A Great Deal Is Happening
Catching up on some things, offering perspective, and inviting you to hang.
The world moves at a pace that is often unforgiving. It does not wait for us to catch our breath, nor does it allow us the luxury of dwelling too long in our own spaces of comfort. I try my best to keep up with the pace, using this platform to speak on the many things happening in society as they are unfolding. But over the past few weeks I have missed a great deal because I simply haven’t had the time.
I have been deeply entrenched in the creative process, a sanctuary of sorts, but one that always demands my full attention. Though, I am excited for people to eventually read the two young adult novels I have been toiling over. One of which debuts next May, and the other, soon to be submitted to publishing houses for acquisition.
Now, with these projects in a good place, I hope to find more time to reflect and write on here.
I find myself wanting to address a whirlwind of recent events, but knowing most of you don’t have the time to read a 15,000 word essay, I’ll try to be brief, and use a format that is different from my usual long form.
1. How Is Your Heart?
I want to start out by checking in on everyone. We live in a world perpetually on the brink of snapping in half, where the pieces of our existence often feel scattered and disjointed, making it easy to forget a simple truth: we need to be whole to move the world forward.
That said—I hope you’re okay. Truly, I do. I hope you are taking the time to do the things that keep you whole. Because in this life, our individual threads must be strong if we are to weave a future worth living.
In my own life, I have been navigating the murky waters of depression. It’s not hard to find myself feeling this way in a world such as ours. Perhaps I will write an essay unpacking my depression more in time, but for now, it serves as a reminder of the importance of striving for wholeness in a world that seems intent on halving and erasing us.
Wholeness. It’s a word that feels almost foreign in our society. Yet, it is essential. I’ve been reading about breathing techniques recently to help cope with my depression and anxieties, and so I’ll share what I think might be useful for some.
Take a moment, right now, to breathe. To feel the air fill your lungs and exhale slowly. This is your reminder that you are alive, that your presence matters. The world will continue its chaotic dance, but you must carve out space for your own rhythm. Find solace in the small rituals that ground you—a morning walk, a cup of coffee, a quiet moment of reflection. These acts are not trivial; they are essential to your well-being.
2. Imperialism and The 2024 Election
As a national surrogate for the Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders campaigns in 2020, many people became familiar with me because of my political views and assessments. Because of this, in recent months, I've been inundated with messages seeking my perspective on the Democrats' current strategies, particularly their messaging and alignments with Israel’s genocide. Most seem to feel the Democrats are jeopardizing their prospects for the 2024 presidential election. I agree.
The Democratic establishment is most certainly putting Donald Trump in a position to potentially reclaim the presidency. Much of this stemming from the United States’ unwavering allegiance to Israel’s far-right genocidal government.
We live in an age where information flows ceaselessly, almost drowning us in its abundance. We have unprecedented access to the truth and imagery of what Israel is doing in Gaza, a stark and haunting reality that can’t be obscured or denied. This torrent of truth has put many people in a position where they have been forced to confront the undeniable and unsettling truths about our world and our leaders for the first time. Most of Democrat leadership doesn’t seem to understand this.
Biden, already a flawed candidate for many, now stands as a symbol of this dissonance. To his existing faults, he has added the denial and funding of a genocide. Along with standing against the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, and hundreds of other countries in support of Palestine. This is not merely a political misstep; it is a moral failing of staggering proportions. It calls into question the very essence of our supposed democratic values, making many wonder how we can claim to stand for human rights while our government funds such atrocities.
But the issue transcends Biden. It permeates the overwhelming majority of the Democratic Party, casting a long shadow over what was once a beacon of hope for many voters. This moment leaves people with platforms, such as myself, with little to say in defense of Democratic leadership.
The Democratic establishment, for all its self-congratulatory proclamations of progress and justice, has shown itself to be as entangled in the web of imperialism and Islamophobia as those they so fervently oppose. It is a bitter pill to swallow, yet it must be acknowledged if we are to confront the truth of our situation.
