Five Things Standardized Testing Makes Worse
I recently (finally) quit a job I had as an academic tutor at a magnet school in Chicago. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, magnet schools are public […]
Author Archives: Benji Hart
Respond React: Rape Culture and Hip Hop
Hip hop activist Rosa Clemente recently posted a video response to a Rick Ross lyric on emcee Rocko’s new mixtape The Gift of Gab 2. The line goes, “Put molly […]
The Good, the Bad and the Ratchet: How We Talk About Our Own Communities
A group of good friends of mine and I had a long talk the other night about segregation in Chicago, and the different communities with which we associate. The conversation […]
Shout Out to B-Divine Hip Hop Festival
This past weekend, b-girls from all over the country and street dancers from around the Chicago area converged for B-Divine: Celebrating the Feminine in Hip Hop Fesitval. The gathering featured […]
Cultural Appropriation and the Lessons of Our Own Traditions
Several of the creative and artistic organizations I work closely with have been talking recently about how to create and sustain the kinds of projects that matter to us most, […]
‘Jotas Sin Papeles Y Sin Permiso’: Workshop with Artists Yosimar Reyes and Julio Salgado
Tuesday of next week, the 19th of February, poet Yosimar Reyes and visual artist Julio Salgado will be hosting an artist showcase and workshop as part of their Jotas Sin […]
Working Girls: Or; What, Exactly, Is Dangerous About Sex Work?
A friend of mine recently shared with me that she is thinking about registering with an escort service to make some extra money. We had a long conversation about what […]
Remembering Differently
Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in a rhetoric of equality, yet he fought not merely for social harmony, but racial and economic justice. He sympathized with the Socialist Party. He […]
“You’re Quite Hostile”: Five Responses to Common Attitudes
There are certain reactions to my personal and political beliefs which I am met with repeatedly, from many different people and sources. Though I often feel they are leveled at […]
Rest In Peace Irma Cabrera Romero and Johnny B
I believe the honoring of our ancestors is the sacred space in which our spiritual and our political selves meet, and that important members of our communities become ancestors every […]
Radical Faggot 