This morning I sat down to write a letter to a beloved recent teen in my life, a newly minted thirteen-year-old. We go to protests a lot, and museums where we learn about farm workers and the Black Panthers and the American Indian Movement. This beloved recent teen has been to hell and back, andContinue reading “Nonviolence, privilege and grief. Thoughts on South Carolina and a child I love.”
Category Archives: culture
Guest post: A celebration of singleness (Or, as originally titled, “I s***.” Just so you’re warned.)
Many of you have been following my posts about my Season of Singleness, which officially ended on December 31, although I’m definitely not rushing into anything serious right now. One of my good friends from the justice movement, Beth Trimarco, was inspired enough by the series to write her own observations about what is GREATContinue reading “Guest post: A celebration of singleness (Or, as originally titled, “I s***.” Just so you’re warned.)”
Building Community in a World Uninterested in Community
My roommate and I reached an impasse yesterday. I could be wrong, but I think the impasse ended with him feeling sorry for a poor old thing so lonely she needed the young man she cooked for to keep her company and me feeling sorry for a young man more focused on making it bigContinue reading “Building Community in a World Uninterested in Community”
Christmas values – Day 6: Charity
“Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did not die, he was a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, orContinue reading “Christmas values – Day 6: Charity”
Thoughts on Serial, my killer ex, and Whose Lives Matter
I’m finally listening to the series Serial that everyone’s talking about (or at least all of my intellectual liberal White friends). It’s about a guy who’s been in prison for 15 years for killing his high school ex-girlfriend except he maybe didn’t do it. (As an aside, I’m on episode 8, and finally an attorney fromContinue reading “Thoughts on Serial, my killer ex, and Whose Lives Matter”
This bridge called my back in this new civil rights movement moment
Navigating “not Black or White” and “Nonviolent but not non-violent” as an ally and activist I suspect every woman of color in America has at multiple points felt that Donna Kate Rushin wrote the Bridge poem for her. As I wonder whether the bonds of friendship with my radical anarchist friends of color will hold andContinue reading “This bridge called my back in this new civil rights movement moment”
“Things taken: Finding Healing on foreign soil this Thanksgiving”
18th annual Berkeley Multifaith Thanksgiving Service Northbrae Community Church, host Message by Sandhya Jha, Director of the Oakland Peace Center and Director of Interfaith Programs at East Bay Housing Organizations It is a real honor to be here this evening. I have worked with a number of you on affordable housing issues in Berkeley,Continue reading ““Things taken: Finding Healing on foreign soil this Thanksgiving””
About and not with: the big failing of the immigration debate
When my father went through his interview for US citizenship, he talked so much about Jamestown and Williamsburg (where we had gone on vacation) that eventually the INS interviewer threw up his hands and said, “OK! ENOUGH!” At least that’s the way my mother tells the story. I remember the naturalization ceremony in downtown Akron whenContinue reading “About and not with: the big failing of the immigration debate”
Two White moms and a mixed race baby — one Hapa’s perspective (STOP MAKING IT NOT COMPLEX)
Several years ago, my friend Rita saw a play written by Asian adoptees raised in America. She told me about one vignette in particular that started out with this statement: “It takes exceptional parents to raise a child of a different race. [beat] My parents were not exceptional.” I keep thinking about that statement asContinue reading “Two White moms and a mixed race baby — one Hapa’s perspective (STOP MAKING IT NOT COMPLEX)”
When focusing on the “racist” upholds a broken system
or: When are we going to get real about poor people of color wanting to be safe and the underpinnings of the police force undermining the efforts of good police? I just came across this article about an Oakland firefighter filing a discrimination case because he and his young sons were held at gunpointContinue reading “When focusing on the “racist” upholds a broken system”
Sandhya Rani Jha 