The Big Idea

The Big Idea worker-owned bookstore & Cafe: The Big Idea has been a cooperative radical bookstore since 2001. We utilize a directly democratic, anarchist model. We strive to provide literature that is multicultural, women-positive, queer-positive, class-conscious, anti-militaristic, and that promotes a sustainable world and community. We also hope to serve our community by providing a safe space for all individuals to explore radical and alternative ideas. We are a cooperatively owned and operated, not-for-profit, non-capitalist establishment. The Big Idea carries hundreds of new books, hundreds of used books, and more pins, patches, stickers, notebooks, greeting cards, and zines than you can shake a stick at. We also offer café seating and free Wi-Fi.

[avoidgettingread]

Tear gas

Do not wear contact lenses if you are in a situation where you may be tear-gassed.  When I went through basic training, we were warned that there was a possibility the tear gas they were using could melt contact lenses.

[torisoulphoenix]

BOOOOOOOOOOOST!!!!!!!!!!

[hollowedskin]

Jesus christ.

[almostdefinitelydying]

also: if you’re asthmatic; get the HELL out of there. tear gas can cause and extreme reaction and kill you almost instantly. your inhaler will NOT do shit. just get the fuck out of dodge. 

[hollowedskin]

Shit. Reblogging for more vital information.

[nehaiya]

^ ATTN: sickle cell anemia:

trouble breathing due to tear gas can cause a crisis if you have sickle cell anemia. I know this because Bahrain, which had protests, had several deaths and hospitalizations due to this. Considering sickle cell is prevalent in people with African heredity and no one’s mentioned this, thought I would share.

[pastelsh]

If Your Feminism Doesn’t Include Trans Women You’re Not Welcome Here

[heatherwreckage-deactivated2025]

A couple things I drew from the new issue of Slingshot.  I’ve been a really distant member of the collective for the past 3 years or so, but am feeling ready to be more involved in the future after such a nice mailing day last sunday.

[blackartvoid]

[thebigideapgh]

liberal: um has this revolution been approved by the state?

[carmenrios]

It isn’t the male gaze, dominant narratives of sexuality, or hegemonic femininity which reigns true throughout Minaj’s work. It’s her own sexual state of being. And when Nicki Minaj struts out in a string bikini or exudes her own sexuality in the middle of something otherwise empowering, it isn’t an inherent contradiction or a cause for debate. It’s simply a reflection of how many women — women who, often, feel comfortable with and empowered in their choices — are living their sexual lives. As sexual beings, we’re allowed to indulge in self-directed pursuits of pleasure without shame. We’re allowed to be frank about our own exploits. We’re feminists who fuck, and a lot of times it looks like both things happening at the exact same time.

AUTOSTRADDLE - Nicki Minaj’s Feminism Isn’t About Your Comfort Zone: On “Anaconda” and Respectability Politics (via carmenrios)

[ethiopienne]

#feels

[anxietyhaver]

There’s no point to a guy yelling, “Hey sexy baby” at me out of the passenger window of a car as it speeds past. Even if I was into creepy misogynists and wanted to give him my number, I couldn’t. The car didn’t even slow down. But that’s okay, because he wasn’t actually hitting on me. The point wasn’t to proposition me or chat me up. The only point was to remind me, and all women, that our bodies are his to stare at, assess, comment on, even touch. “Hey sexy baby” is the first part of a sentence that finishes, “this is your daily message from the patriarchy, reminding you that your body is public property”.

My First Name Ain’t Baby: ‘Hey Baby’ and Street Harassment (via staininyourbrain)

[unimpressed2chainz]

like 100% need to know why ppl don’t hesitate to justify cops killing a black person ‘maybe they were stealing’ wow black life is that disposable to you good to know

[steviemcfly]

In case they don’t hear you, though: When you say, “Maybe they were stealing,” you’re saying, “That candy bar was worth more than that black kid’s life. That teenager’s life, his college years, the possibility of a career and a family and a home, is worth less than a dollar.” And you know damn well they wouldn’t say that about a white kid. They’d be talking about the kid’s future and calling for justice. But we’re worthless to them. We’re not even worth a fucking single dollar.

[ethiopienne]

how do you bring a black child into a world that plots their destruction before they leave the womb? how do you explain to a black child that their life is a crime, that they will be hated for existing? how do you weight your own love heavily enough to stand up to every force that tells a black child they are unlovable by definition? how do you bring a black child into this world?

