#130: The Joy of Black Brunch
It’s your lucky day! The Highlighter #130 includes a wide range of articles, including pieces on the joy of black brunch, the right to conjugal visits, the definition of death, the deforestation of the Amazon, and the nuances of Japanese culture. Please enjoy!
But before you do, revel that we’ve reached 400 readers! Our community is growing and getting stronger, thanks to you. Let’s welcome this week’s new subscribers: Jessica, Victoria, Angelic, Mark, Stephanie, Ryan, Marlee, Stefanie, Ben, and David. The Highlighter relies on word of mouth, so please keep getting the good word out!
Audre Lorde wrote, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” For Stacy-Ann Ellis and many African American women, black brunch has become a place for kinship and a means of self-care. Ms. Ellis writes, “When I’m in need of a mental or spiritual break, it’s the presence of unfiltered blackness, our culture bursting from the seams with its quirks and nuances, the oasis of black brunch that allows me to eat, dance, sing, and laugh the grim away.” ⏳
California pioneered conjugal visits for prisoners in 1968 “to offset prison homosexuality.” Now it’s one of four states that allow incarcerated people the right to spend 48 hours every three months with their spouse or children in a private apartment on prison grounds. This is the story of Travis and Kacey Berry, who met as pen pals in 2010, got married in 2012, and had never spent any time alone together before their first conjugal visit last year. ⏳⏳
Bay Area residents may remember the case of Jahi McMath, the Oakland girl whose tonsil surgery left her brain-dead in 2013. This piece by Rachel Aviv explores the line between life and death and what should happen when the family and the state disagree. A jury will decide Jahi’s fate in the coming months. ⏳⏳
The Amazon’s Deforestation Crisis: Highway Of Riches, Road To Ruin
Want to learn a huge chunk about the state of the Amazon Rainforest? Devote about an hour to this outstanding article by Stephanie Nolen, who will take you on a 2,000-km journey up Highway BR-163, in the heart of Brazil, where you’ll meet farmers, cattle ranchers, miners, politicians, environmental advocates, loggers, and Indigenous people, all who have a stake in the future of the rainforest. ⏳⏳⏳
Anne-otations: Part-Time Genius, ”Greatest Things about Japan”
Do you remember having subs in high school and nothing getting done? What happens in Japan when the teacher is out sick? Learning about another country like Japan will help you evaluate your own. Thanks for the recommendation, loyal subscriber Chris! ⏳⏳
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