By & For: Black Youth
By & For: Powerful Women in Activism
Everyone has an active role to play in addressing society’s injustices. For activists that make this work a primary focus of their lives, that responsibility can sometimes be greater, challenging even, but evermore rewarding. These women women explain what their activism work means to them, the process of that work, and how they take time to recover.
Read MoreA Woman: Poem for International Women’s Day
Poem Kai Adia Women have the audacity to birth new worlds With passion and honey on their tongues. This world would not move without women, They hold up half the sky. Reaching with their arms, they shout FREEDOM Into the heavens Raising unsung heroes From history’s sullen shadows. What is a Woman? Intuitive Connecter Emotional…
Read MoreMeet Nia Asemota: Artist Contributor to By & For
Cover art by Nia Asemota Nia Asemota is a young artist, technical instructor for Black Girls CODE, and contributor to By & For. “My artwork is the epitome of my inner personality- bold lines and bright colors. Through my cartoon realistic pieces, I seek to pay tribute to my dynamic cultural heritage as an Afro-Latina…
Read MoreWhy Black Joy is Important According to 10 Young People
To demonstrate the power of Black joy, here are 9 Black people explaining what brings them joy and why Black joy is important to them; all participants answered the question: “What brings you joy right now? Why is joy important to you?”
Read MoreA Look Back at Representation in 2020: 8 Ways Black Hair Matters
Today, Black women are loving their hair unapologetically. We are creating and buying our own products from brands made “By and for Us.” Black hair is a story of resilience and the story has continued as a key topic of conversation throughout 2020. Yes, our twist outs, fros and low cuts are taking center stage as a representation of independence and strength. And yet, centuries of race-based hair discrimination has sparked the saying, “Black hair is not just hair.” Why?
Read MoreHow To Effect Change Through The Political System
In wake of the killings of Jacob Blake, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Aubrey, George Floyd and many other Black people killed by police, America is at its tipping point. It is totally normal to wonder how greatly our voices can shine in the midst of all this violence and a global pandemic. This country has been faced with generation after generation of racial, economic and social inequalities, so, how can we effectively improve the health of our society when faced with so many long-standing obstacles?
Read MoreDirect giving is our legacy. Ignoring that legacy is anti-Black
Our folks built special kinds of ecosystems amidst all the strategies of economic instability that antiBlackness necessitates.
Read More9 intimate photos exploring the meaning & importance of Black queer love
Black queer love, in and of itself, is a defiance to what a Eurocentric, hateful world views as worthy, beautiful, and acceptable.
Read MoreA Black woman navigates outrage over continued anti-Black state violence alongside the pandemic’s mental health challenges
Ultimately, we rely on community care.
Read MoreWhat might happen if we ignore our grief during quarantine?
The day edges on. Repeats. Cracks open. Falls apart. I try to ignore my grief. But it’s still there, underneath everything.
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