On Doing the Right Thing, Losing Friends, and Grief
Genesis Be! Rhodessa Jones! Cat Lantigua! And more!
Hey friends and damn-givers,
How are you? Once you’re finished reading this email, hit reply and let me know. It can be a few words or a few paragraphs but I really want to know. I love you.
Before we get to the good stuff, I want to share something that has been on my mind lately. Since the beginning of this horrific genocide in Gaza 286 days ago, I’ve lost so many friends. If you follow me on social media, you know that brutal honesty is my preferred method of engaging with things happening in my own backyard and things happening on the other side of the planet. Life is way too goddamn short to bullshit my way through important and heavy conversations. But nothing has happened in the last 20 years that has severed more relationships in my life than this genocide. What has happened as a result of speaking up about Israel’s brutal occupation of Palestine, about how Joe Biden and our country are deeply complicit, and about the countless lies being told by Zionists to justify this ethnic cleansing? People I’ve known for years, people I’ve loved for years, people I’ve worked with for years….GONE.
It fucking hurts, y’all. Not because I want genocide-supporting friends in my life. I don’t. But it’s more complicated than that, isn’t it? it’s not like we can turn a relationship on and off like we do dozens of times a day to the light switches in our homes. Regardless of what they’re saying or doing now, my head and heart are full of memories with these folks. Can you relate?
I bring this up because I want to make sure you know it’s ok to grieve. It’s ok to cry. It’s ok to scream. It’s ok to miss them. It’s ok to talk about them with your trusted pals. AND it’s ok to hope and pray they change their minds and ways so that some of these relationships can be restored. I pray this all the time! After all, one of the most beautiful things about being human is that we are wrong often and we get to change our minds.
Moving on, friends. Here are a few things I think you should read, watch, listen to, and consider as we approach the end of this week:
📚 BOOK TO READ
Cat Lantigua’s forthcoming book, Build It and They Will Come: A Guide to Architecting Intentional Community, is out on Tuesday! As the systems and structures around us continue to crumble before our eyes, those participating in intentional community will be the ones who will survive and thrive as we seek collective liberation. Buy a copy for you and your friends today.
📺 VIDEO TO WATCH
Remember our latest podcast guest, Genesis Be? (If you missed our incredible conversation, check it out on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.) She just released a brand new music video with Atlantic Records called Dare to Dream. In classic Genesis fashion, it’s beautiful and powerful and inspiring from start to finish. Watch it! Share it! And dare to dream!
📱 SOCIAL MEDIA POST(S) TO CHECK OUT
In a world full of communities that are dangerous and rotten, we can’t just tell folks to get into a community, we must create safe communities. Radical community is how we get free.
🧠 QUOTE TO PONDER
“Politics don't work. Religion is a bit too eclectic, but art can be that parachute that catches us all.” — Rhodessa Jones
Make more art. Make justice art. Make revolution art. Make liberation art, Make peace art. Make love art. Make community art. Make good art. Make great art. Make incredible art. MAKE MORE ART.
🇵🇸 URGENT NEED
If your social media timelines are anything like mine, you are being asked to consider donating to countless fundraisers for people in Gaza. The opportunity I’m about to share has been vetted by opera singer and activist, Wallis Giunta, and me.
In his own words, a 21 year old Palestinian that is using every penny we send him to feed hundreds of Palestinians on a daily basis:
“I am Qusi Talal Abureada from Gaza. I am 21 years old, born in 2003. I have been displaced to Rafah with my family after fleeing our home in Al-Mawasi Khan Younis, which was heavily bombed . The fear is killing us, day by day. Our home, and our hopes and dreams were destroyed. We are living our worst nightmare. I am sheltering with my extended family, which consists of my parents, my brothers and sisters, and their children . One of my brothers was killed in the current conflict, and he has 3 children whom my family now care for . My older brother has 10 children, aged between 2-11 years . We all live together, and we share everything. I'm creating this campaign to support my own family together with the community around me in Tel al-Sultan (Rafah) because they are my people . I work to help the families who are starving due to the high cost of living, with prices currently 10-15 times higher than usual. I hope you can help me continue this vital work. Your donations allow me to provide food, water and medicine for those in desperate need. Thank you to everyone who stands by me in these devastating times❤️.”
Our goal is £50,000 and we’ve already raised £5,510. No matter how much or how little you’re able to donate, please consider donating. Every dollar/pound means the world to Qusi!
A related need: First, follow Qusi on Instagram! That’s the best way to keep up with all he’s doing for his family and neighbors. If you’re the kind of person that like to supports that operations and behind the scenes of social impact work, we are looking for someone that can cover the cost of the eSIM cards he needs to be able to communicate with us, post on social media, and keep in touch with the outside world. The cost for unlimited eSIM cards is roughly £88/$113 per month. Can you help? My friend Wallis, an artist living in Vienna and the organizer of this GoFundMe, has been covering the cost of these eSIM cards as well as the GoFundMe fees for months now and I’m hoping to help provide her with some relief. Reply to this email if you have any questions or ideas.
👋🏽 GOODBYE!
Well, that’s it for this week! Thank you for reading. I'm truly grateful. Consider forward this email to a friend? Or send them this link so they can sign up. And you can always email me about anything. I’ll be back next week with good news and steps we can take together to build intentional community and to make our world a much better place. We have a lot of work to do. Love y'all.
Be well,
NICK LAPARRA
P.S. I know we haven’t published many podcast conversations lately! I hope we can get back to weekly episodes soon. I just wanted to make sure you know that are trying our hardest to get back to the normal schedule.
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