The fact that the object of affection is still there, still toying with the singer, always made this one rough: youtu.be/nW9Cu6GYqxo?...

Almost inevitably, a white liberal pundit who finds a way to “hear out” or “find commonalities” with white supremacists eventually starts saying depraved shit. I need to understand why that’s not the last strike for white people that it is for Black political observers.

happy autumnal equinox

State enslaved children. “…House of Reformation officials forced the children to sow crops & cane chairs while leasing others to local farmers...The most common reasons for detention were ‘incorrigibility,’ ‘stealing’ & ‘vagrancy,’…the teens & boys were malnourished & faced unsanitary conditions.”

Reminder that the police in the US originated from slave patrols. There are a number of people who still turn to them primarily to control Black bodies. Also, this is why I don’t miss New England after growing up there.

This past ten days has taught me that 1) a cishet White man can denigrate & unleash hate upon marginalized groups & still somehow be a hero & 2) unless & until a cishet’s White man’s rights are violated, most of the United States doesn’t give a damn.

John Lee Hooker with a diagram of the evolution of the Blues.

I’m chaperoning a Girl Scout campout tomorrow, and I swear the leaders managed to give me the group that externalizes different facets of my personality—especially as a child—like Inside Out characters hopped out of my brain.

I saw an ad for a new season, and, once again, I wish the adventures of Olivia Benson and company were in space and that they were a motley crew of anthropologists. I like the characters, but deeply regret its copganda.

“This isn’t the America I know” Black People:

The loser energy that radiates off "it's illegal not to like me" shit like this is palpable bsky.app/profile/zack...

Dermatologists often recommend nicotinamide — a form of Vitamin B3 — following skin cancer. A study of nearly 34,000 veterans finds this supplement reduces the risk of skin cancer recurrence.

I guess dear leader doesn’t believe in free speech unless it’s laden with bigotry.

When she said “we all make mistakes” 🥴

Today is the National Day of Remembrance for boarding schools in the United States. Not sure what boarding schools are? You are not alone. Only 4 states include the history boarding schools in their curriculum.

Updated second link: blackzonemagazine.com/not-one-but-...

Zero affiliation, but sharing because this sounds like a great opportunity. Submissions for the 2026 Lammy Awards are open September 15 - November 21, 2025. lambdaliterary.org/awards/lammy...

I spoke with the NYT Magazine a while ago but have now heard that an editor said they can't quote me because I'm "too liberal" to be a trusted source. You know what's always the first example conservatives use to claim I'm "too liberal"? My work in the 1619 Project, organized by the NYT Magazine.

Robert Redford, Screen Idol Turned Director and Activist, Dies at 89 No subscription needed. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/m...

Since we’re talking about political violence, know this: “The murder rate for Black politicians in Reconstruction was 2,317 per 100,000. This rate is 20 times greater than *any* *other* demographic in the United States as of 2020, where the highest homicide rate was less than 105 per 100,000.”

Firing a Black woman for quoting Kirk’s horrific statements about Black women is insane. It seems the Washington Post would rather perform politeness (and demand that the people Kirk harmed do it too) that tell the truth: karenattiah.substack.com/p/the-washin...

Trying to control how people respond to the death of a white supremacist is fascist

Opinion | I’ve dedicated my career to promoting free speech on college campuses. Here’s why the murder of a red state college dropout by another red state college dropout means it’s time to fire liberal professors in blue states.

Have I told y’all about the man who makes acorn people on TikTok? (He has other socials as well.) As always, I remain so appreciative of artists, especially in our current dumpster fire. www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8SSPJY8/

the truth is that the most consistently thoughtful and theoretically solid left publication right now is probably teen vogue.

I started watching Love is Blind France because I wanted to put on something light and figured it would be nice to hear French again (with subtitles), since I studied it *almost 30 years ago.* Um, this is as good as season one of the original flavor, far, far better than anything after that.

Northern Ireland man from Lisburn kidnapped by Trump’s Ice raids because he “looked like a Mexican”. He had the correct visa, all his documents. He’s never been in trouble with police. Held in terrible conditions. A fellow captive couldn’t get his medication and dropped dead of a heart attack

In my father's poli sci classroom in 1970s Taiwan, he would always call out the 'spy students' in the back: "Take good notes! Spicy bit!" The class would titter. Even the report-maker would look a bit abashed. In this A&M student's righteous "Dear Leader" invocation, there was no shame felt at all.

alt-text: white picketers carrying signs that say "Support the Police" and "Black Leaders Support Race War"

Yup. This has very much become a recurring thing, is very much part of what he wants (the attention to live in your head rent free), & imho its exhausting to see. We have to learn how to healthily divorce our brains from recurrent ghouls while still being able to process & act against what they do.

I recently started watching Love Island USA because there ha been so much talk about it. Y’all, this is a show about *young* adults—they are babies—at camp. There are so many big feelings between folks who haven’t known each other for even a month. It’s fascinating.

If (when?) we have another Civil War, could we please do Reconstruction right this time and not let the defeated assholes regain power through violence?

Box o’ beans has arrived. I don’t know if I can communicate how pleased I am with this. These are mostly southern/ Caribbean beans, but I’ve had trouble finding some of these varieties dry in grocery stores.

Gift link; no subscription required. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/31/u...

This isn’t at all the start of a dystopian novel. Like, totally not.

This right here. Not just about Brene Brown but some DEI trainings in general: www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8BVp9Nr/

Interesting. I’ll check this out when it’s available to stream. I think I’ve watched every iteration of the series, even when I was clearly older than the target audience. I was first introduced to it in health class in middle school to introduce something or other.

70 years ago, on this date, Emmett Till was kidnapped and brutally murdered by white men. His family, including his cousin who was with him at the time, is repeating the train ride he took from Chicago to Mississippi in 1955 to mark the anniversary

Relevant cartoon by @pinkwug.bsky.social

No lies told. Apple remains one of my favorite lyricists. She doesn’t release albums often, but has never put out a bad album. www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8BXFMCD/

all of this makes total sense when you recognize that “freedom” here means the freedom to dominate those you view as your subordinates and “tyranny” is when someone threatens that “freedom” or worse, when those subordinates try to claim power as political equals

Dearest Martha, The National Guard stand solemn watch at the Krispy Kreme tonight. I cannot tell if they defend the people from the donuts, or the donuts from the people. Powdered sugar hangs in the air like cannon smoke. Jensen took a hot coffee to the face, he may never recover. Yours in glaze,

This isn’t bad luck or coincidence or predestination. This is our choice. To live in a nation where our leaders teach hate, and military style guns are everywhere.

Let me tell you how much the Devil Reagan was. During his first winning presidential campaign, he spoke about “states rights “ at the Neshoba County, Mississippi fair. Y’all know where that is? That’s why they found those three Civil Rights workers who were murdered by the KKK. The. Devil.

Very pleased with myself for having set up a quarterly dried bean subscription. (Not via Rancho G.) Every 3 months, we’ll get 9 varieties of beans in the mail. Why yes, I am middle aged.

Fruits of lunch walk foraging. If I forget these are in my dress pocket, I’ll have an unpleasant rest of the afternoon.

Sigh. Performing at the inauguration wasn’t a fluke, I guess. I also file that story under “things that never happened.”

what really bothers me is that this was the promise of his campaign. The lawless racial profiling of Black and Brown people was EXACTLY what was being said on the campaign trail and the sort of gaslighting and naysaying basic bros gave us while they enthusiastically platformed it is revolting.