With the ever rising tide of a long overdue revolution, when thinking about the next person to spotlight, my mind instantly went to Miss Mariana Swim. Mari has been a passionate, unwavering activist and consistent informative guide post for many in the fight to dismantle racism and injustices in this country.
We can no longer excuse ourselves from the blatant inequalities around us by staying silent and uninformed. As such, her brain felt like the perfect one to take an informational tour inside. My intention with this particular spotlight is to encourage all reading to dive into some of the content she shares and if you are feeling at a continued loss of how to help get involved, follow her on IG (@mari_swim) and reach out for guidance. I know she’s happy to help!
And inside Mari’s brain 🧠 we go…
📚 What Book Have I Been Reading
The fact that I am currently reading (listening to) The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander will come as no surprise to anyone who also finds themself on this journey of becoming anti-racist and learning / unlearning so much of white supremacy. The author wrote a new forward at the start of this year and it is really important context for today (the book is 10 years old now) - so make sure you get that version! Plus, if you do the audiobook, the new preface is in her voice which I always love.
While on the subject of books everyone is clamoring to read lately, if you haven’t yet read Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, I cannot recommend it enough. I have both read and listened to it multiple times over the years and while I won’t be able to do it justice, it is heart wrenching, beautiful, haunting, and just beyond what I can ineloquently describe as I hastily try to get this to Jekka before (aka already well past) deadline. I do recommend listening in audiobook form though, Ta-Nehisi’s voice telling his own story is exceptionally powerful (preferably through Libby which connects to your library card and gets you titles for free, or any platform that is not owned by Amazon). Sidenote - if I check out a book for free on Libby, I also try to buy the book as well, and usually from a Black-owned bookstore, to make sure the author gets paid and a Black-owned business earns as well - Marcus Books in Oakland is my go-to and they currently have an online ordering form setup where you can submit requests for books. Libraries are beautiful things, but if you have the resources, when it comes to books written by BIPOC authors, please make sure they get paid!
📰 What Articles I’m Reading
Where to begin! There are so many articles I have been inhaling lately. Some stars:
Olivier Douliery/AFP/Getty Images
The Trayvon Generation - Elizabeth Alexander
“They watched these violations up close and on their cell phones, so many times over. They watched them in near-real time. They watched them crisscrossed and concentrated. They watched them on the school bus. They watched them under the covers at night. They watched them often outside of the presence of adults who loved them and were charged with keeping them safe in body and soul.”
The Problem of White Efficacy- Rebekah Frumkin
“The enormity of whiteness’s wreckage is difficult for any mind to process, especially a white mind desperate for relief from the task of processing it. It’s easier to indicate our rage and grief quickly and digitally, to mark ourselves safe, like we do on Facebook in the midst of a disaster, from the ideology of white supremacy and therefore from the justifiable rage of BIPOC. Those of us most ill at ease with ourselves dream of obliterating our guilt and misery with big acts of heroism. I will defend Black protestors from the police. I will go to jail with a Black protestor. I will be the activist who helps burn down the police precinct. It goes without saying that these acts are essential, but it is wrongheaded to approach them as releases from our self-loathing. It is wrongheaded, as a matter of fact, to loathe ourselves at all.”
And finally, this interview below, which I posted on IG a couple weeks back but want to repeat here:
Why Ta-Nehisi Coates is hopeful - The Ezra Klein Show
Ok I lied - two more- these are articles on the fucked up bs Tennessee passed in the cover of the night (12:30 am on Friday morning last week). If you give any shits about keeping abortions safe and legal, be frightened. However, the ACLU and many other groups have already filed restraining orders and are preparing to take this to court and will hopefully defeat this like they have in several other states that tried this bullshit.
Tennessee lawmakers pass fetal heartbeat abortion bill backed by governor
Tennessee abortion ban: Planned Parenthood, providers ask judge to halt implementation
📱What App I’m Using
It’s an app and it’s full of resources right on your phone!
💲Where To Donate
I very very very much believe in redistribution of wealth and giving absolutely as much as you can to groups and organizations on the ground doing the real work. My list is long and constantly growing, but lately new additions are pretty locally focused. I personally wanted to add groups that are led by people from the community they serve, because no one knows what a community needs more than the people from it. East Oakland Collective, Anti-Police Terror Project, and Black Earth Farms (they don’t have an auto-monthly option yet) are among my newest monthly recipients. Highly recommend finding groups/orgs local to wherever you live and directing resources there. Give what you can monthly rather than a big pop now!
I also recommend throwing money behind RAICES if you are as disturbed and angry as I am about what this administration is doing to immigrants in detention centers. Also, Abolish ICE!!!
*A quick aside somewhat related to this section - I recently had a friend (who often feels like she isn’t very active or involved) ask me how much I knew about our city’s history (Oakland) with police violence and current issues, what activists she should follow, etc. It helped me to realize an area I was not as involved as I wanted to be. It spurred me to join the Anti-Police Terror project, get on their monthly calls and a committee, and to get more involved with the efforts of several other local community based orgs and activist groups, plus start getting far more involved in my local politics (ie dialing into, and sometimes making public comment on local City Council meetings, school board meetings, etc). It has helped me feel more connected to my community than ever, and also was a really humbling and great reminder that anyone can be your teacher, inspiration, guide, challenger in this work. It’s a weird time where there is a sudden overflow of attention and social media frenzy around the inhumane and violent treatment of Black people in our nation, often at the hands of police, and there is work to be done everywhere. But don’t forget about right where you are. Even if you don’t currently live in a large and diverse city where police brutality carried out against Black and Brown people is the norm, you can get involved in your local scene. You can get in touch with your local school districts to find out what their anti-racism education is, their history (to make sure white supremacist / racist / revisionist history is not being taught to the young minds) etc - there are ways to get involved right where you are!
❤️ What Product I Love
A marriage of my obsession with sustainable and nontoxic products with my fervor to try and put as much of my money into Black-owned businesses recently led me to this one:
Oui The People Rose Gold Safety Razor
Very excited for this to arrive! While the price of the razor might seem high, when you pay $4 / Venus blade replacement, and around $1 for these Oui replacements, plus the environmental benefits - it is beyond worth it to me!
🎶 What Music I’m Listening to Lately
On repeat lately:
Kool Aid by KIRBY
Sometimes by Goth Babe
Chicago Diner by Kota the Friend
Ari Lennox - (anything by her, but Pedigree is a fave)
Please pass this post along in your worlds as you see fit. Wherever anyone may be in their journey to educate and act, the above resources all provide helpful information to do both.
Lots of love to you all and big thank you to Mari for your actions and the strength of your values, exhibited day in and day out. Your willingness to stir our awareness and awaken many of us through your shares has had a profound effect on me that is for sure… and for that, I thank you greatly.
J
Love reading your blog Jekka! Thank you for all of this useful and important info!