What Dots Do YOU Need Connected?

Hey Troublemakers,

Happy Black History Month*!

Do tell - what are you learning or unlearning this month in your pursuit of accurate and true history? What are you learning about the story of America and the story of the world? I would LOVE to hear so please share in the comments and lets learn together!

Over on the patreon, I shared a video where I talked about the importance of connecting the dots in order to see the bigger picture. As I process the news coming out of Florida and the fight for an AP African American studies course, as I watch books be banned and “woke” become practically a 4 letter word, all I can think is how those in support of the racist status quo + afraid of racial progress and justice want people to never see the bigger picture - and a great way to do that is distract us by arguing about the dots themselves.

I don’t have much energy for arguing about dots. But I do want to help us connect some. Have any dots you need help connecting?

A FEW LINKS FOR LEARNING + DOING…

READ From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation - currently free at this link!

GIVE The images and news coming out of Syria and Turkey is devastating. Find a way to give or donate here to Together Rising’s response.

LEARN Over on IG and Facebook I’m sharing about incredible Black women who inspire me.

DANCE To this song after you watch this speech!

SAVE THE DATE For monthly Troublemaker Meetings the 3rd Thursday of every month at 8:30pm EST (exclusively for Patreon folks starting at the $5/month level - not a Patreon supporter, lets fix that!). See you February 16th!

A WORD

“While it's personally dispiriting to see your work targeted in bad faith, what's more distressing to me is that the lives of women of color I've written about are being diminished and erased in a political moment in which we need their stories most.”

- Kimberlé Crenshaw

Stay wild and holy and free,

Austin

*Good news - every month can and SHOULD be filled with Black history and Black possibility. No need to cram it all in one month (it doesn’t fit anyhow).