Hi, I'm Jordan Alam and this is an addition to my personal creativity blog. As a woman of color who writes, knits, makes art, and discusses feminist theory with my friends at Barnard College, I have a lot to share!
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— Read the whole amazing article — “When Doing Good Goes Wrong: One Woman’s Story about White Saviorism in Africa”As this story (and countless others) demonstrate, there exists very little to no accountability when it comes to the west’s relationship with African NGOs. Incidentally, even African LGBTI organizations–many of whom I support myself–have reported being taken advantage of by larger, more prestigious (I won’t name names) LGBT organizations in the U.S. claiming to be supporting their efforts.
An original short story I read at the SAWCC Mixtape event! Now on TalkMag.
by Jordan Alam
Farhana sat on a giant leather couch in the parlor and filled out paperwork. Her heart was jumping in her chest – she’d never really wanted a nose piercing until this year, and even then it was just a passing thought. Now, at Amma’s insistence, she was sitting in a swanky downtown tattoo parlor, racking her brain for the last couple digits of her Social Security number. Her mother, meanwhile, made chitchat with friendly patrons and was genuinely enjoying herself. She commented on hair and accessories like they were at a Bangladeshi wedding reception.
Farhana handed her driver’s license and the paperwork over to the tattooed man behind the counter just as her mother got done petting a chubby Boston terrier that had come in the arms of its trendy owner, a woman with four earrings in each of her ears and a septum piercing.
“Amma, they’re ready for me.”
“Sure, sure. Let me just say goodbye to this little darling.” Farhana held back an eye roll as her mother patted the dog one final time and it snuffled in response.
“So what made you want to get a nose piercing?” the tattooed man asked, trying to make small talk as he swabbed her nose with disinfectant.
“It was mostly my mom’s idea.”
— (via albinwonderland)
Not one single hurtful thing ever got changed by someone grinning and bearing it.
Hurtful things changed because people have said ‘That hurts me. Stop.’
And every time you try to silence someone and tell them that they shouldn’t be hurt, shouldn’t be offended, shouldn’t choose this battle, that this isn’t important and that other things are more important - you are serving the hurtful rather than the hurt.
(Source: moniquill, via anothertroytoburn)
This was such an important TEDTalk for me… potential trigger warning, however, so take care if you watch.
