PinnedNeighbor, A Handbook: Part 2(R), The Terms-Cultural Appropriation“It isn’t about having your feelings hurt. It’s about how being repeatedly dismissed and alienated and insulted and invalidated reinforces the differences in power and privilege, and how this perpetuates racism and discrimination.” Dr. Roberto Montenegro The old school and still relevant meaning and pronunciation The meaning of appropriate that…Cultural Appropriation14 min readCultural Appropriation14 min read
PinnedNeighbor, A Handbook: Part 2(n), The Terms-White Privilege“When we identify where our privilege intersects with somebody else’s oppression, we’ll find our opportunities to make real change.” -Ijeoma Oluo (1) “It’s easy to fictionalize an issue when you’re not aware of the many ways in which you are privileged by it.” ― Kate Bornstein While almost all of…White Privilege18 min readWhite Privilege18 min read
PinnedNeighbor, A Handbook: Part 2(a), The Terms- Introduction“There’s a phrase in Zen Buddhism that comes from a koan which is: not knowing is most intimate… When we don’t know something and when we can sit in that state of not knowing is when there’s a kind of an intimacy with the world around us…this is another iteration…Neighbors6 min readNeighbors6 min read
PinnedNeighbor, a Handbook: Introducing This BookWords, Their Power, and Love Sometimes all we have is the ability to love. Always, the best thing we have is the ability to love. I believe in love. This is corny. I own that. It’s perhaps Pollyanna. I own that, too. My belief in love’s power and that there’s…Peace17 min readPeace17 min read
PinnedCovenantYou see, there are lots of messages about God and abortion. Most of them, maybe all of them, are the same. But this is my story. And it’s different. When I began this piece, the seasons were changing, and summer was on her way to the other side of the…Abortion43 min readAbortion43 min read
3 days agoNeighbor, A Handbook: Part 2(S), The Terms-Sex, Gender, and Sexuality, an Introduction“To be yourself is a revolutionary act.” Lena Waithe Sex, Gender, and Sexuality — an introduction before we dive in When I was young, ‘sex’ was the thing I whispered about, ‘gender’ meant I was a boy or girl, and ‘sexuality’ tied to how tight my jeans were and what…Neighbors3 min readNeighbors3 min read
May 25Neighbor, A Handbook: Part 2(Q), The Terms-Intersectional, Intersectional Feminism (with a detour to sources)“Some of these identities give us a leg up, while others push us a rung down the ladder. The combination of identities can compound (or diminish) advantage or compound (or relieve) harm, and there are perhaps endless variations. The point of intersectional practice is to look at all these possible…Neighbors14 min readNeighbors14 min read
May 19Neighbor, A Handbook: Part 2(P), The Terms-Critical Race Theory(CRT)“The problem is not bad people. The problem is a system that reproduces bad outcomes. It is both humane and inclusive to say, ‘We have done things that have hurt all of us, and we need to find a way out.’” …Neighbors23 min readNeighbors23 min read
May 15Neighbor, A Handbook: Part 2(0), The Terms-White Fragility“Imagine if we measured success by the amount of safety people felt in our presence.” Jonathan Louis Dent White Fragility Unlike racism, the term White fragility does not describe a universal condition for White people. It describes one type of response a White person may have when confronted with their…White Fragility16 min readWhite Fragility16 min read
Apr 15Neighbor, A Handbook: Part 2(m), The Terms-Systemic Racism“I sit on a man’s back choking him and making him carry me, and yet assure myself and others that I am sorry for him and wish to lighten…Systemic Racism24 min readSystemic Racism24 min read
