A Freedom I Believe In
So we gathered on Juneteenth, hollering and whooping, as a testament to the impossible.
Comfort Sampong’s heart is sparked by fried plantains, tropical foliage and the stories of women thriving and creating a way out of no way. She graduated in 2018 with majors in economics and international development. Now she lives in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where she works on English communications for the Association for a More Just Society, a Honduran non-profit fighting for justice and peace.
Market Memories
How did we find it? Where exactly did this core memory take place?
All This Can Blossom Here?
Aware the world cannot grant safety, Black love fashions its own shelter.
The Art of Light and Shadows
What makes their art dance as a pair?
Retracing My Family’s Past in Accra
I can’t know the spot where an elderly lady always sold them fresh sugar bread or the field where they played ampe.
My Life, in Screenshots
I was privately affirming truths, moments I felt seen by someone who spoke the words of my heart, and serendipitous findings.
This Body of Work
Regardless of how much I studied, read, and prayed, I would never be permitted to preach in front of a congregation.
The Magic in Murmurations
Many animal species flock together, but starlings, humble and social songbirds found across the world, are the only airborne creatures who can collectively stir and swoop.
The All-Inclusive – From Home
Or was I the only one in high school who used the Lonely Planet guide to France to map out the bakeries I wanted to visit?
Not Your Typical Relationship Audit
I started to wonder if it was wise to trust and admire so many people I didn’t truly know.
A Day Lived in Miniature
As I stretch a yawn away, I reach for the daisy stem umbrella by the front door and step out to check the mail.
Reclaiming Feast Days
A cautious attempt at cranberry sauce sat side by side with the more reliable smoky chili sauce, shito.
Making Room
You couldn’t take me anywhere as a kid.
Because Watching Favorite Videos with Someone is an Underrated Affectionate Act
Jane kept my dreams company as I faced unknowns.
Our Insecurities, As Told to Spotify
Maybe I need one of those “fragile contents” stickers you get when you buy plates online.
Songs for Liberation
I knew that each page contained not only a tune, but also a message about who we were and who we ought to be—often pious and self-assured.
A Beginner’s Guide to Summer Biking Adventures (in Grand Rapids, MI)
It feels good to have a growing sense of where I live.
Samin and Me
She was content to marvel and learn alongside us instead of being the expert at center stage.
Revisiting Old Scores
For all my passion, I still hadn’t played nor attended a match, but then again, I’ve always done the best with what I have.
Wash Day, circa 2021; Or, Assorted Thoughts I Express While Taking Care of My Hair on a Sunday Afternoon
I send a quiet prayer of petition up for my sisters out there adding eggs to their hair routine: “May they remember to switch to the cold faucet.”
Facing a Monstrous Housing Crisis
We might be able to conjure up crayon-drawn cartoon depictions of its worst manifestations, but that’s where we stop.
We have Always Been the Future, Pt. 2
This newfound freedom is not packaged individually; it is meant to be shared.
We Have Always Been in the Future, Pt. 1
For a people whose survival was never guaranteed, this question is a radical call to evaluate where we are and experiment with what could be.
Away From the Manger
Those on the Mexican side of the border sing the request while those on the U.S. side respond with rejection, a miniature drama of national proceedings.
The Fate of Our Pianos
And today, when I feel less than my full self in the midst of such urgency to be our best selves, I sway dangerously close to becoming firewood.
A Hope Chest for Today
I detangle earbuds before including them, ready to start a playlist inspired by fleeting feelings my words can’t capture.
Turkish Delights
All I know is that during a long vacation, I wandered into a moving tale of dangerous dreams, opportunities to heal former traumas, and people who met at the wrong (or maybe perfect?) time.
John Lewis: My Founding Father
But what most makes John Lewis one of my founding fathers is his lifelong rootedness in love.
An Inheritance of Names, Power, and Fabric
But now, in the morning as I dress, I am enthralled by all the stories I carry on me and within me.
Paying Attention to the Rain
When it hasn’t rained since January, even the most absent citizen begins to notice.
