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This is Terryonna's story. It could change your life.

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My name is Terryonna Nunnelly. I am a healing twenty-six-year-old Black woman. I am an imperfect, emerging leader. My story begins in Columbia, Missouri where I was born and raised by my very own set of superheroes, my mother Christy Moten and my grandmother Gussie Samuels. I had a poor upbringing, and I resented my mother so much for this. Until I was an adult. Until I realized the challenges she faced and the sacrifices she made to give us the little she could provide. As young as I could remember I was taking care of my siblings, my ill grandmother and our home. My mother worked evening shifts most evenings returning home after we had all fallen asleep. I would wake my grandmother at 5:00am to dress her and get her ready for dialysis three days a week from kindergarten through eighth grade. I would turn around and wake my siblings and get us ready for our school days. When we would return home, the kids would go out and play, my duties were helping my grandmother cook and clean sinc...

The story of B., an Afghan refugee woman.

Story written Refugee Services, a local resettlement agency in Columbia, MO. The agency was planning a baby shower for Afghan Moms.      If you’re a Mom you know what I mean. Bad pregnancy symptoms. Taking care of children while carrying another. Wondering what tomorrow will bring. Now picture running for your life at the same time. This Mom’s name cannot be disclosed because she fears for her family back home so I’ll call her B. She spent several weeks of her pregnancy fleeing for her life, at one time sleeping in a waterlogged tent. B. is an Afghan Mom who is pregnant with a boy. She doesn’t know exactly how many months pregnant she is because she’s been away from home so long her sense of time is uncertain. When she was two months pregnant B. and her family, her husband and their eleven children, fled Afghanistan when the Talibans took over. He husband worked as a trainer in the Special Forces with the U.S. military and that put the entire family at risk of being k...

You need to read this.

 From Mother Jones magazine: The moral panic over Critical Race Theory

On changing the narrative: interview with Jennifer Morgan on enslaved African women.

  Jennifer Morgan interview

Resource: Health services for transgender Missourians.

 The Transgender Health Network provides health services to trans Missourians: Transgender Health Network

Here's to Pride month 2021! (And thanks to Nclusion+ for the shows.)

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Silent March in loving remembrance of George Floyd sponsored by local organizations, including the WE project.

 From The Missourian : Silent March for George Floyd

Levi's story of trans becoming (ongoing.)

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  Levi Collins gets ready for his debut drag p erformance at the Nclusion show in Columbia on Saturday night. "I was hiding until recently. I tried to commit suicide last year because I thought I should be gone, because of Christians and people who are against LGBTQ people made me feel like this. How do you tell kids when they keep asking you 'Are you a girl or are you a boy?' that you are a girl AND a boy and that it’s OK? Love yourself as you are, because you yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. I love drawing and playing the drums, and recently I started performing drag, and it made me feel as if I was welcomed into a family." Levi Collins. Levi, who is deaf and used a different name before, recently started transitioning, and is blossoming.

Things you should know about that happened in the U.S. today.

  https://www.indianz.com/News/2021/04/02/shut-down-dapl-lakota-youth-bring-black-snake-to-bidens-front-door/

Check out this directory of Black-owned businesses in the US:

Click here to support Black-owned business.

Happy Women's History Month: "Women are the change our community needs."

 Follow 100 Days in Appalachia. They put the J in journalism. In Appalachia, women are the change we need.

Vaccine equity, from the 100 Days in Appalachia newsroom.

  Vaccine equity.

Nclusion charity drag show.

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The performer Artemis Grey gets ready before the Nclusion charity drag show to benefit Jabberwocky Studios in Columbia on Saturday, January 29th, 2021.

This needs to be front-page news every day.

Read about the state of the coronavirus in our prisons. From The Marshall Project:   https://www.themarshallproject.org/2020/05/01/a-state-by-state-look-at-coronavirus-in-prisons  

Eugene Goodman needs to be recognized and honored for his service to our democracy.

From ProPublica: https://www.propublica.org/article/capitol-eugene-goodman  

Hope after federal judge restores DACA: Ana's hope.

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A federal judge yesterday ordered the Department of Homeland Security to restore the DACA, the program started by President Obama in 2012.  For thousands like Ana, of Mexico, MO, this news is huge. To understand how important, you can read Ana's story, starting with the first installment in February 2019:   Ana's Story.

More bad immigration policy.

 From The New York Times : https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/04/us/politics/trump-immigration-hunger.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

ProPublica's story on ICE expelling children in the name of COVID spread prevention.

  Pro-Publica: ICE Is Making Sure Migrant Kids Don’t Have COVID-19 — Then Expelling Them to “Prevent the Spread” of COVID-19

A beautifully written tribute and call for our humanity by Roshae Hemmings of The Missourian.

https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/in-silence-walking-man-taught-compassion-and-patience/article_71b679d2-d371-11ea-9f97-7371c9c55e84.html

A new resource for trans folks.

https://www.sunshinebehavioralhealth.com/resources/transgender-community/