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Gail Drakes@gaildrakes.bsky.social |
161 followers 108 following 306 posts
Bad at bios, but I’m not a bot. 💁🏽♀️ 🏳️🌈 Trained as a historian, surviving late-stage capitalism by giving away Other People’s Money.
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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When I am living abroad, and I am testifying in the exile-led Truth & Reconciliation Commission on the Trump re-election, I am gonna read the mainstream media for filth because they are too often profit-pushing pundit portals. They treat every high stakes issue like a damn game and I won’t forgive.
0 replies 1 reposts 9 likes
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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If you see this, post a bird. (Back in the day, I would tweeted a bird, but ELON. 💁🏽♀️)
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Happy Dynasty-Free July 4th to you! Many we have many more dictator- and dynasty- free years to come…
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Nope, nope, not even in jest. Everyone need to take her name out of their mouths. And I don’t concern myself with Trump’s lack of physical fitness. I worry because he is an ignorant, vindictive man who wants to end American Democracy as we know it.
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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But I don’t think that’s what you did tho’! Kiddo told on herself! The magic was raising her to have and respect reasonable limits, so that the pause was all it took to get her to volunteer the course correction. So awesome. 👏✨ Can you work that magic on the Supreme Court? Because…
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Ohh I love my sexy baritone sick voice. Damn shame I’m always to sick to make good use of it! But I’m sorry you aren’t feeling well! Sending healing vibes…✨✨
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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It is one thing to constantly expect Black women to save this democracy, but I get annoyed when folks wanna micromanage exactly how we are to do so. This is why you can’t have nice things (e.g. a functioning democracy).
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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It is one thing to constantly expect Black women to save this democracy, but I get annoyed when folks wanna micromanage exactly how we are to do so. This is why you can’t have nice things (e.g. a functioning democracy).
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Nah, nah. They can keep it! These mediocre men ain’t gonna make me lower the bar! ☺️🙅🏾♀️ Not when the unflappable climate warrior PM Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados (🇧🇧) and free press loving Claudia (Nayibe) López (Hernández), lesbian mayor of Bogota, Columbia are around for me to praise!
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Evergreen post, for real! Agree completely, and see it as a function of desperately individualistic Western culture. It’s a legit problem, because we don’t reap the compounding interest of collective effort. Also lots of resources are wasted on the solo efforts… 😣
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Thanks for sharing! And congrats on the award! 🎉
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Yes! I think enough of us scholar/nerd/writer of color types do this that we should make a collective video reading of it, along with Douglass’s “What to the slave is the 4th of July?” …Even if some of us record our parts from overseas/in exile…
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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I know more about the origins of Memorial Day because it was basically created by formerly enslaved people! 😉
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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TRUTH. And all I can think of is the potential and power that it could have if it were used to serve the purpose of making us better, not selling us more. We could be telling the most amazing stories, providing robust context… instead…here we are. Good night and good luck. 😔
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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🙌🏾Prayers go up!🙌🏾 😂🫣😂
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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I didn’t have the sudden ascent of the “Whoop That Trick” party on my 2024 bingo card, but here we are.
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Thanks for that! A fine candidate for reclamation, indeed!
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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I’d love it if that were true! There needs to be some kind of explanation for it! 🤔 I’d be excited if they took it back! ✊🏾
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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"...Valor amigos míos, no os preocupe luchar con una nación que tiene el renombre de guerrera; los libres no reconocen rivales, y ejemplos mil llenan las páginas de la historia de pueblos que han vencido siempre a los que pretendieran dominarlos..." Gral. Ignacio Zaragoza (14 de abril de 1862) 🇲🇽✊🏾
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Americans? Weird? Never! 😂🤣 If we are gonna be up in your business, I need folks to stop with the cheap Margaritas and reclaim it in the name if General Zaragoza! 🇲🇽
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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I like your style. This is GOALS. Wow.
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Thank you for the positive word. I really appreciate it.
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Thanks so much, Karen. I appreciate you saying that. We gonna feel our feelings and makes some moves.
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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If you think anyone needs a permission structure, you aren’t paying attention. If you are not about knowing where folks are at so you can reach them, are you really about the work? You just wanna stay on the Titanic, smug w/ the knowledge you didn’t suggest songs to the band. Seen it all before.
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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I know that’s right! Honestly, I’ve argued that we gotta remember that this collective mental health crisis is, for some, layered on top of a kinda crappy pre-existing personality.💁🏽♀️
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Thank you, Eb, that means a lot coming from you. (Want to say more, but life is life-ing over here…)
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Ha! I’m honestly glad anyone can hear me on this, because my brain is so messy right now, for reasons… Thanks for the encouraging word, for real.
