I have grown accustomed to being a vessel — holding what is not mine: thoughts, emotions, sensations, energy. It’s required me to feel bravely, to go into the depths of discomfort without knowing why or what I’ll find. My relational world is visceral. On any given day, I carry experiences that are known and unknownContinue reading “Empathic Parenting: A Black Technology of Survival”
Category Archives: Academia
End of Semester Wrap Up
Hey y’all! It’s been a minute. This has been an incredibly dense year and I am proud to say I survived it. I finished my fall semester of my third year in my PhD in anthropology at NYU and I’m tired! Although this was supposed to be the first real “in-person” semester, I must haveContinue reading “End of Semester Wrap Up”
Myth of the Black Woman Superhero
Popular culture would like us to believe that Black women are invincible. We don’t need help. We don’t need to be handled with tender love and care. Despite whatever trauma or abuse comes our way, we are indestructible. This is why the Welfare Queen stereotype is still so pervasive. Black women should bear the fullContinue reading “Myth of the Black Woman Superhero”
Addiction & Codependency
If it was not obvious from my last few blog posts, I am going through a lot right now! In the spirit of speaking my truth while upholding my integrity and respect for others’ privacy, confidentiality, and anonymity, I am writing about a deeply inter/personal experience only sharing the lessons and insights it has givenContinue reading “Addiction & Codependency”
Mad Love: Don’t Say You Can’t Live Without Me
When I was younger, I thought phrases like “I can’t live without you,” “You are my world,” and “You give me purpose” were romantic. Codependency was the central ingredient to what I thought was the most beautiful love story. Forbidden Love. Us Against The World. Your Ride or Die. These were all the chapter titlesContinue reading “Mad Love: Don’t Say You Can’t Live Without Me”
Mad Love & The Dilemma of Domestic Violence
It’s time the community of Mad, Neurodivergent, and Mentally Ill people contend with the violence we experience within our community and the violence we may inflict on others. Given the stigma against our community, it is understandable why this has not been a public conversation. I am not trying to play into the stereotype thatContinue reading “Mad Love & The Dilemma of Domestic Violence”
Meditations on Mad Love: Using Lessons from Polyamory as a Roadmap
I have been thinking a lot about love lately and the importance of unlearning certain cultural scripts about how love should be, including it being only between a man and a woman or monogamous. While we have witnessed great strides towards openness and equality in who and how we love, I am still challenged byContinue reading “Meditations on Mad Love: Using Lessons from Polyamory as a Roadmap”
Graduation SZN | Part 2 – The Tarot Edition
It’s truly remarkable how quickly one’s life can change in the span of a few days or weeks. If I had to pick a tarot card to sum up my life since my last Graduation SZN post in May, I would choose The Tower. The Tower card emerges when monumental life events disrupt our mundaneContinue reading “Graduation SZN | Part 2 – The Tarot Edition”
Post-COVID Fatigue
Today I emerged out of what has been a cascading wave of post-COVID fatigue after my recent experience being sick with COVID-19 for the first time. Although I was mostly recovered and tested negative almost two weeks ago, since then I have experienced a frustrating amount of lethargy. This made me face my worst fearContinue reading “Post-COVID Fatigue”
When Your Blogs Appear on the Syllabus…
Almost a year ago, I started this blog as a challenge to myself to come out the of the proverbial bipolar closet in my personal and professional life after my last, most traumatic, and embarrassingly public episode. While I started this blog writing for an imagined audience, it was primarily an act of courage andContinue reading “When Your Blogs Appear on the Syllabus…”
Nadia Naomi Mbonde 