Reading is a core part of my practice as an artist and a mother. It’s how I build new worlds, understand the old ones, and fuel the work of MetaCocoMom and Labor Pains. Here’s what I’m deep into right now.
A Black Women’s History to the United States
This book is, without a doubt, a foundational text for my Labor Pains project. Berry and Gross have crafted more than a history book; they’ve compiled a genealogy of resistance, survival, and creation.
For me, this book is an archive. It details the centuries of labor—economic, domestic, emotional, and intellectual—that Black women have performed, often uncredited and uncompensated. It provides the essential context for the oral histories I’m gathering, connecting the personal stories of today to a long and profound legacy. It’s a powerful reminder that our experiences are not isolated; they are part of a continuous story.
The Deficit Myth
This book is fundamentally shifting how I think about economics and public possibility. Kelton breaks down Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) and challenges the entire narrative of “how are we going to pay for it?”—a question that has been used to deny resources to our communities for generations.
As I work on Labor Pains, this book provides a new lens. It’s not just academic; it’s an activist’s tool. If the federal deficit isn’t the looming monster we’ve been told it is, then what becomes possible? What could we fund? What could we build? It reframes the conversation from scarcity to possibility, which is essential for imagining—and demanding—a just future for Black women and our labor.
Read my related post on the Labor Pains blog: The Theft of Futurity: How The Deficit Myth Enforces Survival Mode
