Black Reads: Issue 022
Happy 2026, the calendar New Year, iykyk!
Going into this new year, I am being even more intentional in the direction I’m being divinely nudged to revolve our community. Liberation for Black people (Big B, never little b) is a personal mission for me since I was a little girl. The more I reflect on that thought, the less the work I do now surprises me. I want the words published to unlock something within us every time, freeing us a little more. Freeing our minds, our souls, and setting us free from our own mental imprisonments.
You can see this shift naturally, but I wanted to take a moment to put it plainly for the ones who are looking for substance and depth, to step into the light. Whether it’s to write something exclusive on a topic prompted, drop the link to something thought-provoking in the chat or Notes thread, or to actively engage in community.
This week’s Black Reads issue is brought to you by a group of Black writers who dipped their pen deep into the ink, wetting up the pages with real, raw, shit that’s going to make you think.
I want to kick off with Leah Barlow, Ph.D.’s B.A.P.S. lecture series, “keeping in mind that the word “bibliophile” is intentionally misspelled as a play on the intellectual filing of books.”
It’s the cultural cues for me when y’all write that keep me smiling big and wide as if I had golds in my mouth. “Doorknockers and acrylics, lipgloss…” Three And A Possible’s poem had me smiling wide the whole read.
I was not aware of Jabari Writes’ pen until this piece came up on my timeline and there was this one line that had me in a chokehold for many reasons. Witnessing so many Black men writing is new for me, and I’m loving every moment of it.
Now, I’m not sharing this piece because I’m mentioned. If fact, I usually try to reframe from posting anything that is about me, but this was more of a thought-provoked expansion to an essay I wrote a couple weeks ago. The way Cierra Turks frames her thoughts after reading my essay has me ready to write part two to the whole piece now!
One of the main reasons that I don’t allow white subscribers or engagement from them is because I don’t believe in allyship the way they present it. For one, the moment our work is on the wrong algorithm timeline, it invites a group of keyboard thugs that my block game will have to work overtime to maintain. Reading Loc’s essay put the words to the re-membering that I expressed.
Community Spaces Next Week
As I mentioned, this year is focused on intentional curated spaces for us to commit to our craft, support each other as Black writers, and most importantly get these books published into the world!
Next Wednesday, January 14th is our first $1 Writing Club sesh of the year starting at 6pm PT (on the dot we are going into meditation). I’m so excited for this month’s creative workshop, if you haven’t joined you still have time.
Next Sunday, January 18th is our first Blackstack Book Club study sesh starting at 10am PT (we will also be on time starting meditation on the hour). Gary F. Green II, PhD and I have been working on the syllabus for the Book Club and I can’t wait to chat more with y’all in depth about what you’ve read so far through Chapter Three.
Be on the lookout for the new chat thread for you to drop your links to your most recent posts so the community can engage with your work. Yo Gotti said it goes down in the DMs and in this case, he won’t lying!
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