Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, Bronx NY

A few changes are afoot! Firstly, If I haven't mentioned it before, I am in a new locale, and this one is less lonely and windswept, so my little fireplace in the fog is now gone. But this place is… quite historic. I happen to live near the waters of Manhattan called the “Spuyten Duyvil.” It is the confluence of the Harlem River and the mighty Hudson. The currents here are so furious and deep that even the mightiest swimmers could drown in them. No one swims there today. Apparently there are laws against it. But once, in a tale by Washington Irving, a man was forced to swim across and he did so “In spite of the Devil.” The Dutch term “Spuyten Duyvil” translates to “spouting Devil.” I suppose it’s as if the Devil churns the current.

And so, here I live and write, near waters allocated to the Devil himself.


In these past few months I have been invited to serve as the inaugural Writer in Residence at the Edgar Allan Poe Cottage. BRONX COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY manages and operates this place, the final home that Edgar Allan Poe lived in. $100 dollars a year from the Valentine family so they say.

The area was bucolic at the time and he moved here with his wife Virginia and his mother-in-law-slash-aunt; a topic we might get into later. Who knows. But they moved here because Virginia was sick with tuberculosis and they hoped the fresh air would help. Sadly, she died, in the little bed near the front of the house.

Poe’s life story is filled with disappointment and tragedy, and yet he changed the world with his words. It’s an amazing legacy to behold. We can reconsider this home not only as a place where Virginia died, but upstairs is the room where Poe wrote one of the most innovative and significant books in American literature; EUREKA. Aside from that, he also composed Annabel Lee, The Bells, Ulalume, and Landor’s Cottage… These are his final works.

As Writer in Residence, I am working with the Director of the Bronx County Historical Society, Dr. Steven Payne, to reestablish Poe Cottage as a living museum and literary center to bring the influence of Poe’s writing into the 21rst century.


We have MANY projects in the works; most of it is based around Poe's magnum opus EUREKA. We are calling it The Eureka Project, and it comes with a seismic shift for The Cottage.

This new path utilizes everything I have been called upon to do as a writer: Beast Crawl Literary Festival, Paper Press Books & Associates Publishing Company, Storytelling Live, and filmmaking.

Together, we hope to redesign The Cottage as a LIVING MUSEUM, more to Poe's liking and specifications left to us by his writings on interior design and Landor's Cottage.


We hope to formalize a residence for study, work, and overnights upstairs. We will open up the space -IT IS TINY- to limited audiences for poetry salons, performances, readings, and intimate events. I have already created a programming booklet with about 30 event templates for the Director to choose from.

We recorded Storytelling Live Halloween Special and will make a Christmas Eve holiday special as well. Both of these feature Poe tales.

We have plans for Poe's birthday in January, a Cask of Amontillado event set for February, and a Poetry Salon in April for Poetry and Arab American Heritage month.

Poe's stories still stand. Read them! In the days of short video clips and piles of media and loss of identity to “CONTENT” and “CONTENT CREATORS” we dare you to pick up a book. Paper books don’t sell like they used to. I understand. But a lightweight book needs no batteries, can entertain for hours, fits in your bag, keeps you company, inspires you… look at what a paper book can do! Poe Cottage Editions will be bringing a few of Poe’s books back to life, to keep you company at home and abroad.

There's too much to say here in this post, but I will keep you up to date on it all. FOR NOW, please join our YouTube channel YouTube.com/@poecottage and visit our website due to launch soon-- poecottage.org










Walt's Corner in the Long Islander newspaper

Today, I'm honored to share that George Wallace, renown NYC poet, has included a poem of mine in his section called Walt's Corner which appears in the Long Islander newspaper, April 2, 2026 issue.

The timing hits perfectly as April is both National Poetry Month and Arab American Heritage month.

Wallace chose "Qasida of Labid." The poem is a poem about a poem. Yes, it sounds "meta" or derivative. But when I was studying pre-Islamic classical poetry I learned about the epic poet-King Labid ibn Rabi'a. Legend has it that these poems were written in gold on fine Egyptian linen and hung on the walls of the Qa'aba because they were seen as the pinnacle of human expression. Here is a sample.

Labid was one of the legendary "Seven Poets" of the pre-Islamic era. His work was considered so supreme that it was part of the Mu'allaqat—the "Suspended Odes."

