At Furious Flower 2014, Nikki Giovanni joked that she was pissed at Maya Angelou for dying so soon because Jay Z had just sent Maya some fancy liquor and they were supposed to share it.

I’ll never forget that lesson on the complexities of love, grief, and humor.

Forever grateful. 🖤

“It is hard to have hope in the trickle-down rewards for Black trans youth in a fight for trans whites/rights.”

The Supreme Court is currently hearing a case on gender-affirming care for trans youth. May we win — in the Blackest, most liberatory way.

scholarscompass.vcu.edu/jqtsie/vol1/...

In the essay, I wonder aloud what it means to truly write, dream, and teach with a pro-Black/pro-trans orientation. I hope my wonderings inspire more nuanced and critical thinking (and action) around how we might fight alongside our students in the next four years (and beyond).

In the essay, I analyze 11 articles about trans pedagogies and explore the politics of authorship and “inclusive” recommendations within the (overwhelmingly-white) discussions concerning trans youth in schools.

we’ve got a lot to catch up on.

like in July, I published this theoretical meditation in the Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education on the impossibility of Black trans safety, recognition, and futurity within our U.S. K-12 educational landscape.

scholarscompass.vcu.edu/jqtsie/vol1/...

I spent the last few days at LRA 2024 and I left feeling so incredibly grateful — particularly for the BIPOC scholars and teachers who are thinking, talking, and writing alongside me in this work.

each winter for the past 3 years, I've offered this personal writing workshop for educators needing a space for processing, healing, and community.

applications for this winter are open now.
come write and heal with us, fam. 💜

bit.ly/trulylight

I couldn’t think of a better way to close out my Saturday than talking about reading/teaching Black YA speculative fiction, mapping, and freedom-dreaming with these brilliant and inspiring scholar-educators.

💜 @ebonyteach.bsky.social, @srtoliver.bsky.social, @thekinglamar.bsky.social

This week I’m headed to #NCTE24 to spend time thinking about what it means to read, read, teach, survive, and dream in this moment.

I can’t wait to be in community with some of my favorite people.

See you there, fam. ❤️

"whenever I find myself in a pit of guilt and despair...I make a list of the things I do, the people with whom I am in community, and the moments of tenderness, reckoning, and dreaming I've experienced in between reading and writing..."

kicking off 2024 with @harperkeenan.bsky.social's lecture at the QualLab!

thursday, january 18th
noon ET
registration is open now!

for the past few years, I've been leading writing workshops for educators to help us process our journeys, connect, and heal.

this winter, i'm doing another "light" one with a deep focus on healing through composition.

saturdays starting 12/16
more here: bit.ly/YTlight

Will I see you at NCTE next week? I sure hope so.

tonight was the last gathering of a pilot study I did with queer and trans educators of color. we made vision boards using Slow Factory’s calling/roles charts. here’s mine.

what a beautiful way to ground myself in a moment of such grief, turmoil, and injustice.

today we drove to Indianapolis for the grand opening of my new favorite bookstore — Loudmouth Books, opened by Leah Johnson (author of so many great queer YA books).

what an absolutely beautiful space and community!

The news is out — I’ve been selected as the 2022 recipient of NCTE’s LGBTQIA+ Advocacy & Leadership Award. I’m grateful for this honor but I’m even more grateful for the queer and trans kids I get to work with, cheer on, and watch grow up in this world.

I love you.
I got you.
Always.

hello blue sky!

i'm recruiting for a dope [online] research project on queer and trans educators of color, community-building, and YA lit. it's open to any current/former K-12 educator who identifies as QTPOC!

learn more, sign up, pass it on!

http://bit.ly/QTEOCstudy