“There is still so much that happens to people of color that we should be upset about and protesting against. There is still so much work to be done before PWIs can truly be safe spaces for students of color too. Even though that is the case, my challenges being at a PWI taught me that I should not feel guilty for taking care of myself first. I learned about the importance of safe spaces and community.”

In her first Weaving the Streets article, Skylar Bergeron reports from the Madrid neighborhood of Chueca, where a tradition of LGBTQ+ pride mobilization exists uneasily with the forces of capitalist “pinkwashing” and far-right intimidation.

“All the years of watching American films and listening to American music could not have prepared me for the culture shock and loneliness I experienced during my time there. But despite some of the challenges I went through while trying to navigate predominantly white spaces, I found such incredible friends. It warms my heart to know that through it all we held each other in love, in care, in kindness.”

Four members of the Weave News team presented their work at the 2021 Critical Media Literacy Conference of the Americas (CMLCA), held virtually from October 15-17, 2021. With sessions in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, the conference celebrated the life and work of the Brazilian scholar-activist Paulo Freire (1921-1997), widely considered the “father of critical pedagogy.”

Recently Weave contributor Nicole Roche spoke with author Pedro Ponce about his new short story collection, The Devil and The Dairy Princess, winner of the 2020 Don Belton Fiction Prize. In this collection, published on Oct. 5 by Indiana University Press, Ponce deftly employs dark humor, unreliable narration, and misdirection as he explores themes related to knowledge, authority, identity, and communal narratives.

Himanee Gupta-Carlson, a writer and professor with SUNY Empire State College, is writing a series of articles about moving the farm she and her husband Jim Gupta-Carlson own and operate from a small piece of land in Saratoga County to a much larger parcel in Washington County. The articles reflect on the journey as well as the couple’s commitments to cultivating food security on a regional level through regenerative agricultural practices and participating in food sovereignty movements worldwide. This article — the fifth in the series — marks the first full year of living between two farms.

“Being black and queer, and of African descent, is an identity that shaped some of my college experiences,” writes Nhlakanipho Khumalo. “These individual identities are woven within each other, and isolating them was often a challenge when I interacted with white people on campus.”

As ordinary people in Eswatini/Swaziland take to the streets to protest in favor of human rights and democracy, digital activism is playing an important role. Weave News contributor Phiwa T. argues that instead of dismissing such efforts, we should recognize that forms of digital protest can work hand in hand with traditional forms of street-level activism.

Himanee Gupta-Carlson, a writer and professor with SUNY Empire State College, is writing a series of articles about moving the farm she and her husband Jim Gupta-Carlson own and operate from a small piece of land in Saratoga County, NY to a much larger parcel in Washington County. The articles reflect on the journey as well as the couple’s commitments to cultivating food security on a regional level through regenerative agricultural practices and food sovereignty movements worldwide. This article explores ideas of ownership around land and its harvests.

“The only time I was noticed in any space was when topics related to blackness arose. Otherwise, I would be deemed intimidating and unapproachable at first glance.” Cynthia Lanor reflects on her experience at a PWI.

Himanee Gupta-Carlson, a writer and professor with SUNY Empire State College, is writing a series of articles about moving the farm she and her husband Jim Gupta-Carlson own and operate from a small piece of land in Saratoga County, NY to a much larger parcel in Washington County. The articles reflect on the journey as well as the couple’s commitments to cultivating food security on a regional level through regenerative agricultural practices and food sovereignty movements worldwide. This article explores how the author has gleaned new knowledge from the non-human beings that surround her.

In response to the ongoing Israeli violence against Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah, Gaza, and elsewhere, several dozen St. Lawrence University students, faculty and alumni gathered on May 15 for a Vigil in Solidarity With Palestinians.

When Zinedine Zidane “chestbutted” an Italian opponent during the 2006 men’s World Cup final, he struck a blow for all footballers who have been victims of racism. Joe Simeone explores how Zidane’s action exposed the dominant French idea of “universalism” and the racism it is designed to hide.

Resources to help educate on how to be a better ally to the Asian and AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community and educate about anti-Asian bias, hate crimes, and violence. 

As students continue to play a key role in mass protests in Haiti against the current government of Jovenel Moïse, Jesús G. Ruiz argues that it is time we look to Haiti once again, not just for inspiration but also for lessons on how to engage politically and fight for one’s freedoms and rights.

Professional athletes are great examples illustrating how change comes from the bottom-up: they do not just have to be reflectors of the society they live in; rather, they can lead it if they use their platforms to do so. Athletes can be viewed as the workers in the large corporations that are their respective leagues, and they have always been the ones a step ahead of the establishment.

In a follow up to “Coatepec: The Fight for the Cloud Forest”, a Forest Guardian from Movimiento por la Defensa de la Sierra describes the impact of art on their movement. The artists in question are children, and the young Earth Guardians are inspiring their community to rise up and protect their forests.

As the United States shifts to the Biden Administration, after four turbulent years of Donald Trump, the North Country Poor People’s Campaign offers its vision of a movement that can provide a viable alternative to Trumpism: a movement led by the poor and dispossessed.