gets rid of fleas, and much more.
Stys/Pink Eye – Rub a small amount of coconut oil on the sty or around the eyes to get rid of these painful and annoying infections quickly.
Earaches – Earaches, swimmer’s ear, and ear infections clear up fast with a few drops of coconut oil mixed with garlic oil.
Cradle Cap – Coconut oil is gentle and safe for infants and helps ease the itching, pain, redness, and flaking associated with cradle cap.
Diaper Rash – Coconut oil can help heal mild diaper rash gently and effectively.
Bruises – Rub coconut oil into bruised skin to speed healing and watch the bruises fade fast.
Age Spots – Coconut oil has beneficial effects on any skin blemish. Use it to help fade age spots with powerful antioxidants.
Shaving Cream – Coconut oil keeps the razor gliding smoothly while leaving skin smooth and soft.
After Shave – Don’t want unpleasant bumps and rashes after shaving? Coconut oil soothes sensitive skin and promotes healing.
Toothpaste – Mix 1 part coconut oil with 1 part baking soda and add a couple drops of peppermint oil. This makes a refreshing, natural toothpaste that whitens and cleans without added preservatives, fluoride, sweeteners, or other chemicals.
Chicken Pox – Ease the itch and encourage healing with dabs of coconut oil. It also works on poison ivy, poison oak, mosquito bites, and other insect stings or bites.
Yeast Infections – Coconut oil fights these fungal infections internally and externally.
Makeup Remover – Coconut oil removes oil-based makeup easily, like mascara. It cleans, hydrates, and makes skin glow.
Conditioner – Coconut oil conditions, strengthens, and repairs hair. Massage it in and rinse it out after ten minutes. A small amount can be rubbed in to dry hair to tame frizz.
Polish Furniture – Coconut oil gives a protective shine to wood furniture. Just make sure you test it out on a small area to make sure you like the outcome.
Energy – Coconut oil and its medium chain triglycerides make it an excellent energy source to improve stamina, endurance, or just to give you a boost through the day.
Deodorant – Mix coconut oil with cornstarch, baking soda, and your favorite essential oils for a natural deodorant that smells fantastic.
Eye Cream – Reduce puffiness and dark circles with a few dabs of coconut oil.
Eczema – Coconut oil reduces the itchiness, pain, flakiness, and dryness of eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis.
Sunburn – Coconut oil can help prevent sunburn for short exposures. When you burn, it will also speed healing and take some of the sting away. Make sure you wait until all the heat has dissipated before applying it or you trap the heat in. Wait 24 to 72 hours depending on the extent of the burn.
Hemorrhoids – Coconut oil eases the pain and discomfort of hemorrhoids and encourages natural healing both internally and externally.
Nose Bleeds – Rub a bit of coconut oil in nostrils to fight the dry cracking that can lead to nose bleeds and pain.
Canker Sores – Dab coconut oil on canker sores to kill infection and speed up healing. Coconut oil is also a far tastier way to treat canker sores than most other methods.
Toothaches – Coconut oil eases the pain and strengthens teeth. You can mix it with a drop of clove oil to almost instantly relieve pain.
Acid Reflux – Take a small spoonful with meals to keep acid reflux and heartburn at bay.
Urinary Tract – Treat urinary tract infections with a spoonful of coconut oil. It may even ease the painful passing of kidney stones.
Nursing – Coconut oil works great to repair dry, cracked skin, including sore nipples from nursing.
Alzheimer’s – Some research points to coconut oil as a way to slow the progression of or prevent Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Bones – Coconut oil aids the body in the absorption of calcium and magnesium. Both minerals are important for strong bones and teeth.
Epilepsy – Coconut oil may reduce the incidence and intensity of epileptic seizures.
Fitness – Coconut oil boosts energy, increases metabolism, improves thyroid function, and aids healthy weight loss. It is the perfect addition to any workout or fitness regimen.
Cooking – Coconut oil doesn’t form harmful by-products when heated like most other oils and animal fats. Use it to replace butter, cup for cup in recipes. Sauté, cook, bake, broil, braise, and more using coconut oil as a healthier alternative. 