Most modern poets choose to write a villanelle or a sonnet for instance. Likewise, I'm participating in a literary form. "Qasida of Labid" of course pales in comparison, but recalls elements he employed. The specific form paraphrased in my poem is nasib—the traditional opening of a Qasida. Labid was the master of the "deserted campsite" trope. He would consider himself standing before a deserted Bedouin encampment and describe how nature (the wild animals, the torrential rains, the shifting sands) had reclaimed the land.

Why write in a 1400 year old style? Because it still works today. Nostalgia and nature are resonant themes that show up regularly in modern creative works.

My objective in writing the poem was to point back to his 8th-century observations so that more people would know about them. We think we are experiencing "modern" anxieties about the environment or the passage of time, but Labid was documenting that same feeling 1400 years ago.

I think Walt Whitman would have enjoyed reading Labid's pastoral laments. I'm not sure he knew about or had the chance to read them.



 

Burrow Mode

Tiny update: After a lovely and safe winter, I’m still enjoying burrow mode. I must admit, I’m currently involved in three projects that consume most of my time. I hope you and your loved ones are doing well these days. Burrowing is one thing you can do, marching is another, and voting is coming soon. See you out there!




STORYTELLING LIVE 2025

 There's a new Storytelling Live on December 24th, 7:30PM ET. Tune in to the YouTube channel for more info.




Poets Building Bridges

Saturday December 13 Poets Building Bridges Zoom Room


With great pleasure, we invite you to witness the inaugural public performance of Ziggurat Poets at a Walt Whitman Birthplace event. On December 13, 2025, we will unveil a new artistic endeavor titled Ziggurat. Our mission is to reconnect literary artists and enthusiasts with literature through a firsthand physical experience in this distanced, social media focused, digital age. We will provide free/ affordable poetry handouts and host in-person readings and literary events. This project aims to elevate the visibility of Black and brown poetry, honoring the resilience and unity of the African Diaspora and the mother continent. Our pages are open to any contributor. We seek new, fresh, daring work that challenges the paradigm.

ZIGGURAT poets for Saturday December 13 will be:

Keith Donnell 

Keith is a California-based poet and book editor. He is a graduate of the Creative Writing MFA Program at San Francisco State University and the author of poetry collections, The Move (Nomadic Press, 2021) and supreme night (Black Lawrence Press, 2025).

https://www.keithdonnelljr.com/


Duane Horton

Duane Horton is a black queer fantasy writer who resides in the bay area. He believe in writing his intersection of identity into the fantasy genre to widen the canon.

Duanehorton.net


Celeste Ramos

Celeste  is a writer and voiceover from Brooklyn. Her work is dedicated to finding the common in the unusual, and has appeared in SXSW 2024, City Lights Books, Narratively, Edinburgh Fringe, great weather for MEDIA, No Dear Magazine, and many more.

www.thisisceleste.net



Kevin Dublin

Kevin Dublin is an educator and writer of poetry, prose, scripts, and code. Google him for more, but know that he believes in you and the power of collective transformation.

https://kevindublin.com




Words have no borders. Voices have no boundaries.
This fall, Poets Building Bridges returns for Season 4- bringing together writers from around the world to spark dialogue, connection, and creativity.

📖 Dec 13 – Storytelling from Nassau County & Ziggurat Poets

Hosted on Zoom by George Wallace & Robert Savin
Join us at www.waltwhitman.org
Suggested donation: $10



Eventbrite Link: Walt Whitman Birthplace Association Events - 2 Upcoming Activities and Tickets | Eventbrite

Poetry builds bridges. Let’s cross them together.









When The Phone Rang Interview

I'm proud to announce a new interview regarding "When The Phone Rang," a compelling one-act play by Anton Bonnici with help from me, based on my short story of the same name published by Nomadic Press in FIERCER MONSTERS, 2017. 


The genesis for the story was a pastiche of my feelings regarding an Israeli bomb that killed children playing soccer on the beach, photos and videos of the event, the American invasion of Iraq, Fallujah and IEDs, active-duty soldiers with PTSD, go pills and opiates, the flexing and permissive definition of “enemy combatant,” the American disregard for Black and Brown lives, the similar disregard in Israel for Palestinian lives, what walls between people do, the Pale of Settlement, Clinton’s rendition prisons, Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” and an argument I had with a friend about some of these topics. He took the part of Muhammad and I was Abdelaziz.



Read the full interview here.

