Dear Tribe,

I don’t usually write annoying angsty shit online. But damn it, today, I need this. I need to know that America is better than this.

Last night in the wee hours of the morning, I felt my soul sapped, my spirit crushed and my hope vanish. This morning I feel betrayed, violated, and angry. 

I am especially angry with the media, they are the true spoilers in this election. They tricked and teased us, cajoled and used us knowing all along that they are the true winners no matter who the hell gets the most electoral votes.

Today, I will cry a little (actually a lot), lick my wounds, take my time brushing my teeth and taking a shower and getting dressed.  I will cancel my subscription to the Washington Post, hang out with close friends, exercise, eat well, get a massage, pick up a good book, read a good soothing poem – out loud. And I will write.  Tomorrow I will remind myself of all the accomplishments that we have fought for: Marriage equality, healthcare, prison reform, black lives matter, worker rights, transgender rights and so many more victories. I will make sure that I remember these things and swear that I will fight to uphold them.  I will gather, plan and organize. 

I will know that I am not alone and remind myself over and over again that “to be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”  God, I love Howard Zinn.

Its time for us to be the change we want to see in the world. 

In solidarity,

Andy

PHOTO 2024 02 01 07 10 14

For Langston Hughes on His 123 Birthday

Speech given on February 1, 2024 in Havana, Cuba In 1927 Langston Hughes walked into a Cuba amid an emerging community of artists, intellectuals, and radicals.  He saw a “sunrise in a new land [– a day – in his words]sic – full of brownskin surprises, and hitherto unknown contacts in a world of color.”  … Continued

PALESTINE WEEK 1920 x 1080 px 2

Palestine Week 2024

January 18, 2024 – January 25, 2024 In keeping with our ongoing mission of uplifting racial and cultural connections, Busboys and Poets is hosting Palestine Week (January 18 through January 25, 2024). This week-long series of events will offer a diverse range of programming featuring Palestinian food, music, dance, poetry, discussions, and other enriching events. … Continued

President Obama meets with former inmates in the Langston Room

President Obama meets with former inmates in the Langston Room

President Obama met at Busboys and Poets 14th & V to have lunch with a group of former inmates. He was joined by senior advisor Valerie Jarrett. The Obama administration chose to have their meeting with us since we banned the box in 2009.

poem of the week1

Split This Rock Poem of the Week: Patrick Rosal

Split this Rock is a longtime poetry partner of Busboys and Poets. Check out the Sunday Kind of Love monthly poetry series at Busboys and Poets every third Sunday of the month from 5-7PM.   Typhoon Poem The teacher can’t hear the children over all this monsoon racket, all the zillion spoons whacking the rusty … Continued