Volume 3, Issue 20: Perfection in the Progressive Olympics

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Hi friends! Today I want to talk about what I will refer to as “Perfection in the Progressive Olympics.” There are people who try to do the absolute most. I know because I have been one of them.

I buy my coffee from a local, Black woman-owned brand (Kahawa 1893) that gets their beans from Black women farmers in various African countries (it’s delicious and I highly recommend it). I try to buy books in person at my local independent queer-owned bookshop (Spectator Books) or at the oldest independent Black bookstore in the U.S. (Marcus Books). I try to buy clothing from brands that make their clothes in the U.S. and have ethical practices and bonus if the company is woman-owned. We try to drive as little as possible. We use reusable cotton pads instead of disposable ones. I don’t remember the last time I read a book by a cisgender white man (a graphic novel, maybe?). I am the chair of the DEIBJA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, Justice and Access) committee for the international professional organization for my day job. In my day job I help fundraise for huge amounts of money to fund things like finding cures for cancer and training more Black teachers for K-12 schools. We buy most of our produce from the farmer’s market. We donate money to abortion funds and local community programs. We buy what we can from brick & mortars so as to not add to the amount of packaging and mailers that go into the trash or recycling. And so forth, and so on.