David A. Love, JD

Facing threats to their land from climate change, hurricanes and rising sea levels, Black folks in the Sea Islands and Lowcountry are hoodwinked and bamboozled by gentrification and corporate interlopers.

J-pop groups known as Exile Tribe have Black members, in an industry where some Japanese groups only a few decades ago performed in blackface to mimic Black folks.

When Black people say they have Indian in their family, there's truth in that.

Oh, my children, they tried to bury you, but they didn't know you were seeds. Remember that it's all connected.

A healthy fruit associated with Black freedom was weaponized to damage the Black psyche.

Trump leads a cult of paranoia, with policy dictated by conspiracy theories of a "deep state" and "secret societies" and people opposing critical thinking and creating their own facts to match their own reality.

As we celebrate progress, we must also acknowledge the relentless nature of injustice, and the need to remain vigilant in order to eradicate it.

In a country that has failed to account for its legacy of slavery, Jim Crow and institutional racism - or the role of Black folks in building this nation through blood, sweat and tears - white supremacy lives in America, and with no signs of abatement.

We discussed the need to not comply or obey in advance, to learn history and challenge efforts to erase it, the need for solidarity and organizing, creativity, and the need for truth tellers, writers and thinkers who are tied to the community.