ordinary thoughts: a word on haiti
Familia! Que lo que? Can you believe we’re already a quarter into 2024? Time flies when you're making moves! With three quarters left, there's still plenty of time to turn this year into your best one yet. So, let's keep the momentum going!
Need a little extra push? We've got just the thing for you: introducing Ordinary Thoughts, our brand-new podcast! Picture those unforgettable moments with friends – the laughs, debates, and great conversations. Ever wished you would’ve hit record on those? Well, guess what? We did! Check out the latest episode below.
Don't forget to rate, review, and share it if you enjoy what you hear!
- Isaiah & Cybele
on the blog
all eyes on Haiti
Why the world’s first Free Black Republic continues to struggle, centuries after self-liberation.
new episode
on writing and identity with Dhayana Alejandrina
Our first guest on Ordinary Thoughts is poet, mentor, community facilitator, and author Dhayana Alejandrina!
She began her literary journey at 9 years old in Santo Domingo, continuing to write as her family migrated to the United States in 2009. Her work explores the transformative power of words, delving into inner growth, culture, identity, and healing. Alejandrina recently assumed the role of Lead Poetry and Cultural Collaborator for Afriqué Noire Magazine and is working on her second poetry collection.
Tune in for a winding conversation about writing, migration, identity, hair, healing, and then some!
stories that have our attention
The Dinner Party That Started the Harlem Renaissance
On March 21, 1924, Jessie Fauset sat inside the Civic Club in downtown Manhattan, wondering how the party for her debut novel had been commandeered.
The celebration around her was originally intended to honor that book, “There Is Confusion.” But Charles S. Johnson and Alain Locke thought the dinner could serve a larger purpose. What if the two Black academic titans invited the best and brightest of the Harlem creative and political scene? What if, over a spread of fine food and drink, they brought together African American talent and white purveyors of culture? If they could marry the talent all around them with the opportunity that was so elusive, what would it mean to Black culture, both present and future?
How I’m Unlearning the White Supremacist Lies That Latinidad Taught Me
Growing up Dominican, I was constantly exposed to messages that glorified white beauty standards and minimized the value of my Black identity. There is no denying that the diaspora has a complicated relationship with Blackness and colorism. The pervasive influence of white supremacy was evident in every aspect of my life, from the media I consumed to the societal expectations enforced upon me. Although I love my Blackness, the vestiges of white supremacy exist deep in the fabric of who I am as a person. It has taken years of self-reflection to recognize the harmful impact of these beliefs and begin the process of unlearning white supremacy. So I've resolved to continue strengthening my relationship with my negritud by exploring how I subconsciously center whiteness and by celebrating my Blackness even more.
Sudan Will Not Be Left for Dead
Before the war, I’d only ever gotten on my knees and begged in order to pray. This changed when I found myself pleading to escape the annihilation swallowing my country whole. That is when the Saudi Arabian ambassador to Sudan momentarily became my God. Alongside the Saudi military, the ambassador was processing documents for a select number of passengers who would be allowed on an evacuation ferry to Jeddah. Getting to him appeared to be the only ticket out of Sudan.
All our eyes were glued to the ambassador, and all of us clenched our passports to our chests. Somehow, a soldier picked me out of the crowd at Port Sudan and summoned me over. Before letting me through, the soldier told me that I could not sit on the chair next to the ambassador. I had to kneel.
in other news...
Politics
Puerto Ricans take to the streets against Kamala Harris’s visit
UN Security Council demands Isreal ceasefire
How US arms fuel deadly gang violence in Haiti
Markets
Reddit's stock is soaring following IPO
Apple, Google, and Facebook lost a combined $45 billion in market cap after EU probe
Bitcoin Tops $70,000
Tech
Spotify tests video courses on its platform
NVIDIA to create AI ‘agents’ that outperform human nurses
DoorDash begins delivering food with drones
Sports
NFL bans hip-drop tackles
Dodgers fire Shohei Ohtani's interpreter on allegation of 'massive theft'
Fans are flocking to bars that show women's sports
pa' la cultura
cultural trivia
It’s still Women’s History Month, y’all!
Question: U.S. representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the youngest woman ever to serve in the United States Congress when she won New York’s 14th congressional district’s election in 2018. How old was she when she took office?
A. 31
B. 27
C. 29
D. 28
Scroll further down to see if you’ve got it.
song of the week
We’re paying close attention to the latest exceptional music output from artists who deserve more flowers. This week, you should listen to:
Mary – Jordan Mackampa, British-Congolese singer and songwriter
currently reading…
Cybele is currently reading Plantains and Our Becoming: Poems by Melania Luisa Marte. An American writer, poet, and musician from New York, Marte is living between Dallas and The Dominican Republic.
“We, children of plátanos, always gotta learn to play in everyone else’s backyard and somehow feel at home.”
In her debut poetry collection, Marte examines the identities and histories of the Dominican Republic and Haiti “to celebrate and center the Black diasporic experience.” She writes about self-love, nationalism, displacement, generational trauma, and ancestral knowledge, to challenge stereotypes and paint a new picture of Afro-Latino identity and personhood.
words of wisdom
Cultural Trivia Answer
The answer, ladies and gentlemen, is… *Drum roll please*
C. 29
Born on October 13, 1989 (shout out Libras!), AOC was only 29 when she won her seat in Congress to represent NY-14 in 2018. Raised in the Bronx, of Puerto Rican descent, Ocasio-Cortez was working as a bartender and waitress to help her mother fight the foreclosure of their home before running in the 2018 election.