Welcome to Angelic Troublemakers
“We need in, every community, a group of angelic troublemakers. Our power is in our ability to make things unworkable. The only weapons we have are our bodies. We need to tuck them into places so that wheels don’t turn.”
-Bayard Rustin
Hello and welcome to Angelic Troublemakers. This newsletter is a celebration of “angelic troublemakers” from history: queer, BIPOC, women/femme and nonbinary activists in the global fight for social justice. Each week will feature a profile an activist or important historical moment.
This newsletter grew out of an informal project on my Instagram account. A few years ago, I started doing short historical vignettes every February for Black History Month, later expanding to cover Women’s History Month in March and Pride Month in June. The reactions from my community showed me there is a thirst for this type of history, which typically gets left out of the whitewashed history we get in school.
I will also use this space to discuss my work with Drag Story Arizona, Virtual Arizona Pride, White Hat Research & Policy Group and no doubt share unsolicited opinions as the feeling strikes me.
The first issue debuts on Monday, January 4, with a profile of the person who gave this newsletter its name, Bayard Rustin. So subscribe now so you don’t miss a thing. And share with your friends.