raincityvegan:

  • Massage Oil – Coconut oil soothes tired and sore muscles. Add a few drops of essential oils for more effect.
  • Athletes Foot – The powerful antifungal properties of coconut oil make it perfect for any fungal infection. Add a few drops of oregano or tea tree oil for more antifungal power.
  • Acne – Coconut oil gently fights the bacteria that cause acne. Dab it directly on the offending pimples and watch them shrink.
  • Cleanser – Coconut oil makes an effective and gentle cleanser to remove the grime of the day.
  • Lice – Coconut oil kills and removes this pesky problem.
  • Stretch Marks – Prevent and soften stretch marks from pregnancy with coconut oil for soft and supple skin.
  • Warts and Moles – Rub oil into area and cover with a bandage. Rub in fresh oil and place a new bandage each day.
  • Moisturizer – Coconut oil is an excellent way to soften and hydrate dry, rough, or damaged skin.
  • Face Scrub – Mix coconut oil with baking soda, sugar, or cinnamon and oatmeal for the perfect face scrub and exfoliator.
  • Dandruff – Massage coconut oil into the scalp to ease symptoms of dandruff, both itching and flaking.
  • Curb Appetite – Take a spoonful before meals to curb appetite so you don’t overeat.
  • Wrinkles – Rub into lines, creases, and wrinkles to rehydrate skin and soften those wrinkles away.
  • Sore Throat – Dissolve a spoonful in your mouth and let it slowly roll down the throat. This will coat and protect the throat, boost the health of mucus membranes, and fight any infection.
  • Ring Worm – Rub coconut oil onto affected area to kill the fungus that causes unsightly ringworm. Add tea tree oil to clear the infection even faster.
  • Lip Balm – Coconut oil hydrates and protects lips. Coconut even offers some protection from the sun, about an SPF 4.
  • Cold Sore – Coconut oil has antiviral properties that will help the body get rid of the virus that causes cold sores. Rub it on when needed and add a drop of oregano oil to speed healing.
  • Lubricant – Coconut makes an all-natural personal lubricant for intimate moments without chemicals.
  • Gum Removal – Coconut oil gets the sticky stuff out of hair, carpet, and anywhere else it doesn’t belong.
  • Pet Health – Coconut oil can do a multitude of things for pets, both topically and internally. It improves breath, makes for a shiny coat, eases joint problems, cleans ears, gets rid of fleas, and much more.
  • Stys/Pink Eye – Rub a small amount of coconut oil on the sty or around the eyes to get rid of these painful and annoying infections quickly.
  • Earaches – Earaches, swimmer’s ear, and ear infections clear up fast with a few drops of coconut oil mixed with garlic oil.
  • Cradle Cap – Coconut oil is gentle and safe for infants and helps ease the itching, pain, redness, and flaking associated with cradle cap.
  • Diaper Rash – Coconut oil can help heal mild diaper rash gently and effectively.
  • Bruises – Rub coconut oil into bruised skin to speed healing and watch the bruises fade fast.
  • Age Spots – Coconut oil has beneficial effects on any skin blemish. Use it to help fade age spots with powerful antioxidants.
  • Shaving Cream – Coconut oil keeps the razor gliding smoothly while leaving skin smooth and soft.
  • After Shave – Don’t want unpleasant bumps and rashes after shaving? Coconut oil soothes sensitive skin and promotes healing.
  • Toothpaste – Mix 1 part coconut oil with 1 part baking soda and add a couple drops of peppermint oil. This makes a refreshing, natural toothpaste that whitens and cleans without added preservatives, fluoride, sweeteners, or other chemicals.
  • Chicken Pox – Ease the itch and encourage healing with dabs of coconut oil. It also works on poison ivy, poison oak, mosquito bites, and other insect stings or bites.
  • Yeast Infections – Coconut oil fights these fungal infections internally and externally.
  • Makeup Remover – Coconut oil removes oil-based makeup easily, like mascara. It cleans, hydrates, and makes skin glow.
  • Conditioner – Coconut oil conditions, strengthens, and repairs hair. Massage it in and rinse it out after ten minutes. A small amount can be rubbed in to dry hair to tame frizz.
  • Polish Furniture – Coconut oil gives a protective shine to wood furniture. Just make sure you test it out on a small area to make sure you like the outcome.
  • Energy – Coconut oil and its medium chain triglycerides make it an excellent energy source to improve stamina, endurance, or just to give you a boost through the day.
  • Deodorant – Mix coconut oil with cornstarch, baking soda, and your favorite essential oils for a natural deodorant that smells fantastic.
  • Eye Cream – Reduce puffiness and dark circles with a few dabs of coconut oil.
  • Eczema – Coconut oil reduces the itchiness, pain, flakiness, and dryness of eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis.
  • Sunburn – Coconut oil can help prevent sunburn for short exposures. When you burn, it will also speed healing and take some of the sting away. Make sure you wait until all the heat has dissipated before applying it or you trap the heat in. Wait 24 to 72 hours depending on the extent of the burn.
  • Hemorrhoids – Coconut oil eases the pain and discomfort of hemorrhoids and encourages natural healing both internally and externally.
  • Nose Bleeds – Rub a bit of coconut oil in nostrils to fight the dry cracking that can lead to nose bleeds and pain.
  • Canker Sores – Dab coconut oil on canker sores to kill infection and speed up healing. Coconut oil is also a far tastier way to treat canker sores than most other methods.
  • Toothaches – Coconut oil eases the pain and strengthens teeth. You can mix it with a drop of clove oil to almost instantly relieve pain.
  • Acid Reflux – Take a small spoonful with meals to keep acid reflux and heartburn at bay.
  • Urinary Tract – Treat urinary tract infections with a spoonful of coconut oil. It may even ease the painful passing of kidney stones.
  • Nursing – Coconut oil works great to repair dry, cracked skin, including sore nipples from nursing.
  • Alzheimer’s – Some research points to coconut oil as a way to slow the progression of or prevent Alzheimer’s and dementia.
  • Bones – Coconut oil aids the body in the absorption of calcium and magnesium. Both minerals are important for strong bones and teeth.
  • Epilepsy – Coconut oil may reduce the incidence and intensity of epileptic seizures.
  • Fitness – Coconut oil boosts energy, increases metabolism, improves thyroid function, and aids healthy weight loss. It is the perfect addition to any workout or fitness regimen.
  • Cooking – Coconut oil doesn’t form harmful by-products when heated like most other oils and animal fats. Use it to replace butter, cup for cup in recipes. Sauté, cook, bake, broil, braise, and more using coconut oil as a healthier alternative. 