"When The Phone Rang" tells of the harrowing journey of Muhammad, a prisoner of war whose mind creates a fragile sanctuary amidst relentless interrogation. It’s a powerful exploration of psychological torment, human resilience, and the blurred lines between reality and imagination.

We’re thrilled to share “When The Phone Rang” as a literary play to reveal its depth and potential in contemporary theater.

Also, I designed a single-page website to be an intuitive and engaging portal to “When The Phone Rang,” focusing on ease of understanding and exploration. This page is primarily for those interested in producing the play, in order to help visualize the various worlds and how they interact.






Please Donate to Mizna



Please donate to Mizna.




As Mizna enters this spring season, the new administration has brought a multitude of legislative and executive orders that directly threaten the survival of arts organizations like Mizna. We continue to promote and preserve Arab & SWANA creative voices through literature, film, and visual arts programming.

Mizna is following the changes to National Endowment for the Arts guidelines that specifically target diversity and gender equality initiatives while federal funds for programming that addresses racial justice, immigration, or cultural identity are being revoked. Pending legislative acts like H.R 9495 would give Treasury officials power to label nonprofits as “terrorist-supporting,” putting organizations speaking out against genocide or with international ties at risk.

Facing this political moment directly impacts our finances and the communities we work for.


When the Phone Rang - the Play

Mashallah I’m very happy and proud to announce


that The Opiate Books will release a play written by Anton Bonnici based on my magical realism story “When the Telephone Rang” first published by Nomadic Press in my collection Fiercer Monsters. The book sold successfully for many years and is now carried by Black Lawrence Press.




When The Opiate magazine ran the story in 2019, playwright Anton Bonnici was so struck that he had to see it developed for the stage to reach even wider audiences. Bonnici is a Maltese playwright and theater arts teacher living in Paris. The play he crafted adds more depth and physicality, where the story primarily takes place within the mind of the protagonist. His contributions to the tale are invaluable.




What is the story about? Imagine a man, unjustly incarcerated (not difficult these days) who has found refuge from his ordeal by imagining a safety space, a quiet apartment he built in his mind, a place where he can relax for hours, while his body is subject to the rigors of incarceration. One day, the telephone rings in his refuge. He wasn’t aware that there was a telephone. But, he built this meditational space, didn’t he? Where did this phone come from? Who could be calling? Is it God? His mind unravels as he considers the possibilities. A few days later, he picks up the phone.




“Hello?”




Scheduled for publication during Arab American Heritage month (April).




This book features the play and an upgraded version of the story.




We would be thrilled to see the play in production and can make the script available at a group rate. Write to Anton Bonnici or The Opiate for info.




The Opiate cares very much about writers and contemporary literature and they greatly deserve your support! We are finalizing the interior now. I’ll update this post once it is available.



Spoken Word Paris March 17

 Dear kind folks, I will be back at the famed Spoken Word Paris which is now re-situated at the Au Chat Noir basement on rue Jean Pierre Timbaud. GET THERE! I have new stuff. Guaranteed to be a lot of fun. The crowd will be thick so get your seat early and bring a poem! It’s an open mic!

More info here.




Tickets Now Available for THE UNKNOWN

 

I'm helping to produce a new theater production
on the Lower East Side, NYC

THE UNKNOWN: A TV PLAY

tickets here



Premiere - 8PM Friday, March 7, 2025
Matinee - 2PM Saturday, March 8
Matinee - 2PM Sunday, March 9

Experimental Poetry Event in Tribeca

THE SPACE BETWEEN


I have been invited to read at "The Space Between," a monthly poetry show hosted by Alexandra Dine at the Church Street School for Music and Art on Thursday, January 16th at 7:30pm.

"The Space Between" takes place in a massive venue in Tribeca that used to house the Flea Theater. This is a unique opportunity to experience a diverse range of poetic voices, and I'm honored to be a part of it.

What to Expect:

  • Diverse Lineup: You can expect to hear experimental poetry and performance.
  • Creative Atmosphere: "The Space Between" encourages artistic expression beyond words. You might encounter music, movement, and other art forms interwoven with the poetry.
  • Open Mic: After the featured readings, the stage will open up for anyone who wishes to share their own work.

Details:

  • Date: Thursday, January 16th
  • Time: 7:30pm (Doors open at 7:15pm)
  • Location: 41 White Street, Manhattan (by the Roxy Hotel) Make sure to go to that address, and not one of the others (Church St School has several addresses on Google maps, but only this one is current).
  • Tickets: Eventbrite




Reading November 20 in San Luis Obispo

 I'll be reading at Jan's Place on November 20, 2024. Hope you can make it!



