1. When your co-worker sees a book on your desk she:

A. acknowledges that you readB. tells you she doesn’t read books about oppressionC. exclaims that she is reading a book about a black man who was wrongly accused of capital murder in the 80s and 90s.

2. When said co-worker tells you about the plot she:

A. tells you that a white man accused him of murder due to childhood rivalry and wants you to be shockedB. is astounded that the character in the book maintains his already positive outlook while in jail and makes his environment work for himC. is upset that none of the white people stood up for the black “criminal” even when he gave an award-winning speech.

3. When waiting for you to reply to this one-sided conversation do you:

A. suggest your co-worker pick up a history book and find a part in history where the minority actually wins (it’s never)B. roll your eyes when she asks you if you know about the book and the person it is aboutC. agree that everyone should read this book (because said co-worker is now culturally woke to the struggle)

Answered Mostly A’s

Colonization has made them supreme.

Answered Mostly B’s

Jail cell occupancy is based on the amount of minority student who fail state testing in the 3rd grade.

Answered Mostly C’s

Once a month, white supremacists gather in the middle of the country to plot their next move.

Top photo by Christina Morillo on Pexels

“What if we took all this anger born of righteous love and aimed it?”

—Ijeoma Olou, “We women can be anything. But can we be angry?” Medium.com

ANGER showcases essays and poetry featuring well-aimed anger from femme writers, writers of color, LGBTQIA+ writers, First Nations writers, and disabled writers.