Imperialism is not confined to one party or ideology but is a pervasive force that shapes our nation's actions on the global stage. The Democratic Party, despite its progressive veneer, has not escaped this influence. Its leaders speak of peace and democracy, yet their actions often tell a different story—a story of alliances forged not in the interest of justice, but in the pursuit of power.
All of that to say, I have no idea what's going to happen this November. The Democrats have fundamentally misunderstood the times we are in and the moral arc of the young people and marginalized communities they desperately need to win the presidency. One must also look at key swing states, where the Brown, Muslim, and Arab communities are pivotal. Their voices, their votes, are not merely statistics to be tallied, but the lifeblood of a democracy that claims to represent all its people. Yet, the Democrats, in their handling of Israel's actions in Gaza, have shown a glaring indifference to these communities. They have adopted a one-sided approach to offering humanity, one that is selective in its compassion and arbitrary in its application of justice.
The Democratic leadership stands at a crossroads, a moment of reckoning where they must choose between the easy path of maintaining its age-old imperialist ways or the hard road of moral integrity. The former may win them short-term gains, but it will cost them the trust and support of those who seek genuine change — and potentially the White House.
3. Does Anything Matter (Kendrick and Drake Beef)?
I already know many people will read this section and say “Oh, he’s looking too deep into this.” That’s fine, I’m used to it. But just try to hear me.
In the realm of social media, where our lives are condensed into a few characters and fleeting images, a troubling phenomenon has emerged. Rather, maybe it was already in existence, but social media has exacerbated it. The gravity of our shared experiences, the weight of our collective struggles, has been diluted to a mere series of memes and momentary distractions. This, perhaps, is one of the most disheartening aspects of the digital age: the erosion of seriousness, the trivialization of the important.
In these times, we live as if the world were a passing joke. The weight of our lives, once heavy with meaning, now drifts like a feather in a gale, tossed about by the winds of social media. The world seems a carnival, a mad parade where so many serious things are masked and trivialized. The content within the Drake and Kendrick Lamar beef is a prime example.
I have no interest in who won, which songs topped the charts, or the myriad opinions that have surfaced. Instead, my focus is on the narratives woven into their lyrics, the accusations exchanged. The battle between Kendrick and Drake saw a litany of songs, each more vitriolic than the last. The barbs became deeply personal, increasingly vile, culminating in Kendrick accusing Drake of sex trafficking and child molestation, while Drake retorted with claims of Kendrick committing domestic violence against his wife. These accusations are what struck me, not because of their shock value alone, but because of the apathy they were met with.
What stunned me was the widespread indifference on social media. Few seemed to grapple with the gravity of the accusations or the implications that these men, if they knew such damning truths about one another, chose to weaponize them only in the arena of public bravado. It is as if domestic violence, misogyny, and sex trafficking are deemed acceptable fodder until they serve a purpose in proving rap supremacy. The casualness with which these serious allegations are thrown about reflects a troubling dynamic: serious social issues are trivialized until they can be exploited for entertainment or content, reduced to mere props in the spectacle of a rap feud.
The songs from the rap beef, especially Kendrick's last jab at Drake “Not Like Us,” have become immensely popular, going viral on social media, played at weddings, and danced to at graduations. And I am stunned. One of the key points in the song that seems to excite everyone is a line where Kendrick says, “Tryna strike a chord and it's probably A minor,” playing on the idea that Drake engages sexually with underage girls. But does this not strike anyone as something to look at further? Is it not strange that, if true, this is being partied to?
We have arrived at a moment where the line between entertainment and real-life horror is so blurred that accusations of the gravest nature become the backdrop for celebration. The lyric, dripping with a clever wordplay that belies its monstrous implications, is met with cheers and dance moves rather than horror and reflection. It is as if the very weight of the accusation is negated by the infectious beat and viral potential of the song.