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Thank you, Nora! I appreciate you saying so.
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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I think those that respond that way might not want their own coping mechanisms disrupted, you know? Sometimes it’s when you have the least to hold on to that you hold on the tightest.
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Thank you! That is really kind of you to say. I appreciate it.
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Thank you! That was kind of you to repost.
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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I saw you wrote this elsewhere, and responded there… Here’s the thing, maybe fear in response to despair is not where any of us want/need to be. Trust me when I tell you that I know reliable allies can be hard to come by. If I didn’t find heathy ways to cope with that truth, I wouldn’t be here.
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Oh, it isn’t and also is about climate! That could be another thread! 😊 It is actually my journey around climate anxiety and grief that also informs all this. I think climate folks are in the lead on some of this work, tbh.
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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And I don’t know your background and not trying to be rude… but I’ll just say that the idea that one can’t be in a hard place emotionally AND also move forward and do the things, be part of the solution, doesn’t line up w/my understanding of POC history of this nation.
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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As for the “oh no I am sad” folks, I try to find empathy for them as well. They find themselves at the starting line of an intense race with atrophied muscles. (I think some climate change folks have been great at offering support to people in this position.)
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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There is a space between saying “oh no I am sad” all caught up in privilege, and (on the climate front) those of us who are up all night watching Caribbean weather livestreams to see if our families will survive other people’s bad decisions, you know? And as for the “oh no” folks…
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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I definitely see how the response often comes from fear. And I have lifetime of experience of not knowing if “allies” will come through…part of the issue being that they don’t know the fight is also theirs. But I don’t want to be immobilized by my fear of others’ immobilization, if you follow…
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Thank you! This is very kind of you to say.
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Yup, exactly. Which is so damn RUDE. Doesn’t even matter to me that Mexicans generally don’t celebrate it. Taking another nation’s anti-colonial battle and making it some random joke is so extra messy to me.😣 (And I hope you recover completely from COVID. I am sorry you are dealing with that!)
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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I am sorry that has been coming your way. And yeah, I get it (mostly), but… …instead of the pushback, can we talk about what citizens supporting justice work from abroad could look like? Being here does not mean you are in the fight. Being away doesn’t mean you’ve left the fight.
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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The issue of how to think/talk about and to folks who plan to leave the country truly could be my next thread. WHEW. Wishing you well, for real…
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Huh? You mean Mexican Independence on September 16th? I’m saying I even wanna take back Cinco de Mayo from the people in the U.S. who took a battle against French colonialism and made it a suburban drinking game…💁🏾♀️
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Right?! I’m here for Independence Days, Constitution Day in South Africa… I’m even down to stand with Puebla to reclaim the badass elements of Cinco de Mayo!
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Hey Eb! (I followed you in the other place…) And trust & believe I know COVID isn’t over. I struggle for language to describe what I mean. I don’t write “post-COVID” just like I never write post-racism, but used “pandemic” as a formal thing that was declared and undeclared. Not perfect, for sure.
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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I wanna drop James Baldwin quotes about being conscious leading to constant rage, but I gotta go. Later in that Baldwin quote he talks about the dangerous pivot away from complexity and nuance. Rage, hope, sadness, nuance and action and can dwell in a single soul. Ask me how I know. 10/
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Want to take a moment to thank the people who ARE speaking to the despair/action issue with some care, or framing it as an empathetic invitation. I appreciate you. (I just pulled a “not all…” or “well, actually” on myself.. heh.) 9/
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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If I’m honest about it, this resistance to the sad, difficult feelings might be seen as ableist. And privilege props up the idea you can’t make change while filled to the brim with challenging feelings. It’s an act of erasure of so many. (Not trying to be judgmental and rude myself though!) 8/
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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For only the 847,694,537th time in my life, I look to Black activism and organizers for insight. Black hope and joy is a renewable resource that has fueled many struggles. But tbh, so has Black sorrow, anger and fear. Ask Mamie Till…or anyone who was in the streets for George Floyd…7/
1 replies 5 reposts 89 likes
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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I’m tired of hearing breezy versions of the ‘stages of grief’ that pretend there is always a sequence. Such certainty would be a balm. But sad, scared people make change too! Let’s speak from a place of caring that they feel that way, not only concern that they won’t do their part in the fight. 6/
1 replies 11 reposts 102 likes
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Gail Drakes
@gaildrakes.bsky.social
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Just like we deserved Truth & Reconciliation commissions on COVID, we might need a space to reckon with the feelings of betrayal that the political moment brings. Inside we are screaming like Tyra, “I believed in you!” to America, (even though we said we didn’t, because we knew the history…) 5/
1 replies 3 reposts 89 likes