The Bori Collective joins the organizing community and @new_era_young_lords in mourning the passing of a trailblazer in our movement, Denise Oliver-Velez!

Our new ancestor wore many hats including that of the former Minister of Economic Development of The Young Lords Party and member of the Black Panther Party.

She challenged the norms of how women were treated in our movement, bringing change to the Young Lords 13-point program which would include “We want equality for women. Down with machismo and male chauvinism.”

Minister Denise was many things (journalist, organizer, anthropologist, professor) but she was most proud of being “militantly black”.

Her life is a reminder that women are more than capable to lead in our movement and that there’s so much power in being proud of who you are.

The Incident (1967), directed by Larry Pierce and based on Nicholas E. Baehr's 1963 television play Ride with Terror, follows a cross-section of New Yorkers whose ordinary subway ride is disrupted by two violent young men. Before the passengers' stories converge, the film introduces each character and the social tensions they carry with them.

This exchange between Arnold Robinson (Brock Peters) and Joan Robinson (Ruby Dee) captures a debate unfolding within the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s. Following the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, many viewed those victories as essential first steps, while others questioned whether legal reforms alone could deliver meaningful equality.

Arnold argues that patience has failed and that lasting change requires confrontation. Joan believes progress is real, but insists that change takes time. The film does not resolve their disagreement. It presents two competing responses to injustice during a pivotal moment in American history.

More than half a century later, the argument between Arnold and Joan still feels remarkably current. Perhaps that says as much about the present as it does about the past.

Your Job Should Fund Your Freedom—Not Become Your Prison.

Too many people spend their lives trapped on what I call the corporate plantation. They work hard, follow the rules, and give decades of loyalty to employers who can replace them with a single email. The result is often psychological, emotional, and financial stress that slowly wears people down.

As a Finance PhD who spent years on the faculty at Syracuse University and will be teaching at Morehouse College this fall, I’ve spent my career studying the connection between money, opportunity, and long-term wealth. One lesson stands above the rest: people who rely entirely on a paycheck often have the least control over their financial future.

Research consistently shows that financial insecurity and low workplace autonomy are linked to higher levels of stress, anxiety, burnout, and poorer health. For many African Americans, this challenge is compounded by historical barriers to wealth-building and lower rates of business and asset ownership. When your income depends entirely on someone else’s decisions, every layoff, restructuring, or economic downturn becomes a personal crisis.

Reblog if you want me to dance on you 😏

Spike Lee as Shorty & Denzel Washington as Malcolm X in Malcolm X (1992).

Classic Black Cinema 📽️