New essay on corner stores, surveillance, and all Black afterlives

“I saw in theory then a location for healing.” - bell hooks*

Before sharing the essay, some context: In the midst of the pandemic; the highly publicized killings of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade, among others; and recent uprisings, writing has been a healing practice. Writing has been one way for me to practice homage. Homage for Black lives, informed by critical theory that helps me think and feel through collective grieving and Black aliveness.

In a new essay on Antipode Online, I write about corner stores as sites of Black life, anti-black violence, and violence against Black trans women. Throughout, I also reflect on how I/we write about Black death, especially as researchers and scientists whose works may be actively referenced to shape policy or practices. You’ll find geographer Katherine McKittrick’s work centered here, along with insights from Simone Browne on “racializing surveillance”: <<read the essay >>

Note: as an “intervention,” this essay is published alongside others on the website, all of which address emergent and pressing issues like uprisings, the multifaceted impacts of the pandemic, and more. If you’re seeking shorter pieces for the classroom, trainings, or programs, these interventions are great resources.

With deep well wishes,

Naya

*bell hooks, Theory as Liberatory Practice, 4 Yale J.L. & Feminism (1991)