a guest post from five-years-ago me. 2014 me. Just-turned-thirty and just-starting-to-think-about-race me. She says hi. She’s proud of me, and you, and herself. She sends love.

Instead, as I learn more and more about race and try hard not to do racist things, people call me out on my racism more, not less. What the heck?!?

As a person who lives with chronic pain, I’m subject to a lot of well-intentioned communication that actually feels really terrible to receive.

I, Lieva Whitbeck, wrote this guide, based on research done at a voting party in Laurel in Oakland

Thank you so much for your support in keeping email from taking over my life. I really appreciate your help!

Sincerely,
The person whose email signature you just clicked through to get here

on the differences between pedagogical cookies, crap cookies, manipulative cookies, and excellence cookies.

Unfortunately, most people whose experiences I tried to learn from were very different from me in relevant ways. Like, they were backpackers. Or athletes. Or hiked it when they were nineteen. I’m a woman in my thirties who’s been avoiding sports since I got picked last for kickball in elementary school.