By Dena IgustiIn the midst of Broken words, busy schedules, and different interests, Lobster was the one thing That kept us all in the dinner table. A whole lobster chopped and grilled Into small, breakable pieces, Red, hard, and slightly Marinated with batter, green onions, and ginger. Our family conversations Are like the remnants of the lobster…
By Dena IgustiThe sign marking the site where Emmett Till’s body was found in Tallahatchie County is now pierced by more than 40 bullet holes. 14-year-old Emmett Till was kidnapped and brutally murdered in 1955 after allegedly whistling at a White woman. His body was thrown in the Tallahatchie River. The two White men responsible for his death…
By Dena IgustiA boy is thinner than me And I blame myself For not being small enough Strange men stare at me For more than 5 seconds And I blame myself For looking back A country forced me To smooth my mouth of My mother’s accent And I blame my tongue For being so malleable A country…
By Dena IgustiLast week, Nicholas Tavella, a former Pennsylvania State University student, pleaded guilty to an ethnically-motivated attack on a fellow student in December 2015. Tavella was charged with felony ethnic intimidation and misdemeanor terroristic threats. Too often, Islamophobic rhetoric, as well as rhetoric that targets marginalized groups, dehumanizes individuals within these communities. Tavella was accused of…
By Dena IgustiThe Zaytouna-Oliva, the Women’s Boat For Gaza is the first all-female flotilla, and consists of 13 women activists from various countries, including Norway, Sweden, Australia, Egypt, Tunisia, Malaysia, Israel, the United States and Canada. The flotilla aims to stop the illegal Israeli blockade in Gaza, as well as raise awareness on the role of Palestinian…
By Dena IgustiMy Islam. My prayer mat underneath my bed Islam My Qur’an next to my Kanye albums and Chance poster Islam My — the only dates you’re allowed to have are the ones during Ramadan — Islam My forgot to set my alarm for Fajr Islam My you don’t eat pork? So you never had bacon?…
