I am 48yo & only recently started calling my father, Dad. It was a conscious choice as he has finally earned my trust after decades of absence & disappointments. Our relationship is finally genuine, not contrived, it is meaningful & safe. I feel loved & sacred in his presence. My Dad, Martin is a retired college professor & published author. For decades the world was robbed of his brilliance due to the disease of addiction & I was robbed of his presence due to a legal system which criminalized his disease.

Today is #Juneteenth. A holiday my family and I have celebrated for decades—but that has only been observed as an official federal holiday as of 2021.

Some may wonder, why does this day matter? Why is national recognition so significant, and so long overdue? 🧵 It matters because, as we celebrate Juneteenth—the day that marks the emancipation of my enslaved ancestors—it is a truth-telling reminder of our nation’s history and founding.

May every child know the safety of a love like this. #HappyFathersDay to the best #GirlDad my husband, Conan. Cora has been nurtured by your love, covered by your prayers & inspired by your example. She is kind, smart, strong, confident, & knows her worth. What a gift it has been to see your love deepen & your bond strengthen with each year.

In the words of my dear friend & scholar @sandylocks,

If we aren’t intersectional, some of us, the most vulnerable, are going to fall through the cracks.

This #WomensHistoryMonth, I’m thinking of those in the midst of our continued struggle for disability justice. .@VilissaThompson is a scholar, researcher, and social worker.

She is the founder and CEO of Ramp Your Voice and has played a critical role in advancing nationwide conversations about the lived experiences of Black disabled women in America.

Willie O’Ree is a hockey legend, trailblazer, ice breaker, hero & activist whose powerful story is unknown to far too many.

We changed that today when the House passed our Willie O’Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act—the highest honor Congress can give a civilian. 🧵 Willie O’Ree is a descendent of enslaved people who made history with the @NHLBruins 64 years ago when he became the first Black player to play in the @NHL.

He played 45 games in the NHL & spent over 20 years in pro hockey—all while hiding the fact that he was blind in one eye.

Each #MLKDay, some will cherry-pick quotes from Dr. King & reduce his legacy to that of a peaceful protestor with a dream.

He was indeed a prophetic leader & early architect of the Civil Rights movement—but there's much more to his story.🧵 We often see excerpts from "I Have A Dream" weaponized & perverted to justify legislated white supremacy.

But the truth is Dr. King was a radical dreamer with a bold vision for revolutionary change.

A disruptive movement builder seeking to upend an unjust status quo.

History isn't made on one Election Day, or even one election cycle.

History is made by the candidates, the organizers, the advocates, the volunteers who have worked for years - for generations - to build our communities. To build movements. To build power. 🧵 In 2009, when I won my first race for Boston City Council, I was the first woman of color elected in the Council's 100+ year history, and one of only two women on the Council that term - alongside eleven men. (2/x)

Out of love for Black community, culture/arts & wellness, visionary community builder @Sifublack in partnership w @juliaforboston est. Black Joy Day, which was officially celebrated in Boston today. In this thread are tools, images, gifts that inform my joy. Share some of yours. New Edition always makes my playlist. Today's list also included Jonathan McReynolds, Chloe, H.E.R., Jazmine Sullivan, Nina Simone, Brandy, The Temptations, Remy Ma, Mary J. Blige & John Coltrane.

Today, when I phoned him, I called him Dad. For years, I called him by his first name & celebrated my Mom on Mother's and Father's Day. Grace, his sobriety & time have allowed us to heal. When he was absent & unhealthy, I both missed & resented him. But he never stopped trying to reach me, writing me, sending me books, informing my love of literature, poetry & my Black consciousnes. He made sure I knew that I was loved & missed.

George Floyd’s murder has everything to do with white supremacy, the disparate criminalization of substance abuse disorders and America’s inability to see Black people's humanity.

He didn’t give his life to become a martyr. His life was violently stolen. Today, I’m sharing photos that capture joyful moments in George Floyd’s life.

Images of Black death flood our timelines daily. This is your reminder to celebrate and hold close moments of Black joy. Our skin is not a crime. It is the robe of nation builders.

