Tiger Ilia

“Zen? Is this realistic, or am I fooling myself? I love you so much. I want to be by your side some day, but can I stand next to a prince?”

After learning what Black Out Tuesday was originally intended to be, I too would like to use this opportunity to boast about some black creators and their work that needs more attention.

These are the three books, two graphic novels and one poetry book, that I will be reading this week.

✊🏾 I Am Alfonso Jones by Tony Medina and illustrated by Stacey Robinson & John Jennings with a foreword by Bryan Stevenson:

When an off-duty officer mistakes a clothes hanger for a gun, Alfonso Jones wakes up in the afterlife guided by fellow victims of police shootings. Meanwhile, Alfonso’s family and friends struggle with their grief and seek justice for Alfonso’s murder.

✊🏾Your Black Friend and Other Strangers by Ben Passmore:

Described as required reading for those seeking to be useful allies in the fight for justice, this collection of culturally charged comics tackles race, gentrification, the prison system, racial micro-aggressions, and more with both humor and relatability.

✊🏾Say Her Name by Zetta Elliot and illustrated Loveis Wise:

In this collection of haikus and poems, Elliot creates a chorus of voices celebrating the creativity, resilience, and courage of Black women and girls while also paying tribute to victims of police brutality as well as the activists championing for the Black Lives Matter cause.

I encourage everyone to check out these books, support a independent bookstore (especially Black-owned ones!!!) and your local libraries. And as always, BLACK LIVES MATTER! And please don’t forget to let your Black joy shine!

- Veronika ✊🏾

Two years ago, we in the Steven Universe fandom lost a friend. Her name was Olutoba Akomolede, aka @venusshuttrap/@catharticaagh.

We still don't know how she ended up in that river, as there haven't been any updates on the investigation since then (that we know of), but I know for a fact that she didn't jump.

He'd be 91 if he were alive today

Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera are known as some of the boldest and most prominent figures of the Stonewall Riots. They were transgender women of color.

Stormé DeLarverie was a biracial butch lesbian whose actions at the Stonewall Inn were said to have sparked the uprising.

As queer folk, we must never let this go. We owe this to them. As we celebrate who we are, our communities stand in solidarity and will not be silenced. We will not turn away from the violence and the atrocities and the injustice. We will fight.