Maintenant 18 Presents: Plutocrazy

 My poem, "Devil's Lucre," joins nearly 250 voices from around the globe, all contributing to a vibrant tapestry of art and writing. From scathing critiques of the capitalist military-industrial complex to bold visions of economic equality, Maintenant 18 doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable truths of our time.

This isn't your average literary journal. It's a call to action, a messy, beautiful celebration of the power of creativity in challenging the status quo. As Richard Loranger (Mammal) puts it, Maintenant is a series of "anti-pageants," burning flags and holding up mirrors to reflect the realities of our world.

While I'm thrilled to have my work included, the true strength of Maintenant lies in its collective spirit. It's a testament to the enduring power of Dada, a movement that continues to find relevance in the face of absurdity.




Interested in learning more?



Tribute to Neeli Cherkovski

In Memoriam: A Tribute to Neeli Cherkovski


The news of Neeli’s passing added one more to the litany of fallen greats. He cherished friendships and would share his encyclopedic mind willingly, nonstop, as often one had ears for it. I enjoyed our time together. He first knew me as a grad student at New College of California. Departmental echelons kept us apart; I was a Tom Clark/ David Meltzer student working my way toward an MFA in Poetics. He was teaching undergrad, I think.

We met often in the library where I was working circulation or back in the Archives I had formalized out of the contents of several unmarked boxes. Once it was sorted, alphabetized, and shelved, our tiny archives gleamed. Everyone wanted to come visit. When the school shut down, they dumped everything. We lost numerous first editions, rare print magazines, and early SF Queer newspapers. I was not on campus that day or I would have tried to save it. Years later, Neeli gifted me with a priceless edition of Beatitude with Bob Kaufman on the cover. I will take good care of it. 

It could be said that Neeli was a prolific genius. He got on some people’s nerves. Understandable. When Kevin Dublin told me Raymond Foye was planning a memorial issue, and asked if I had a piece to contribute, I knew what I wanted to say. If you knew him, you knew the moka pot and his back porch. If you knew basketball, baseball, or poetry, he loved to discuss at length. And, if you were open to it, various pipes stuffed with various leaves would emerge and brandy would flow to sweeten your cup. This is how I choose to remember him. This is how conversations endure.


Read about SF Beats and Raymond Foye’s relationship with Neeli and Bob Kaufman here.


For Neeli


Together
we collect afternoons
of poetry talk
fueled by repeated pours
from your moka pot



Enhanced with sweet brandy & many
pipes of your new favorite tobacco
ordered special from England
I leave the pouch
visit again, leave another



April 4, 2016
Meltzer still with us
you write to me
it is the dozenth poem
a perennial first poem



Now
every one of them is precious
this one is entitled Robert Grenier
I respond



The rain, falling water
speaks unrhymed syllables
against the window
spilling wine, broken hearts
begging for steam
washing ashes
thank you
once again


https://brooklynrail.org/2024/09/in-memoriam/youssef-alaoui-cherkovski/



Portrait of Neeli Cherkovski, pencil on paper by Phong H. Bui.

 

The Unknown: A TV Play

The Unknown: A TV Play Presented as a Workshop

 

I am proud to announce that I'm helping my fiancée Tessa Martin produce her latest project "THE UNKNOWN: A TV PLAY" which will take place at the Saint Augustine's Episcopal Church on the Lower East Side in mid - September. First, I helped her apply for a grant from the LMCC and they were able to bring in partial funding. We are fundraising and raising community awareness right now.

There's a lot to say about this play. They're going to present it as an actor's television workshop. Movements of the actors and camera will be choreographed but at the same time the actors will have liberty to move as the moment strikes, and the camera will follow. The basic idea is to follow the string of action through the play with a single camera, cinema verité or documentary style.

St. Augustine's has a huge room that will be turned into a kind of theater in the round. The concept is experimental and exciting and the cast and crew are really excited to bring this to production.


What's the story about?



A Bright-eyed, mixed-race, and determined New York Actor, Betsy dreams of becoming a star after graduating from college but the land of make believe's catch-22 system may keep her spinning on the other side of the looking glass as... THE UNKNOWN.

