Reading Is Rebellious

By: Saint Twenty
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Reading is fundamental, that’s why women and black people weren’t allowed. It fills the mind with ideas, the truth, it’s the best thing you can do. Banned books are a way of warping facts, preventing people from thinking for themselves, a way to control the masses. Reading is quite possibly the most rebellious thing you can do. That being said if the aforementioned parties weren’t allowed to read, we certainly didn’t write, yet we’re suppose to follow these religious works used to support slavery, used to degrade women. Think about that. What’s the last book you read? Do you take reading for granted? Via: Hyper Allergic

Happy Black History Month 2023

By: Saint Twenty
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“Tell me please, what on god’s green earth do you want from us? I’m sorry my skins so black, my hair’s so thick’? ‘I’m sorry you’ve been killing my people for generations, gen-er-a-tions, people- and the black people you haven’t killed, you’ve financially debilitated, without any wealth to pass along to their children? I’m sorry you brought my ancestors over on those ships and forced me to live your people?”

Via: Her Brown Self Care

You’re Someone’s Survival Guide

By: Saint Twenty
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Legit the story of my life. Glad to be of service. There is no one linear path for everyone to take, we’re all unique beings with different purposes. Life also moves in cycles, open yourself up to the possibility of miracles and watch how the universe works for you. At 33 my life is already unbelievable, insanely so, which is why I document everything. Except this one time I let Lauren document ducks in Central Park, they’ve always been my favorite animal, because they can fly, swim, and walk, multi-talented. When I was three I had these jeans with Plucky Duck on them, I wore all the time (they were light blue, the right knee had a single shred, the left side his green face). When people asked me what I wanted to be at the time my answer was Plucky. Then I’d quote him, “Plucky go down the hole.”
That day in Central Park I did a duck call with my fist at a pair of ducks, they responded and then started walking. They turned back, quacking. “I think they want us to follow them,” I told her. So we did follow, through brambles and branches, they lead us to a bench on the edge of The Lake. After they disappeared, three minutes later they came back with their ducklings like seven plus of them. I could not believe it, we played with them for some time. Lauren recorded all of it, then she lost her phone and absolutely nobody believed us. I was pissed. I digress.

I have had so many up and downs, living on a prayer, with only faith in the almighty God. Literally I’ve survived on pure miracles, which irritates the haters and fake friends. A lot of times I wondered why and I know it’s to show others they too can move mountains with a mustard seed. If I can do it so can you. And I believed because I saw others do it, Lana Del Rey couch surfing is what got me through couch surfing after that gypsy hex. Stevie Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac when she had only $200, so no I didn’t choose wrong being an artist and entrepreneur, over marketing and law. Now it’s my turn to be that for others. How beautiful it is that we’re interconnected, lighting the way for each other. If things feel insurmountable look to the past, if my ancestors escaped slavery to be in the White House (we built), what can’t I overcome? Via: The Happy Snapshot

Juneteenth Twenty Twenty Two Vibes

By: Saint Twenty
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“Black people always found a way in the most miserable circumstances. If we didn’t, we’d have been exterminated by the white man long ago.”

Via: SheLovesBlackArt

De-Conditioning: The Difference

By: Saint Twenty
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Because white people weren’t meant to be slaves under the 13th amendment, only black people. Why? As punishment for being held captive by a country that stole Africans, raped our women and created the African American. Period. Where’s the lie? How many other cases similar to this can you think of? Artist: The Daily Don

James Baldwin Defines A Looter

By: Saint Twenty
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Before I get to that, how would you define somebody who puts a cat where he is and takes all the money out of the ghetto where he makes it? Who is looting whom? Grabbing off the TV set? he doesn’t really want the TV set.

He’s saying screw you.

It’s just judgement, by the way, on the value of the TV set. He doesn’t want it.

He wants to let you know that he’s there.

The question I’m trying to raise is a serious question. The mass media television and all the major news agencies-endlessly use that word “looter.” On television you always see black hands reaching in, you know. And so the American public concludes that these savages are trying to steal everything from us, and no one has seriously tried to get where the trouble is. After all, you’re accusing a captive population who has been robbed of everything of looting. I think it’s obscene. Artist: Cristina Martinez

De-Conditioning: Replying To All Lives Matter

By: Saint Twenty
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Just another way to disenfranchise black people. First of all, Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter aren’t mutually exclusive. How dumb you sound saying this can be explained in the following example:

Polar bears are going extinct, poacher’s are shooting them for sport. Polar bear advocates see this and campaign for poachers to stop, before the majority of the species disappears.

Polar bear lives matter!

Simple minded Karen see’s this, then starts “pontificating.” Well there are other animals on the planet: cats, dogs, zebras, lions, tigers…Why are they only talking about polar bears!

All animals matter!

Despite the fact that poachers aren’t shooting ANY of the animals Karen named for sport. Those animals aren’t on the extinction list; their population is thriving, unharmed and unbothered about dying when out and about. Polar bears on the other hand, can be sleeping, or playing with their children, at home, or going to get food…Still they’re killed for fun, or hate.

Saying polar bears lives matter when they are dying, doesn’t mean all animals don’t matter. Not only are you advocating nothing, because the animals you’re including are fine, but you’re an accomplice to murder. Diverting attention from the polar bear, that actually needs help, for animals that aren’t being mistreated, does nothing to stop the polar from being terrorized. It only interrupts the changes that can be made to prevent the polar bear from going extinct, aiding the poachers, making you complicit.

Funny, every time someone say’s all lives matter I reply with:
-So why did you take this land from the Native Americans?
-Why did you call all hispanics Mexican and put them in cages?
-Why did you use the Chinese to build railroads, then kick them out amongst other things, with the Chinese Exclusion Act?
-Why did you put the Japanese in internment camps?
-Why did you make black people slaves?
-Why did you label middle eastern people terrorist?

And not a single person responds, because people who say ALM are racist. Knowingly or unknowingly, “all lives matter” until it threatens white supremacy and domination, obtained through violence. Can you think of other cruel behavior to add to the list? Artist: Simone Agoussoye

De-Conditioning: Why You Can’t Say Nigga

By: Saint Twenty
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Today’s lesson is simple.

Nani: If we were on a plantation and someone said nigga get me a glass of water, I’m going to turn around you’re not.

PERIOD NIGGA.

Why did my 8th grade social studies teacher Allegra, have all those black garbage bags?

She made us pick cotton for the duration of an hour. Robbie, Wesley and Malcolm were in the same class, so they allied threatening to tell on her. I was on my own, the only black person in the room. Every time we complained that our fingers hurt she replied “well now you know how the slaves felt.” How do you argue with a quip like that? I did say something when she made me, of all people, collect the cotton though.

The tips of my fingers burned and numbed, my knuckles ached from constant crooking. Pulling the thinnest layer of cotton off those big ass seeds, all that work for barely anything…I picked in a comfortable classroom on 76th and York Avenue. My ancestors picked in fields under the sweltering sun, until they could no longer stand, passing out, sans sustenance, for the duration of their life.

If earning the word means so much to you, I would be overjoyed to help. We can get a plantation, you can pick the cotton, do all the manual work, build a country on blood, sweat and tears, by force (not choice) and when the mood strikes I’ll strike you. As to ensure the full experience, until the skin on your back leathers and scars. And that would be going easy on you, as that’s only a fraction of the cruelty in the black experience. Do you want to earn the word? Didn’t think so. Special dedication to Ed Westwick and his girlfriend, she’s quicker to use the word than say sorry. Artist: Shaylin Wallace