ABOUT THE PUBLICATION

Freedom School: A Seminar on Theory and Praxis for Black Studies in the United States

In this magazine, you will find poems, essays, short stories, photos, visuals, paintings— an amalgamation of artist submissions grounded in themes of Afrofuturism, community, lineage and ancestors, abolition, embodiment and pleasure, art and movement. These creations were made in different times and places; some were created specifically for this publication, and others were born before we had even imagined this project. What holds these gathered and varied materials together is intimacy, a commitment to materializing our freedom dreams, and a devotion to creating beyond traditional syntax and structure. As an editorial board, we wanted to welcome what was submitted with caring and open hands, without over-editing or forcing material into the confines of whiteness and academic grammar. In this spirit, we offered suggested edits spaciously, inviting gentleness into the vulnerable process of sharing creative work. 

It is my hope and our collective hope that this magazine may serve as its own exercise in freedom. That it may invite all readers to continue learning, unlearning, building, and rebuilding in the ways that make us feel most whole and alive. It is my hope that the artistic vision crafted with intention and care on each page reminds us that our scholarly, artistic, and personal pursuits are expansive and point toward the liberatory possibilities of other worlds and realities. We hope dear reader, that you sit with our sadness, and joy, our thoughts and feelings. Let this offering be a catalyst, propelling us all toward more life. 

-Najha Zigbi-Johnson + The Freedom School Cohort