[sicklesium-moved-deactivated201]

i dont get offended at white people jokes even though im white because: 

i can recognize white people as a whole have systemically oppressed POC in america, which is where i live 

most people when they make white people jokes only mean the shitty white people and i am not a shitty white person 

im not a pissbaby

[damncommunists-deactivated20180]

my white friends that have reblogged this give me life

[zelda-tempest]

4. Sometimes I am a shitty white person and the jokes remind me to FUCKIN STOP

[blackhistoryalbum]

Eartha Kitt | 1960s

Quote, “I wouldn’t bother to describe me. I’m Eartha Kitt.”

[whatwhiteswillneverknow]

Ferguson Police have dogs and shotguns. The unarmed crowd is raising their hands.

[stele3]

For anyone not following the Mike Brown story on Twitter: a 17 year old black boy named Mike Brown, who was supposed to start college tomorrow, was shot to death in Ferguson, Missouri by police while jaywalking. He was unarmed. He was shot 9 times.

Initial media reports claimed that an 18 year old black man had been shot and killed while fleeing police after shoplifting.

People in the neighborhood, including members of Mike Brown’s family, came out of their homes and began to protest, shouting “no justice, no peace,” and keeping their hands in the air.

Media reports claimed that a violent mob quickly formed around the shooting location shouting “kill the police.”

Spread this. Tell the truth about what happened to this boy. Tell the truth about what is happening NOW. The police and the mainstream media is painting him as a criminal, and his community as a violent mob.

SPREAD THIS. Don’t let them lie.

[the-modernblackgirl]

Dear white people, please have all the seats. Y’all make all kinds of excuses to use the n-word, to call me a chink, to tell my brown friends to go back to their country, to make them apologize for 9/11, tell me to get over racism cuz ‘slavery ended 400 years ago’, tell me that ‘I’m just appreciating Indians by wearing this headdress’, oh, but the second BuzzFeed makes a post about liking Starbucks we’re being racist and perpetuating stereotypes. Oh. Okay. That’s cool. You have your television shows and music videos and billboard ads and magazine covers and movies that feature 99.99% white people but the second that I step up and ask if I can have a t.v. show that positively represents Asians I’m asking for too much. That’s just too much to handle right now what with all the white people blazoned across every media outlet. And before any of you think about responding with some baseless comment like, “These stereotypes are really bad; they reinforce segregation” just know that no one is killing you for these stereotypes. It does not affect you getting a job, or being objectified. Your ancestors erased entire histories and communities and you benefit from this so don’t try and read me because I made a joke about you wearing Uggs and liking Starbucks. Edit: One more thing, don’t use the ‘we’re all human’ excuse or the ‘I have a/n (insert race here) friend’ or the ‘I don’t see colour’ argument. Yes, we’re all human, but our life experiences are different, your small group of (insert race here) friends doesn’t mean you can say whatever slur you want, and ignoring colour invalidates and delegitmizes people’s identity, history, and stories, just cuz you don’t wanna talk about it.

Sean Kua

Comment from a buzzfeed post “

29 Tumblr Posts About White People That Will Make You Sip Your Tea” and my gosh he preaching 

(via ttfkagb)

[thespookyprofessor]

Template for Preferred Name/Pronouns Letter to Teachers:

Dear Professor [name],

My name is [Preferred name], and I will be attending your course [blank] on [days] at [time] this [term]. I am transgender and have not yet legally changed my name. On your roster is my legal name, [Legal name]. I would greatly appreciate it if you refer to me as [Preferred name] and use [pronouns] when referring to me. Thank you for your understanding, and I look forward to starting your course next week.

Sincerely,

~[Preferred name]

[shantology]

#5 - Octavia Butler

If Sun-Ra is the Father of Afro-futurism, than it’s mother would have to be Octavia Butler. Highly influenced by the fantastic, sci-fi and a nuanced reading of the history of Black people in America, Octavia fused elements from ancient Africa, the modern and the future state to develop a manipulated metaphorical, social critique of race, class, gender, spirituality and sexuality. As a MacArthur genius, she was the first science fiction writer awardee.

[feministcaptainkirk]

I swear I’m fun at parties.