loading . . . Tainted Visions: Daddy's Glasses I bought my daddyâs glasses by accidentâbut every time I put them on, I see his face staring back at me. This episode is about the lenses we inherit: my father, who came from Trinidad in the 1960s chasing the promise of America; my own optimism in 2008 when Barack Obama was elected; and the sharper, harsher vision I have of the world today.Through these glasses, I look at what America once promised, what it is now, and what it could be again.
Along the way, I share books from the 1960sâby Baldwin, King, Malcolm X, Friedan, and C.L.R. Jamesâthat help us understand both my fatherâs era and our own.
đ This weekâs indie bookstore spotlight: Read It Again Bookstore (via Bookshop.org).
đ Preorder my upcoming historical fiction https://vanessariley.com/fireswordandsea.htmâa saga of Black and Indigenous women pirates carving their own freedom. Releases January 13, 2026.â¨
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