These offerings and musings are currently taking place on the ancestral, traditional, and stolen lands of the Seminole, Miccosukee, and Tequesta First Nations. These lands known as Miami.
These are stolen lands built by stolen people
There is no SJD essay this month
VIEWINGS AND READINGS:
Jerrod Carmicheal Monologue - SNL - First-time SNL host Jerrod Carmichael talks about what happened with Will Smith at the Oscars and coming out on his HBO special.
Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome- “The impact of systemic racism, classism, xenophobia, and other biases was categorically absent when the concept of imposter syndrome was developed. Many groups were excluded from the study, namely women of color and people of various income levels, genders, and professional backgrounds. Even as we know it today, imposter syndrome puts the blame on individuals, without accounting for the historical and cultural contexts that are foundational to how it manifests in both women of color and white women. Imposter syndrome directs our view toward fixing women at work instead of fixing the places where women work.”
Living With an Invisble Disability- “This brings me back to a point that I make in one way or another over and over again. We fail the people in our midst when we only think of them categorically—and also when we refuse to think of the categories that define them. It is important to attend to both how a person is “read” and how they are “misread.” And most important of all, to listen—or, better yet, to not rely on that vexing sensory metaphor to pay attention (we misread voices too).”
We are Latinx: Why some Latinos have embraced a gender-nuetral identity - To Edgar Gomez,hearing "Latinx" for the first time felt like discovering the movie "Selena," the biopic celebrated by many people who grew up torn between their Latin American heritage and their American identity: Gomez felt seen.
"Like that feeling of being represented accurately for the first time," said Gomez, who is nonbinary and uses the pronouns he, she or they. "That’s how I felt when I discovered the word Latinx. Like, 'Oh, finally someone found a way to reflect me.'"
Losing My Ambition - “There’s an illusion with work that everything you give up now, all the stolen time commuting, working overtime, checking your email and Slack notifications after hours, will somehow earn you freedom and capital in your later years. But the farce of “work hard now, play later” has been exposed for millennials and Gen-Zers; most of us will be working until we die. It’s hard to maintain your ambition in the face of that reality.”
The Legacy of ‘America’s Top Model’ Is Anything But Fierce - “In many ways, Banks’ approach to ANTM and the models feels in line with what people might deem a “girlboss,” a term once meant to signify a woman who made it on her own in a male-dominated workforce but has, in recent years, become a blistering insult. Sophia Amoruso, founder of the retailer Nasty Gal, coined the term. And when her company filed for bankruptcy in 2015, reports of the toxic work environment came to light. I genuinely believe Banks probably thought she could bring fashion into the future by being more inclusive, but along the way she unfortunately reinforced harmful stereotypes that ultimately rewarded a single type of beauty — one that was often thin with Eurocentric physical features. As my colleague Scaachi Koul wrote about the series during its last season in 2018, “It’s impossible for the show to be rooted in wokeness while still engaged in an industry that will never adapt fast enough.”
From Dependence to Indepednence: The Rise Of The Independent Creator - “Theese are the results of the largest independent, open market study of creators ever done.1Our goal was to better understand what motivated creators, their current challenges and what a more sustainable and successful future would look like for them and the followers who love them.”
Buzz Cuts on African Models: Unpacking the High Fashion Trend- “Moreover, the fashion industry’s discreet practice denies black models the freedom to be versatile. A bit of fetishism is at play here. When it comes to the normalising of “bare looks” and the stereotypical notion of “savage beauty.” Ever so present in these industries through this choice of buzz-cuts.”
How We Work Withut Meetings At Levels - “Everyone on our team works whenever and wherever is most conducive for them. Designing this culture creates many benefits for our team members and partners, but requires effort to maintain.”
LISTENING
The Cult Age” The Interview with Cult Expert Dr. Janja Lalich- “Countries undergoing extreme instability – like, say, a violent insurrectionist coup, a deadly plague, climate change catastrophes, and domestic and foreign information warfare – tend to breed cults, and America is no exception!
Why Podcast Ownership Matters with Brittany Luse adn Eric Eddings of “For Colored Nerds” - “A lot of creators talk about owning their intellectual property and distribution, but co-hosts of the For Colored Nerds podcast — Eric Eddings and Brittany Luse — actually went and made it happen, by any means necessary. The two left the Spotify-owned Gimlet Media network in 2020, leaving behind The Nod show (and its IP) which they had built up since 2017. As “free agents”, the duo made ownership a mandate in its next podcast deal.”
Why Is This Happening?: The Future of Friendships with Anne Frieddman and Amintou Sow-“BFF connections have transformed rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic. FaceTime calls, Zoom happy hours, voice memos, group chats and virtual game nights, in many cases, have reworked our in-person interactions of the past. What does the future of friendship look like? Ann Friedman and Aminatou Sow have been friends for over a decade, twelve years to be exact. Living on opposite coasts for years now, they had a head start on managing a long-distance friendship. Ann, a journalist, essayist and media entrepreneur and Aminatou, a writer, interviewer and cultural commentator, co-wrote “Big Friendship,” a book all about maintaining their close bond. They join for an inspiring conversation about the future of friendship and what it takes to stay connected for the long haul.”
Truth Be Told with Tonya Mosley 34.Honesty - “They say honesty is the best policy, but what does it really take to be radically honest with ourselves for the benefit of our relationships? This week we're joined by sex educator Ericka Hart and her partner and manager Ebony P. Donnley, as they share how a relationship founded on honesty can be a pathway to our collective liberation. From open relationships to body image, nothing is off the table in this conversation!”
Getting Even with Anita Hill : Reimagining 1991: An Unheard Testimony- “Georgetown Law professor Susan Deller Ross was the only member of Anita Hill’s 1991 legal team who had experience in sexual harassment litigation. Hill and Ross discuss the climate around sexual harassment at the time and reveal new information about the hearing.”
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
SAVE THE DATE: I am hosting a Platonic Love Mixer in Miami on June 17th! Save the date if you're in Miami (or book your flight ;)) for this happy hour where you will have the opportunity to find other baddies to build community with.
edit: TICKETS ARE NOW LIVE! GET YOURS BEFORE THEY SELL OUT.
Become a Patron: I want to shout out my Patreon again and remind you all that no matter what contribution level you choose, you get the same content!
Patreon Shoutout: We want to give a special shoutout to our patrons who pledged this month!
Ali E
charlene g
Chris R
Sammie
Amy
LoriLisa E
Rosie Y
Neha T
Sara B
Deb B
Susan V
isa b
Andrea N