Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of work for the Lindy Hop community. I’ve dove deep into the history of the dance, and the scene and considering what could be improved moving forward. Now I’m turning to look at the blues community. I know the blues scene has taken a long time to return to …
It’s middle school. It was long past my first year in a PWI and it was time for a dance. At the time, I refused to dance, so I walked around with friends. I was in the hall when I was startled by my white friends getting excited and flooding toward the gym. Leaving the …
This piece is going to be a bit off the cuff for Obsidian Tea. Remarking on an observation of a trend I think as a culture we need to look at and be careful of: Fetishization and social commodification of oppression and adversity. That’s the fancy way of saying there is a lot of social …
And why colourblindness is an issue I went to bed early and noted there was some drama at the Oscars. Never one to care much about award shows, I wasn’t interested enough to learn more. At 3 am, I groggily checked my phone and found what I assumed to be minor drama was blowing up …
What the context of “the slap” can teach outsiders about Black culture Read More »
I’ve been asked a question for as long as I can remember. “So, where are you from?” People of all colours, backgrounds, and ages have always been curious about a thing I was bound to disappoint on. “Here,” or “Ohio,” were my confused answers. All the while, I tried to figure out why I was …
I didn’t want too much of the Obsidian Tea content to turn into just pandemic or politics. I ain’t an expert and I don’t want to take too much focus away from the culture work. But this article, and an upcoming one on hope, are too important in general to not speak on. If you …
Recently at a workshop I slowed class down and had us stop and think as we listen to the well-known song, Strange Fruit.The class was about listening to lyrics and the importance of understanding story. As the song stopped, I found myself struggling to find words to describe the emotion that I was overwhelmed with. I looked out until crowd of faces, that mostly didn’t look like mine, and I saw a vast range of emotions that I didn’t quite understand.
A guest post by: Joey Science Bronzeville stretched from State St to Cottage Grove, between 43rd and 47th St in the 1920s. It was historically known as Chicago’s “Black Metropolis”, and like Harlem during this time, Bronzeville was a center of Black thought and art. Being a drag performer in Bronzeville was a respectable job, …
A letter to the White Blues Dance Community January 20, 2018 Dear community, In the last day or two, Ellie made a post. It really set off a good conversation in the community. Surprisingly, I haven’t received that many messages yet. I’m slowly realizing that majority of my community has no idea of what it …
For the first time in my life, my words have left me without my permission. They fly away like dandelion seeds in a gentle breeze and I worry they will never come back. My thoughts, a rolling royal blue- Black ocean in a storm that won’t seem to end. I’m lost, without a paddle and …
What do I have to do for you to acknowledge my humanity? Read More »
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