In 1974, the first Black woman Random House editor gathered photographs, sheet music, advertisements, obituaries, patent applications, materials, art, and ephemera in a collection entitled The Black Book. These archives, anthologies, collages, and scrapbooks celebrated, bore witness to, and captured the spectacular and the quotidian of Black life in all[Read More…]
Search Results for author "Matthew Molinaro"
Campus Conversations: Archives
Community, Commemoration, and the Collective Archive Matthew Molinaro, Managing Editor Last semester, I started working in the Black Students’ Network (BSN) archive as part of my elected responsibilities in our political portfolio. In our small office nestled in the University Centre, I sat in front of hundreds of books, an[Read More…]
A labour of love
Times are tough, fellow McGillians. It seems like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge just aren’t doing the trick anymore—they’re all tricks themselves without any treats. The same faces repeat, over and over: How often do you need to scroll through blurry mirror selfies of George, U3 Mech Eng, a moderate from[Read More…]
Making a new world as we go
In 1960, the Queen of Jazz made a mistake. Performing the song “Mack the Knife” in West Berlin, Ella Fitzgerald forgot the lines. The weight of global expectations stood on her shoulders as one of the first Black women to sing this piece—and in front of a white, international audience,[Read More…]
By the light of a brother’s smile
In a now-viral, nine-minute introduction speech in praise of Michael B. Jordan’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, actor Jonathan Majors expressed his love for his friend, Creed III co-star, and brother. Embracing one another, the pair displayed an intimacy and affection uncommon in an era that has proclaimed[Read More…]
Resolving forward, for the year, and for more
The leap into the new year brings with it not only the start of the winter semester but the invocation behind your resolution: Ask not what 2023 can do for you, but what you can do for 2023. How do we make material promises, and start fresh from the ruins,[Read More…]
Decolonizing tennis, tournaments, and talent
When the greatest of all time, Serena Williams, made a return to tennis this past June, she decided to play doubles on the grass at the Eastbourne International. Looking for an in-form partner, she called up the talented Tunisian Ons Jabeur. Jabeur, the first Arab woman to break into the[Read More…]
On queer space, futurity, and inclusion
It’s Friday night and you’re done with midterms. You leave the heteronormative institution (if you really ever can), text a few friends, pick your favourite club, and dance the night away. You’re listening to queer icons––Cher or Madonna, Gaga or Rihanna, Diana Ross or Gloria Gaynor, Fiona Apple or Kim[Read More…]
On finding references, letters, and research connections
You’re thinking of going to graduate school or professional school. You’ve lined up the universities where you wish to apply––research-intensive Canadian universities, British universities with specialized masters, our Southern neighbour’s Ivies, and high-performing public institutions all make the list. You stumble not on the personal and research statement, not on[Read More…]
Loving my Black hair back
Last April, I attended a birthday party for a friend. Rather than looking back at the shared laughter and happiness of this gathering, I remember this night for a white person who, after complaining at length about their “difficult” straight hair, gestured toward me and my “easy” curls. Without my[Read More…]
