This gap between what the masses are hungry for and the fact that many of us know better is the best case for Political Education.

Where are people becoming radicalized, and how can we as Black folks properly steward that energy?

Because the fact that critics/academics/activists/organizers can see the bullshit but most of the folks on my TL and in our churches/schools/random folks on the train Dont is.... scary as shit.

It’s a Grand Canyon.

I don’t fault critics/academics/organizers. Actually. I think it’s possible to use their offerings to help folks’ process and think deeper. I’ve done it before and I know it’s possible.

I’m just offering that one way we can change the world is by printing out some of these thinkpieces and hosting an afternoon of participatory exploration into some of these ideas.

It takes all of us.

One day I’ll tell you how the collective projects like teach-ins have been hidden behind paywalls and subscriptions and conferences and tuition.

I dream one day, one of y’all useful billionaires (since y’all keep telling me rich people are useful) will totally sponsor the labor it takes to do political education. Because right now the model is “pass off the cost to the participant” and we’ll never get free like that.

Imagine if cohorts of folks could travel free to one of these conferences and debrief with a paid facilitator? Or if there was a free (to the group) facilitator dispatched to host asset mapping sessions?

We expect everyday people to pay to learn things. And that’s exactly why we are where we are.

Because I am an everyday person.

And I don’t got it.

I dream about a fellowship that would just meet the total living/thriving expenses of educators/facilitators.

But basically? You just pay them and leave them alone. No strategic plan sessions. No “can you look over this, we need your eyes.”
Just pay me and leave me alone.

Because I know im not the only Black Woman Educator who wishes she could be left alone to teach. Who wishes she could focus on unit plans and lesson plans and not “this group isn’t paying me but this can be a start of a relationship” bullshit.