(via ruinandredemption)

all-things-bright-and-beyootiful:

Conservatory by decorology

all-things-bright-and-beyootiful:

Conservatory by decorology

(via ruinandredemption)

tionam:

thefindingaid:

THE FINDING AID: BLACK WOMEN AT THE INTERSECTION OF ART AND ARCHIVING is an interactive, multi-media dialogue that explores the intersection of experimental art practices and community-based archiving.
// Tuesday, May 21, 2013 @ 6:30pm Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Langston Hughes Auditorium //
___
Scope and Content Note [Artist Presentation Module]
The second part of The Finding Aid: Black Women at the Intersection of Art and Archiving will be structured around the scope and content note section of a finding aid. A scope and content note summarizes a collection and provides descriptive information such as what materials makeup the collection, how those materials were created and what information can be found within them. The purpose of our scope and content note module will be to introduce the audience to the participating artists’ collection(s) and archive(s).Since Ms. Ladi’Sasha Jones will be working behind the scenes during the event, take a tour of the The Ladi Jones Documentation Collection now! IV: Ladi’Sasha Jones and The Ladi Jones Documentation Collection
Ladi’Sasha G. Jones, born 1988 in Harlem, is a cultural/witness worker and oral historian. The Ladi Jones Documentation Collection span 2006 - 2013, bulk dates 2010 - 2013. The collection consist of digital-audio files, transcriptions, project proposals, journals, unpublished writings (drafts) and correspondences. The bulk of her collection highlights the narratives of Harlem residents, which includes documentation of her family life. Ladi’Sasha has interviewed Black doulas, veterans, artists, and women on the topics of race, coming-of-age, body politics, sexuality and home. Materials in this collection also cover topics of Black girlhood, identity, love, gender, healing trauma, mothering, dreaming, poverty, aging, and writing.
Video Link to Conversations on Race & Racism: Documenting Black Girlhood
Audio Link to Interview with Curator and Historian, Christopher Moore