Prepare to tumble down the rabbit hole with The Unknown, a unique theatrical event staged as a live television series. This innovative production combines drama, comedy, and live music to tell the story of Betsy, a talented, mixed-race actress navigating the treacherous waters of New York City's television and film industry.


A Modern-Day Alice Through the Looking Glass:

Inspired by Lewis Carroll's classic tale, The Unknown follows Betsy as she confronts the harsh realities of the industry. Juggling survival jobs, industry politics, and her own dreams, Betsy's journey is a relatable one for anyone who's ever felt like an outsider. This three-episode series, filmed in front of a live audience, utilizes the black box theater setting to create a transformative experience. Each episode will feature a new set design and live music performed by talented students from NYC public school music programs.

Once Betsy traverses the threshold of the television screen, all bets are off!

 



Youssef Alaoui on KALW

I recently had the privilege of appearing twice on San Francisco's KALW radio. 

While the live broadcasts have concluded, listeners can still access the recordings via the links provided below.

On Josiahluis Alderete's "Bay Poets" program, I shared a Qasida of our sweet City of Oakland in anticipation of the upcoming Beast Crawl Literary Festival. The opportunity to contribute to such a respected platform was an honor.

Shuffled, Never Broken

Time is a collective, it moves in spirals
twisted loops in road grease
and midnight tires
Odor of sweets and malt liquor
the idea of silence hovers
under glowing cranes and back bend bridges

 

Additionally, I participated in an interview with Jeneé Darden on her "Sights and Sounds" show. Our conversation explored a few of the Events lined up for Beast Crawl Literary Festival. I found the experience to be both stimulating and informative.

The Beast Crawl Literary Festival takes place on Saturday July 27. There will be readings in about a dozen small businesses around Downtown Oakland.

BAM House
BAM stands for “Black Arts Movement.” BAM House is the home of the Lower Bottom Playaz theater group. Their founder is Oakland Poet Laureate Ayodele Nzinga.

“The Kitchen Table”
Block Community Club
“The Kitchen Table” asks, “What feeds your body and mind?” San Francisco poet and activist Kevin Dublin is hosting.

“MARHABA”
Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment
“Marhaba” means “welcome” in Arabic. This reading features writers from the Middle East and North Africa. This is the first time Beast Crawl has had an all MENA lineup. Youseef co-curated this event.

Beast Crawl happens on Saturday July 27 in Downtown Oakland, from 4-10pm.

 

I extend my sincere gratitude to both Josiahluis and Jeneé for inviting me to be a part of their respective programs.

 


 

 

Great Weather for Media

Great Weather for Media included my poem "Tonight the Sirens" in their latest anthology entitled "BEACON RADIANT."




This poem is about the ever-present threat of racial profiling, even in places that seem safe. It's about that feeling of being watched, judged, and potentially threatened because of the color of your skin.

Tonight the Sirens

The people of the grocery store
beyond the shopping mall
in their world of wide

flat streets that angle and twist
through every balmy night
want to recognize you

they see you walking
past cashiers, you don’t need them
but they stop you
here, no words to explain

and you look for someone you know
anyone familiar as you run
across another parking lot
tonight, the sirens howl for you

 

I will be appearing with GWFM at the New York City poetry festival on Governor's Island on July 13. Algonquin Stage. 2:30pm, be there early, theme is beachwear.

Bring your best swim trunks and inflatable duck wings.



Paper Press Books at Beast Crawl Literary Festival 2024

Once again,

Paper Press Books is proud to present an event at Beast Crawl Literary Festival.


Paper Press Books & Associates Publishing Company works hand-in-hand with the author to build and distribute beautiful one-of-a-kind designer books; a comfort to the eye, easy to read, professionally typeset, and a royalties scale that benefits the writer and the company. We are a culturally diverse publisher.


Our Facebook event page.


  

MARHABA means Welcome.
As a North African owned and operated press, Paper Press Books is proud to welcome you to a presentation of voices from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This marks the first such reading at Beast Crawl Literary Festival.

Colonial legacies continue to cast long shadows, shaping narratives that neglect the richness and complexity of our culture and literary heritage.

We are excited to showcase the talent and diversity of MENA writers. Join us for an evening of discovery and celebrate the power of these voices.




