At the lake's edge: Dancing toward love and liberation

As a person who identifies as a Progressive Jew, I feel the need to weigh in on the removal of Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa from Sen. Daniel Biss’ governor’s ticket. It sent shock waves through two communities in which I take part – the Progressive community and the Jewish community – and created angst in the overlapping section of those two circles. (If you're not following Illinois' governor's race closely, here is a good Politico article .) I think this was a mistake for multiple reasons: Biss has ostracized the young, progressive left flank of the Democratic Party who were excited to see a Democratic Socialist on a major party ticket. I think the Democratic Party needs this demographic if it wants to stay relevant. The Democratic Party, especially in Illinois, needs a populist, anti-corporate, visionary message and platform to compete against the nationalist populism sweeping the country. Bernie far outperformed anyone's expectations, proving that his message reso...

Last month, I had the privilege of participating in an historic 200-mile march from Chicago to Springfield. This 16-day direct action began on May 15 and concluded with a powerful day of action in the state capitol on May 30. It was organized by Fair Economy Illinois. The March to Springfield for a People and Planet First Budget was timed to coincide with the end of Illinois’ legislative session. Illinois is about to enter its third year without a budget. Public universities are on the brink of collapse; they are laying off staff and faculty rapidly as they try to stay afloat. Human services agencies are shutting down programs and closing their doors permanently. Public schools will not open in the fall without state funding. The crisis is real and imminent and it is being felt most directly by students and the most vulnerable members of our society. Everyone is affected, if not directly, then indirectly. Launching Pad, Wilmington, IL Our march was not just about our l...

I have long toyed with the idea of writing again for public consumption. Thanks to Boogie, my dance teacher, mentor and blogging accountability partner, I am finally launching a new blog. My biggest fear in blogging is that my thoughts and ideas are not worth sharing or being read. That people will say, ‘Who cares what you think? What makes you so important that I should spend time reading your writing?’ In our patriarchal society, I frequently question whether my voice matters. And so, for that reason, I am going to write again, to challenge myself. It feels like a risk to put my ideas out there, to offer them to you. It is a risk I am ready to take again. I will write for me as much as I will write for anyone else. I process through writing. I have dozens of journals that I’ve kept since I was in elementary school. I first started blogging when I lived in Senegal for the 2006-2007 academic year. I took great joy in using the written word to try to describe the experiences I was h...