*my fam.

tionam:

thefindingaid:

THE FINDING AID: BLACK WOMEN AT THE INTERSECTION OF ART AND ARCHIVING is an interactive, multi-media dialogue that explores the intersection of experimental art practices and community-based archiving.

// Tuesday, May 21, 2013 @ 6:30pm Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Langston Hughes Auditorium //

___

Scope and Content Note [Artist Presentation Module]

The second part of The Finding Aid: Black Women at the Intersection of Art and Archiving will be structured around the scope and content note section of a finding aid. A scope and content note summarizes a collection and provides descriptive information such as what materials makeup the collection, how those materials were created and what information can be found within them. The purpose of our scope and content note module will be to introduce the audience to the participating artists’ collection(s) and archive(s).

Since Ms. Ladi’Sasha Jones will be working behind the scenes during the event, take a tour of the The Ladi Jones Documentation Collection now!

IV: Ladi’Sasha Jones and The Ladi Jones Documentation Collection
Ladi’Sasha G. Jones, born 1988 in Harlem, is a cultural/witness worker and oral historian. The Ladi Jones Documentation Collection span 2006 - 2013, bulk dates 2010 - 2013. The collection consist of digital-audio files, transcriptions, project proposals, journals, unpublished writings (drafts) and correspondences. The bulk of her collection highlights the narratives of Harlem residents, which includes documentation of her family life. Ladi’Sasha has interviewed Black doulas, veterans, artists, and women on the topics of race, coming-of-age, body politics, sexuality and home. Materials in this collection also cover topics of Black girlhood, identity, love, gender, healing trauma, mothering, dreaming, poverty, aging, and writing.

*my fam.

hashtag-beirut:

The FBI recently declared that Assata Shakur is to be added on the list of Most Wanted Terrorists. Malcolm Shabazz (Malcolm X’s grandson) spoke out against FBI threats he had been facing and was killed shortly after.

I remembered Suheir Hammad’s poem “My Letter to Anthony (Critical Resistance)” and how she says “i have always loved criminals” - one of those verses that you can never forget. We are all criminals.

 ”My Letter to Anthony (Critical Resistance)”

I.
this is not a pre paid
call this is not a poem
this is not a letter written from a woman
on the inside this is a

dear nazik aka nymflow-9 aka
bronx bomber aka anthony aka
42851-054 5812
hey brother i hope
this finds you well and safe

i have carried these words for
months through ports and air
and i still have a hard time
five years later writing
you when i travel

but your letters i take
with me the graffiti you throw
at the end of a dozen
handwritten double sided single
spaced muslim oil scented legal
sheets offer me a home
in polyester hotel rooms

you have never been on an airplane

i think of that often when i try
to help women place words together
into rhymes or lines these women
try to make sense of their lives

what makes me different i mean
people actually pay you 
they say to
read some poems and talk? shit i got a lot
say let someone pay me to talk. fuck that
just get me out of here and i’ll talk sing dance
shut up if they want

i don’t tell them i get
paid just enough for rent
rent means a home even
if you broke it’s home

we workshop poems and their stories
are not original or fictional
a woman will tell you
every home she has ever inhabited
has been broken into
starting with her body

i never leave a prison
without my head splitting
down my spine an iron
hand on my lungs

when you call anthony
and that woman’s voice says
this is a pre paid call press 5
to accept this call
 i press 5 count
to 3 take a deep breath and pray
we talk and when the voice
interrupts any intimacy
we’ve embroidered via phone wires
with this call is from a federal prison
we pick up the shards
of our conversation desperate
to finish before the next

