L1 Collective Feb 28, 20198 minfour. That I’m Black informs my movement. My ability to literally ground myself in my own physical experience, in my own body is challenged by...
L1 Collective Feb 8, 20194 minOne.I left home when I was 15 years old. At the time, I found my environment oppressive and abusive. I did not run away in the dead of the...
L1 Collective Sep 12, 20183 minBeyond Survival: Tales from the Afro-FutureOver the next ten weeks, 400+1 will release a series of short stories that were written to spark the collective imagination of the...
L1 Collective Aug 30, 20188 minOut and Proud: Why Dictating the Terms of Queer Visibility is Problematic Writing this piece about my personal journey as a bisexual woman feels very unnatural to me. Usually, the subject of my blogs and essays...
L1 Collective Jul 26, 20185 minSweatA droplet of sweat rolled down her neck, under her arm and down to the tip of her index finger. There was no air conditioning in the unit...
L1 Collective Oct 8, 20172 minThe IronyYou proclaim me the center of the universe. You place one step before the other, coming closer and closer to a light you’re drawn to, the...
L1 Collective Oct 8, 20173 minA Love Supreme“Individuals who want to believe that there is no fulfillment in love, that true love does not exist, cling to these assumptions because...
L1 Collective Oct 8, 20171 minBlack first, alwaysI pray I grow stronger, sharper, and more militant. I pray people come to know me as a warrior who is ALWAYS Black first. I pray that...
L1 Collective Oct 8, 20171 minPart Time Revolutionaries We'll never be the catalyst for radical change with one foot in the struggle and one comfortably propped on the status quo. I'm done half...
L1 Collective Oct 8, 20171 minThe JourneyMy worst self is egotistical, secretive, argumentative, defensive, narcissistic, over promising/under delivering, emotional and...
L1 Collective Oct 8, 20172 minRadical WombsI’ve been dreaming. In my dreams, my sisters sit in circle formation, our legs crossed after a long day of picking okra. We laugh and cry...
L1 Collective Oct 8, 20171 minTainted HeartI’m ugly. I’m ugly inside. There’s a demon hidden in my heart and I can’t get it out. I’m broken. I’m broken inside. And everyone can...
L1 Collective Mar 17, 20173 minAngry Black WomenI encounter Black women everyday who are the embodiment of beauty, love, joy, and peace. I’m also aware of and inspired by the...
L1 Collective Mar 17, 20171 minCleanClean. I roll the word around in my mind, examining it as I study my own body, pouring intention into the lather I've created with two...
L1 Collective Feb 13, 20171 minBetrayalRaging against my face….. Stinging my neck…. Penetrating my soul…. No, no, get it out. ... Who was this stranger? How did it come to be...
L1 Collective Feb 13, 20172 minNew BeginningsThis morning was everything; waking up with renewed energy and affirmed purpose. This morning was love. Today, I’m on my knees, tears...
L1 Collective Feb 13, 20175 minMagicListen, no matter how many pro vs. con lists you make, no matter how many hoops you make him or her jump through beforehand, no matter...
L1 Collective Feb 13, 20172 minBroke ActivistsIs it okay to talk about the confidence it takes to hold our heads high in the clothes we purchased at the twenty five cent sale at...
L1 Collective Feb 13, 20171 minQueen EmeyaJoy is mine. I’ve already claimed it. Queen Emeya upon her throne. I am a warrior. This beast, I’ll tame it. ... With strength that feels...
L1 Collective Feb 13, 20171 minClarityFinally, I can see this space in its entirety. Still, I am limited. The knowledge isn’t enough. Cold crept over my body while I inhabited...