ordinary thoughts: notes on community
Hi folks, buen día- and happy Women’s History Month! Did you know that women have fueled the growing number of Latinos in the US with graduate degrees? Between 1990 and 2021, the number of Latinas holding an advanced degree increased by more than one million.
Did you also know that despite being founded by two males in 1966, Black women would make up over two-thirds of the Black Panther Party by the 1970s?
Those are just a pair of subtle reminders that women of color have always made, and continue to make the world a better place with remarkable brilliance, unyielding courage, and temperate grace. Salute to you all 🤎🌍
- Isaiah & Cybele
new on the blog
evolving with your circle
According to a study by The American Journal of Psychiatry, people who have friends and close confidants are more satisfied with their lives and less likely to suffer from depression.
stories that have our attention
Famine is said to be imminent in northern Gaza as Israel raids the main hospital again
Famine is imminent in northern Gaza, where 70% of people are experiencing catastrophic hunger, according to a report Monday that warned escalation of the war could push half of Gaza’s total population to the brink of starvation.
The report, by the international community’s authority on determining the severity of hunger crises, came as Israel faces mounting pressure from even its closest allies to streamline the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip and to open more land crossings. Aid groups complain that deliveries by air and sea by the United States and other countries are too slow and too small.
Haiti violence: Residents see no end to crisis as capital city reels from gang warfare
Residents of Petionville, a wealthier area of the city, are shaken after their most violent day so far in the country's spiraling security crisis. More than a dozen bullet-ridden bodies lay in the street - the victims of the latest gang rampage. As well as the early morning killing spree, the home of a judge was also attacked - a clear message to the country's elites vying for power.
All this in what is supposedly the safe part of town. Unicef's executive director, Catherine Russell, has called the situation in Haiti "horrific" and likened the lawlessness to the post-apocalyptic film, Mad Max. Certainly, the latest violence in Port-au-Prince is a reminder, if any were needed, that Haiti remains closer to anarchy than stability.
Supreme Court allows Texas to begin enforcing law that lets police arrest migrants at border
A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed Texas to begin enforcing a law that gives police broad powers to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the border illegally while a legal battle over the measure plays out.
The conservative majority’s order rejects an emergency application from the Biden administration, which says the law is a clear violation of federal authority that would cause chaos in immigration law. Texas Gov Greg Abbott praised the order — and the law — which allows any police officer in Texas to arrest migrants for illegal entry and authorizes judges to order them to leave the U.S.
in other news...
Politics
Heavy fighting rages around Gaza’s biggest hospital as Israel raids it for a second day
A speech that sent shockwaves from Washington to Jerusalem
Netanyahu’s response to Schumer widens rift in US-Israeli relations
Markets
Fed will have to dent optimism over rate cut expectations
Asian currencies could stay on the ‘back foot’ despite U.S. rate cuts
EU reaches interim deal to extend tariff-free Ukrainian agricultural imports
Tech
Nvidia’s latest AI chip will cost more than $30,000, CEO says
Crypto firm Ledger to launch iPod-inspired crypto wallet in May
World’s largest pension fund explores bitcoin as an investment
Sports
March Madness as we know it could be on the way out amid seismic changes in college sports
March Madness: Does Caitlin Clark need to win a title to be the women's GOAT?
Lionel Messi keeps missing games with Inter Miami and Argentina, but is the World Cup winner getting enough rest?
pa' la cultura
cultural trivia
In honor of Women’s History Month.
Question: What modern-day invention was created by a Black woman?
Security Cameras
Touch Screens
Remote Controls
Headphones
Scroll further down to see if you’ve got it.
song of the week
We’re paying close attention to the latest exceptional output of music from artists who deserve more flowers. This week, you should listen to:
TODAY by Q Steven Marsden, known as Q, a singer and producer from Broward County, Florida.
currently reading…
Book of the Week is a hand-picked selection by one of our team members highlighting the latest literary works we've recently finished or are in the process of reading. This week’s pick is by Isaiah, who just finished reading Woman Without Shame by Sandra Cisneros.
“Widely known for her remarkable works of fiction, Sandra’s poetry is undeniably stunning. The usage of cultural traditions, vivid depictions of her midwest upbringing, close-knit familial relationships and political and social opinions in her writing is masterful from start to finish. It left me wanting at least a hundred more pages, yet at the same time, Woman Without Shame satisfyingly fulfilled my appetite for harmoness words and hefty opinions.”
What are y’all reading lately? Let us know via email or in the comments on IG. 📲
words of wisdom
Cultural Trivia Answer
The answer, ladies and gentlemen, is… *Drum roll please*
3. Security Cameras
Marie Van Brittan Brown, American nurse and innovator, created closed-circuit-television, or CCTV, in 1969. She intended to help Black people ensure their own safety and security since NYPD were slow to respond or show up to calls in her neighborhood of Jamaica, Queens. She’s known to be the inventor of the modern day home security system.