July 25th, 2011 | by Veralyn Williams | published in Blog, Personal Essays, Videos
For quite some time I have wanted to vent my frustrations about not having health insurance–as that has meant googling symptoms and heading to the nearest pharmacy whenever I feel a cold coming on. However, venting alone is never productive, so I decided to find some folks who could relate. In my last vlog I […]
My new essay explores how Beyonce’s feminist stance in pop culture helped frame my own feminist awakening:
"I am in my 30s and was emboldened by Beyonce’s feminist stance on that stage, and can’t help but believe that that image will be equally as powerful to young people who witness that moment, whose first engagement with feminism will be that moment. Maybe, just maybe, Beyonce will serve as the bridgebetween pop culture and feminists like bell and Barbara and Audre, maybe some young woman bobbing her head to ‘Blow’ or ‘Partition’ or ‘Flawless’ will do so while reading Ain’t I A Woman? or Homegirls or Sister Outsider.”
—FROM my new essay: My Feminist Awakening & the Influence of Beyonce’s Pop Culture Declaration
A friend who just graduated and going through the “I can’t find a job in my field” blues asked me for advice. I directed her to where I went for inspiration when I was going through the same thing. I still play this Will Smith video every time I doubt my purpose. Here is the full list I sent her.
Met two women from Toronto by the pool. After we exchanged pleasantries for a bit, they asked about #Ferguson— they’ve been watching news about it all week, they said. I told them about #EricGarner (they hadn’t heard about him). They informed me someone else was killed by police in St Louie last night (need to fact check that). We bonded in our frustration and helplessness as the Costa Rican sun hit our face. They said they hoped this moment was our generations civil rights movement. I agreed, then got up to get a drink.