II

i have always loved criminals
i tell people who try to shame
me into silence

with words like television conjugal
college libraries 
they say
can you imagine a library in a nigerian a chinese a
colombian prison do you know what happens in the world americans are spoiled no idea
how lucky 
we are here

even you often write how
your time has offered reflection
meditation deepened your faith
but you 27 and have 10
years to go nowhere how much deeper
you going to get until a system based
on money deems you rehabilitated

i have always loved criminals
and the way you bomb my tag
butterphoenix all across your letters
reminds me our affirmation is
considered vandalism

i have always loved
criminals and not only the thugged
out bravado of rap videos and champagne
popping hustlers but my father
born an arab baby boy
on the forced way out
of his homeland his mother exiled
and pregnant gave birth in a camp

the world pointed and said
palestinians do not exist palestinians
are roaches palestinians are two legged dogs
and israel built jails and weapons and
a history based on the absence of a people
israel made itself holy and chosen
and my existence a crime

so i have always loved criminals
it is a love of self
and i will not cut off any part of
me and place it behind fences and bars
and the fake ass belief
that there is a difference between
the inside and the outside

there is no outside anywhere
anymore just where we are and
what we do while we are here

and there
are people anthony who make a connection
between you puerto rican rhyme slayer beautiful man and
young girls twisted into sex work and these
people nazim they are working to stop prisons
from being economically beneficial to depressed
communities and these people
bronx bomber they imagine a world
where money can’t be made off the hurt
of the young the poor the colored the
sexualized the different and these people
nymflow they never heard you
spit lyrics and they won’t
see the brilliance from these mere words
but these people
42851-054 5812
they believe human
beings can never be reduced
to numbers not in concentration
camps or reservations not in
refugee camps not in schools
and not in jails

these people
brother they resist

i will share these words
with them and i will
in your name and in the names
of all who imagine

stay well
and safe
resist
and love
suheir

Image taken from http://fuckyeahmarxismleninism.tumblr.com/post/27331161189/july-16-1947-birthday-of-comrade-assata-shakur

1 week ago - 23
browndragking:

holaafrica:

Remember that moment when you found out that Tracy Chapman dated Alice Walker and felt kind of jealous that you weren’t a fly on the wall of their apartment? Yeah..that.

it was difficult not to be utterly jelly

browndragking:

holaafrica:

Remember that moment when you found out that Tracy Chapman dated Alice Walker and felt kind of jealous that you weren’t a fly on the wall of their apartment? Yeah..that.

it was difficult not to be utterly jelly

(Source: theeducatedfieldnegro, via bklynboihood)

I am not the first person you loved.
You are not the first person I looked at
with a mouthful of forevers. We
have both known loss like the sharp edge
of a knife. We have both lived with lips
more scar tissue than skin. Our love came
unannounced in the middle of the night.
Our love came when we’d given up
on asking love to come. I think
that has to be part
of its miracle.

This is how we heal.
I will kiss you like forgiveness. You
will hold me like I’m hope. Our arms
will bandage and we will press promises
between us like flowers in a book.
I will write sonnets to the salt of sweat
on your skin. I will write novels to the scar
on your nose. I will write a dictionary
of all the words I have used trying
to describe the way it feels to have finally,
finally found you.

And I will not be afraid
of your scars.

I know sometimes
it’s still hard to let me see you
in all your cracked perfection,
but please know:
whether it’s the days you burn
more brilliant than the sun
or the nights you collapse into my lap
your body broken into a thousand questions,
you are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
I will love you when you are a still day.
I will love you when you are a hurricane.

Clementine von RadicsMouthful of Forevers (via adderalldust)

(via sheroxlox)