ordinary thoughts: we're back and better than ever!
Hi Familia Your favorite neighborhood community is back, and better than ever! Since we last spoke, we've been blessed with countless updates. From live in-person events to sponsorships, increasing community support, and now expanding to both coasts–this summer has been nothing short of special!
With so much momentum building up as we head into the heart of summer, we want to highlight a few changes regarding our newsletter, podcast, and social media content. When we first started narrative, our mission was to build a community of creative hustlers and showcase the incredible talent and wisdom within it. We’re proud to say we’re doing exactly that! To increase our support of this family we’re building, each newsletter going forward will feature creative work—whether a poem, photo, painting, song, short film, or workshop—by our community members.
That’s not all! Season 2 of Ordinary Thoughts is dropping in September, with multiple interviews already recorded! We cherish feedback from our beloved audience, so please send any questions, comments, or guest recommendations our way.
ICYMI, check out our Instagram page for the recaps of recent events we've attended and honored to sponsor. The connections we've made there remind us that building community and highlighting our people's tremendous talent is the most rewarding part of this journey. We have many more events lined up, and countless stories to share! We can't wait to continue meeting and building with you all.
Happy Friday, mí genté! We hope you have a restful and recharging weekend. Stay safe and stay cool. See you next week!
– Isaiah & Cybele
artist of the week
Dhayana Alejandrina
Poet, Author, Educator
upcoming event
Enjoyed this piece? As as did we! Make sure to sign up today for Dhayana’s upcoming workshop on Sunday, August 4th from 3:00 to 4:00pm ET titled Rooted in Self-Love! Sign up here.
Can't make it on Sunday? That's okay! Dhayana is also teaching Launching Your Writing Career, a masterclass that will provide writers with the essential tools to promote their work, create content, and pitch for collaborations. This virtual masterclass takes place on Thursday, August 22nd from 7:30 to 9:30pm ET. Register to attend.
introducing our new canvas tote!
that’s right! we have merch.
it’s perfect for bringing your laptop to a café, doing a haul at your local bookstore, or a trip to the market. every purchase supports paid storytelling opportunities for creatives in our community.
stories that have our attention
Sonya Massey remembered at rally in NYC's Washington Square Park. Here's what supporters had to say.
Sonya Massey's name echoed throughout Washington Square Park on Thursday night. Hundreds gathered to pay tribute to the 36-year-old mother of two, who was fatally shot earlier this month by a sheriff's deputy inside her own Illinois home. "It's too traumatizing, seeing Black death replay over and over again. It's unnecessary. It just needs to stop," said Dimez Cartier, of the group We The People.
"I've been out here since 2020 every week, every year ... fighting the same thing," added Rally Rebel, founder of We The People. Massey's family, supported by a community miles away, marched on with their message: "No justice, no peace!"
‘We try to find life from death’: The volunteer lifesavers of Jenin
These days in Jenin, it’s hard to know exactly how many people may need their assistance on any given night. About 24,000 people are registered as living in this camp. But the frequent raids by Israeli forces have stepped up since the war in Gaza began in October, destroying homes and forcing many to flee.
Since then, Israeli soldiers and settlers have killed 536 Palestinians, including 131 children, in the West Bank and injured more than 5,500, including 800 children – more than one-third of them by live ammunition – according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
In Jenin alone, at least 148 Palestinians have been killed, 320 wounded and 540 detained by Israeli forces since October 7, according to local journalist Ali Samoudi, one of those trying to keep count amid the chaos.
Puerto Rico bans discrimination against people who wear Afros and other hairstyles on diverse island
Puerto Rico’s governor on Wednesday signed a law that prohibits discrimination against people wearing Afros, curls, locs, twists, braids and other hairstyles in the racially diverse U.S. territory. The move was celebrated by those who had long demanded explicit protection related to work, housing, education and public services.
“It’s a victory for generations to come,” Welmo Romero Joseph, a community facilitator with the nonprofit Taller Salud, said in an interview. The organization is one of several that had been pushing for the law, with Romero noting it sends a strong message that “you can reach positions of power without having to change your identity.”
pa' la cultura
cultural trivia
Question: On January 4, 1935, Democratic Senators Edward P. Costigan and Robert F. Wagner together set out a new bill, the Costigan-Wagner Bill, that stated: “To assure to persons within the jurisdiction of every state the equal protection of the crime of lynching.” The bill had many protections from all types of lynching.
In what year did the bill finally come to pass?
1965
1993
2012
2022
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:
Ready - Tems. Temilade Openiyi, known professionally as Tems, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer.
words of wisdom
Cultural Trivia Answer
The answer, ladies and gentlemen, is… *Drum roll please*
4. 2022
March 29, 2022, US President Joe Biden signed legislation that designated lynching as a federal hate crime. The law follows more than 100 years and 200 failed attempts by US lawmakers to pass anti-lynching legislation. The Emmett Till Antilynching Act is named for the black teenager whose brutal murder in Mississippi in 1955 helped spark the civil rights movement.