Hi, Stranger.

It sort of looked like I fell off of the planet, but I didn't.

I'm still here. Still ain't got no hair. Still swarthy. Still surly. I moved bunch of times, aged, but didn't look like it, kept on raising my kids, sent one to college and the other to kindergarten, and finally got my degree. I still write, but they are rarely poems, nowadays. I hope to be a conduit for that type of thing again one of these days and other forms of art but in the meantime, my focus is the social sciences, radical womanism, intersectional feminism, reproductive justice, anti-violent parenting, and disrupting and dismantling systems of oppression. My favorite color was pretty much always blue, but it went to green, then back to blue, and now, I'm fond of purple. My favorite flowers are stargazer lilies. I love apple pie and ice cream. One of my pet peeves is people that don't read. Oh, and anti-intellectualism. Sometimes I like animals more than people but I think a part of the problem with people is that we often treat animals better than we treat each other. So, I just try to treat people right and we'll see where that takes me.

I'll be back here in this space, sharing randomness on a fairly consistent basis.

If you feel like you want to observe my shenanigans pretty much day in and day out or interact with me, I'm on the Twitter, the book of faces, and the Instagram. If you want love notes from me, sporadically appearing in your email inbox as if by magic, I have a mailing list that you can sign up for. If you want to know where I "reside" on the interwebs, there of course, is a website, blakisbeautiful.com. And finally, if you would like to learn from and with me as I create tools to disrupt and dismantle systems of oppression, you can subscribe to me. You can donate to me. You can buy books written by me. You can wish me well, send me good energy, praise the creator for allowing us to live in community with each other, and thank my ancestors for their good DNA and protection as I'm on my journey.

I appreciate it all. Be well.

100 Thousand Poets for Change at A Mic and Dim Lights

This Thursday, September 27th at A Mic and Dim Lights in Pomona, I will be performing along with a small but deadly gang of talented poets in 100 Thousand Poets for Change. It's a special night of poetry organized by David A. Romero in conjunction with the grassroots educational organization, 100 Thousand Poets for Change. The organization was originally conceived by Michael Rothenberg and Terri Carrion, as a worldwide set of events to take place either simultaneously or at different points throughout the year. Future plans for the organization involve raising funds to help poetry, music and other arts organizations world-wide organize peace and sustainability events.

The evening promises to be inspirational and memorable, thanks in part to an opening feature set from Mic and Dim Lights founder and host BessKepp and music provided by in house DJ, JB. I'm excited to be a part of this event and stand in solidarity with a diverse group of poets around the world, gathered to promote serious social, environmental, and political change. I hope you'll join us.

A Mic and Dim Lights Presents 100 Thousand Poets for Change

300 W. Second St. 

Pomona, CA 91766

Thursday Sept. 27, 2012

9pm

$3