End qualified immunity. Pass anti lynching law. Voting rights. Reparations. Cancel student debt. Baby bonds. A race conscious, modernized CRA to stop redlining. A healing state instead of a carceral one. An end to Black maternal mortality & the push out of Black girls in schools. This is only some of what must happen. Undoing centuries of precise *legislated* hurt and harm done to Black Americans, it won't be undone by any one law change. It's going to take multiple bills, political will and courage at every level of govt.

231,000 women are currently incarcerated in the United States.

I'm calling on @POTUS to use his executive authority to grant clemency to 100 of them in his first 100 days.

🧵 Here are their names: Akouavi Afolabi
Minnie Coleman
Peggy Fulford
Rosalie Garcia
Kathryn Garten
Terry Williams
Jessica Antunez
Eva Atencio
Roberta Bell
Chyann Bratcher
Charlene Castrejon
Katrina Danforth
Brenda Fine
Ranette Hauser
Valerie Lowe
Tami Miller
Stella Nickell
Rebecca Parrett

While carrying the calloused, corrupt & science denial water of Donald J. Trump, the R's in the Senate obstructed real COVID-19 relief for the American people for nearly a year, Along with obstructing the restoration of voting rights, investments in infrastructure, the banning of no knock warrants, police chokeholds, reducing the cost of Rx drugs, & anti lynching leg. to name just a few, & now Impeachment

Powerful closing by my classmate & dear friend @JoeNeguse "This must be the end, and not the beginning." That's right, this is as much about accountability as it is prevention. Convict & Disqualify. @JoeNeguse speaks to the irrevocable trauma, physical harm & loss of life, the stain on our history initiated by Donald J. Trump, a drum major for insurrection.

Holding space for joy and celebration, I want to extend heartfelt birthday wishes to some of my fellow female Aquarians in the #MA7. Hope each of you took a moment to enjoy some cake, breathe, and renew yourself for the work ahead. To the trailblazing, table-shaking @MayorSiddiqui - a bold advocate and champion for the people of Cambridge.

Good afternoon.

Dr. King was an anti-war, anti-capitalist justice seeker who rejected poverty, racism, militarism and the death penalty. He challenged the hypocrisy of "socialism for the rich and capitalism for the poor."

An Administration as diverse as the nation, clear about the task ahead, responsive to the people, and committed to bold policies that meet the scale of the crises we face.

That’s what I’m after.

Tonight, I feel encouraged. A historic DHS Secretary will face a historic call to action:

https://twitter.com/RAICESTEXAS/status/1330971217390686211

The November election is the most consequential in our lifetimes.

Today, I'm proud to make additional endorsements of colleagues & candidates who will bring a diversity of lived experience to the halls of Congress & carry with them the voices of the people they represent. Since she was sworn-in to the U.S. Senate, @TinaSmithMN has been a strong advocate for the people of Minnesota. She's been a leading voice in critical fights to expand housing, empower students, protect workers, support our elders, & more.

Yesterday was painful. Today, for a moment, we convened around a virtual table with @Oprah (!) & allowed ourselves to heal some, & to remind each other of our power. TY @OWNYourVote @JotakaEaddy @joshuadubois @NAACP Caption this: Golden Girls, the melanin remix Minutes before @OWNYourVote town hall went live, we realized we all were in yellow. We did NOT plan it, but something divine did. @Oprah was in orange but also had initially planned to wear yellow as well @MsLaToshaBrown @MsPackyetti

Grateful to be in community & in solidarity w my fellow bike activists & racial justice allies at the Ride for Black Lives @R4BLBOS I was so moved by the words & lived experiences shared at this 3rd ride. The movement has not waned. Hundreds showed up to affirm #BLM Proud to Co-Chair the Congressional Bike Caucus w @repblumenauer & to have Co-Founded the Future of Transportation Caucus w @RepChuyGarcia @MarkTakano & the Freedom to Move Act w @EdMarkey

These facts & headlines have persisted for decades.The lack of representation has nothing to do w/a lack of qualified candidates, & everything to do with a lack of will & intention. Flag raisings, lapel pins & murals are not sufficient.We've earned our seat, shared power. Period

https://twitter.com/jtuohey21/status/1292548191972401154

As my granddaddy often said, "make it plain".The Boards are dominated by white men on purpose. To date, they haven't fixed it because they didn't want to. The reckoning on racial justice is not about statues, it's about statutes, laws, budgets, boardrooms, monetary policy, equity