Justin Ebrahemi (he/they) is a Persian American arts writer, dance marketer, and poet based in San Francisco. His personal writing explores the queer Iranian American diaspora, political uprising, gender expression and mental health. He recently published his second collection of poetry entitled "Birdsong From Nowruz," while his journalistic work has been published in KQED, Content Magazine, and SFMOMA’s Open Space platform. Justin was previously the Director of Communications & Advancement at CounterPulse and the Digital Engagement Arts Manager at KQED Arts, where he engaged creative communities in digital and in-person arts experiences and authored dance reviews. Recently, Justin has committed his work to advocate for Palestinian liberation among the Bay Area arts community.



Sabina Khan-Ibarra is a writer, poet, and teacher currently focused on completing her chapbook, "New Vocabulary," and her novel, "The Poppy Flower." Her work has been featured in various journals and anthologies, including "Non-White" and "Women, Taboos and Transgressions." She’s is a member of the Writers Grotto and is currently the Director for Rooted and Written, the only tuition free writers conference for writers of color. She served as Communications Director at MuslimARC (Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative) for ten years and continues to be involved as a member. Sabina has taught Creative Writing at SFSU and is now teaching at the Grotto. She resides in Half Moon Bay, California, with her husband, two children, and two cats, Twyla and Aslan.



Mahnaz Badihian is an Iranian/American Poet, painter, and translator whose work has been published in several languages and in literary magazines worldwide. Mahnaz runs the Literary magazine MahMag.org to bring the poetry of the world together. She is a member of the San Francisco RPB (Revolutionary Poet Brigade). In 2018, Mahnaz had a three day art exhibition in San Francisco. Currently She is working on her novel A Girl from Pomegranate Garden. Ask sThe Wind is collection of charming, heartwarming, and sometimes even heartbreaking poems. In them, she paints pictures of war, death, poverty, identity, immigration, belonging, and love. Mahnaz is a nominee for San Francisco Poet Laureate 2024.



Antony Fangary is a writer and visual artist living in San Francisco. He was awarded the 2023 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and is the author of HARAM (Etched Press 2019). His poetry has recently appeared in Gulf Coast, The Sycamore Review, West Branch, and elsewhere. His work has received support from the San Francisco Arts Commission, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and the Center for Cultural Innovation.



Jess Semaan is a queer Lebanese poet, psychotherapist, group facilitator and speaker. She researches, writes and speaks on subjects of healing from complex trauma, immigration, war and belonging.  Her first poetry book Child of the Moon was published by Andrews McMeel and sold over 14,000 copies. Her second book Your Therapist is Depressed Too came out in December 2023. The book chronicles the life of a new psychotherapist during the pandemic, who is witnessing the collapse of her home country from afar.
Jess currently facilitates student groups at both UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz and her own. She has extensive experience and training in interpersonal group facilitation, healing circles as well as learning and support groups. She is also a trauma informed trained psychotherapist, and recently completed her trainings in psychedelic assisted therapy.

 


New York City Poetry Festival

I have been invited to read with Great Weather for Media (GWFM) on Saturday, July 13 at 2:30 on the Algonquin stage, in Nolan Park, Governor's Island, in the New York City Poetry Festival.

We will be reading from the latest GWFM anthology Beacon Radiant.

 


 


 
 
 


 


Alaoui Poetry and Music Live Stream at Shiahma Studios

Excited to announce a fun event coming up. Heavy Crush Records at Shiahma Studios near Avila Beach, CA has invited me over to take part in a project with SLO Town heavies THE TENS that will be a totally new direction for them, and for me. We will live stream an improv jam with The Tens music and poetry over it, through it, alongside. Still not sure on details, but it's gonna be a whole lot of fun.

The date? JUNETEENTH! Celebrate your Juneteenth outdoors with your loved ones. It is, thankfully, a national holiday. When you're finished, catch our celebration live on The Picture Stable channel here.

Scratching your head about Juneteenth? Read this article.

 

July 4th is about liberty, but it was an imperfect liberty, because slavery still legally existed in the nation.

 

We should regularly consider the evolution of the meaning of freedom as we look at certain moments in the nation’s past and present. Someone can deeply appreciate why Juneteenth was important for the Poor People's Campaign. Why Juneteenth is important in relation to the events that happened this past summer with the death of George Floyd. Why Juneteenth is important when we think about enforcing our rights to vote and how we define citizenship in this nation.

 

Juneteenth should really be a rallying call for all of us to think about the meaning of freedom, particularly regarding African Americans, as well as to the nation and the rest of the world.

 

 






 
 
 

Watch it live here:


 

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