In a world where social media reigns supreme, the context of our celebrations often escapes us. We revel in the catchiness of a tune, the cleverness of a lyric, without pausing to consider the reality it might represent. The allegation of sexual misconduct is not just another line in a song; it is a potential truth about someone's actions, a reality that affects real lives. Yet, here we are, applauding it, sharing it, and making it a part of our happiest moments.
This phenomenon speaks to a deeper issue within our society. The normalization of serious allegations in the realm of entertainment reflects a disturbing desensitization. We consume content with a voracious appetite, prioritizing the thrill of the moment over the significance of the message. The ease with which we compartmentalize these allegations, separating the art from the artist, the beat from the brutality, reveals a collective numbness to the serious issues at hand.
We must ask ourselves: What does it say about us that we can dance to a song hinting at such heinous behavior? Have we become so enamored with the spectacle that we have lost our ability to discern the sinister from the celebratory? Lines such as “Tryna strike a chord and it's probably A minor” should not be a cause for cheers; it should be a call to action, a moment of reckoning.
We are entranced by the allure of virality, the seductive pull of a good beat, and the cleverness of wordplay, all at the expense of our moral compass. My hope is that we restore a sense of seriousness and responsibility in our interactions, ensuring that our collective conscience is not eroded by the fleeting distractions of the social media age.
4. An Ally Award
I have been fortunate to receive many things in my life, yet this, undeniably, is a profound honor. Just a few nights ago, under the glittering chandeliers of Lincoln Center, I was bestowed with an Ally Award for my support of Black women and girls by The Black Girl Magic Ball. This extraordinary event, orchestrated by the brilliant Mahogany L. Browne—poet, writer, organizer—was a testament to the strength and beauty of community.
In this moment, I find myself pausing, reflecting on the weight of being considered an ally. The gratitude I feel is immense, coupled with a deep sense of responsibility. I hope to continue showing up in ways that honor this title, striving always to be worthy of the trust and recognition placed in me. You can see a few seconds of my acceptance here:
I was so grateful to be able to thank many of the amazing Black women in the room who have supported my work, such as Jacqueline Woodson, Olayemi Olurin, and Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz.
5. Let’s Hangout!
Join me for an evening at Brooklyn Poets on Thursday, June 13, 2024, at 7:00 PM Eastern as I discuss my latest book, We Alive, Beloved. I'll be in conversation with my wonderful agent (and wonderfully writer/poet/editor), Hafizah Augustus Geter. The event will feature a short reading, a captivating conversation, and an engaging audience Q&A, followed by a book signing. I hope you make it! For those unable to attend in person, the event will be livestreamed on YouTube. Get your tickets here: We Alive, Beloved Event.
Don’t miss out on this unforgettable literary experience!
Besides that event, for those of you who have preordered the collection (if you haven’t already…why do you hate me?) make sure you register for the launch conversation here so that you receive the eventual information about the zoom chat I’ll be hosting for preorder readers about this book and others.
Thank you Fred, as always. I have many takeaways from this post but I want to address number one. In 2020, and all that entailed, I suffered a heart attack. I share because although a cancer survivor having done chemo, which can affect the heart, it was ultimately attributed to stress. You ask us how we are, and in return share that you are struggling. I want you to know that you are hardly alone, not to minimize your experience, rather to empathize. I see all you do, have done for years, and I hope that you will care for yourself in the same way you care for us. I have grappled with depression on and off for the majority of my life, and find that for my self-preservation and more importantly my health, at times I have to pull back. Limit my intake of media. I realize that this is an absolute privilege that many do not have, but I also recognize that if I am in this for the long haul, I cannot give from an empty cup. I hope that you are finding the joy, it’s there, even when we have to look for it. Thank you for all you do, always.
Sending you solidarity from another person whose heart is often broken by the state of the world. The depression can feel so killing, and I hope, however alone you may feel, that you know you are not.