Last Day Digest: May

As a new type of post for this page, I'm putting together a monthly digest, if you will. I come across a lot of great articles, some self-discovered and many that are recommended by friends, colleagues, and mentors. In trying to figure out how to share what I've been reading, absorbing, learning, reflecting, I've decided to share the collective links on the last day of every month, kind of like a roundup of sorts. 

(Similarly, I do one for my blog as well, though not as frequently. What's the difference between the two? Good question. I'm not sure; I could make up something about this one being more "academic" but that doesn't seem quite right either. So who knows what the difference is...). Anyways, here's to May's "Last Day Digest" - the first, and hopefully not the last in this experiment.  Check it out:​

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Note: The links below encompass a wide range of publication types, whether that is blogs, scholarly output, op-eds, and other media like podcasts and youtube videos. They are an amalgamation of things I have found to be interesting, though-provoking, and generally enjoyed, but by no means are endorsements of the authors, organizations, and ideas. Normally, these links are in no particular order, but in light of the senseless murders and deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many more, I prioritized Black Lives Matter to be at the top of the list. You can find more resources here.

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Timeline of Protests with Police Brutality | From The Root.

Tulsa Massacre | May 31 is the anniversary of the genocide of Black Wall Street. I definitely did not learn this in school and if you have not either, make sure to read this incredibly important and minimized history. 

Supporting Black Lives Matter | Self-explanatory.

Anti-black Asian American Racial Justice Toolkit | For Asian and Asian Americans wanting to unpack anti-Blackness, check out this amazing resource.

So Be It, See to It: From the Archives of Octavia Butler |  For the Finish Your Dissertation program, the month of May has been about imposter syndrome (learn more here). In talking through reframe, one of my colleagues, Khalia, shared this article about Butler's reframe and words she wrote to herself. 

Asian Americans on PBS | I cannot say enough good things about this. This five-part long document captures so much of the understated history of Asian Americans. Admittedly, there's so much more to be said, and with that, what a wonderful start for future conversations and dialogues. ​

Jia Tolentino's Review of Cathy Park Hong's Minor Feelings | I love Jia Tolentino. I love her books, I love her articles. I've written about that love here.  So when I heard that one of my favorite authors was reviewing one of my favorite poets? Well... the click couldn't come fast enough! And while I have yet to read Cathy Park Hong's book (still waiting, Powell Bookstore), many Asian American scholars and authors I admire and respect have highlighted her incredibl e voice in describing ourselves. 

Friendship Ghosting | Based on Dr. Deborah Tannen's work, the article talks about friendships, specifically between and amongst womxn. I don't quite remember how I came to the article and wish there was a deeper analysis with race, but found it a very interesting conversation starter. 

The “Race, Space, and the Law” Reading List from Places Journal | As the title indicates, this is a reading list, and an incredible one at that. I find myself consistently drawing back to this list and refreshing myself on some of their books and article. 

Media's Racialization of Calling Something a Riot | This article is from 2015 but one I reread recently (and often reference because of my research with student activism).  Based on the work of Dr. Karen Sternheimer, the article outlines how media calls something a "riot" compared to a "protest" or "rally" depending on who is doing the thing. As you can imagine, when People of Color convene, media coverage is more likely to call it a "riot" or even "mob." 

Blackface via Gifs  |  Another oldie but goodie, Teen Vogue has been, over the past couple of years bringing some sharp critiques and insights. I really enjoyed reading this one about how we use gifs and the subtle (and yet also overt) ways we mimic harmful minstrel/black-face type tropes through gifs. 

Coolers | It is a color scheme generator of color combinations. My colleague, Justin, shared the resource with me and I've been trying different combinations ever since, keeping mind of future palettes to use for presentation slides and design themes. 

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And if you are curious, here is my most recent (May 2020) "Random Round-Up" which is the version of the "Last Day Digest" that is on my blog. Again, what is the difference between the two? No idea *shrugs.* Thanks for reading!