When I couldn’t physically go somewhere, the inside of a book could take me there. And thankfully I had the kinds of mentors that made sure I always had one.
This is The Black Urbanist Weekly with Kristen Jeffers, an email newsletter that highlights the Black Queer Feminist Urbanist thoughts and commentary of me, Kristen E. Jeffers, an internationally-known urban planner, fiber designer, and contributing editor. Think of this as an editorial page column, but directly in your email.
Let’s get started with a few words of reflection from me, then my weekly section on my Black queer feminist urbanist principles, “The Principle Corner”, then By the Way where I highlight articles and projects I had a hand in externally.; On the Shelf, On the Playlist where I share book and music recommendations, and finally Before You Go, where I share any ads and announcements if I have them and ways to support this work financially and externally.
The ritual was simple. My mom needed to work on Tuesday and Thursday nights to get on her feet when she and my dad decided to be co-parents of me rather than spouses in 1995.
Mom spent those work nights at the PieceGoods Fabric that made up one of the big sides of the sandwich that was the Leon’s Hair Salon in the middle and the Winn-Dixie supermarket on the other in the southwestern out parcel of the Four Seasons Town Centre. (Yes, the Canadian spelling, but we were very much still in North Carolina).
I’ll talk more about my life inside of the PieceGoods on the times I would come there with her (generally on her Saturday or Sunday afternoon shift on the weekends that weren’t those I spent with my Dad), next week, because places like that are my 3rd most comfortable physical space.
But today, we talk about the glory that was the coming of Borders Books and Music to Greensboro. It was just in time for those Daddy-Daughter bonding nights, and it was right down the street from the mall, that out parcel, and even both sets of homes, but still required a short drive because we are in Greensboro’s first wave of car-dependent suburbia (or second, depending on who you talk to).
I wrote about this particular corridor about a decade ago, because it’s just that formative, and what life I didn’t spend downtown, I spent on this strip and the two-five other suburbanizing US highway corridors in Greensboro.
In fact, the Borders came because a pine forest left in place for several years to sell mobile homes became a strip plus parking of four massive box stores. None of the original stores (Borders, jewelry, shoe, and office supply) are there and Borders became Walmart Neighborhood Market after the chain went bankrupt.
But, from 1996–2011, Borders was where I went when Barnes and Noble were too stuffy, and I wanted the better children’s section with the amphitheater seats. As I got older, I was at Borders for all the Black fiction. but elsewhere when I was trying to date in semi-secret, but gush over books.
Plus, as much as I adore the Greensboro Public Library and many of its branches and longtime staff, it didn’t have all the on-demand options back then. Plus, the branch wasn’t across the street from where my mom moved us to in 1995 the way it’s been since.
I also had my UNCG student card (and later my friend of the library card). We were also years away from the Hunt Library robot on NC State’s campus (and it came four years after my own graduation, without the same option for alumni to purchase borrowing privileges).
And now, of course, I live in DC with access to several libraries and library systems and small, some unionized, bookstore chains catering to all kinds of niches.
However, it was the bookstore pictured in my opening image that has my heart at the moment. It’s the Books-A-Million in Waldorf, Maryland. In about 25–30 minutes, I can walk into a near replica of my childhood Borders, but instead of being shuttered, it’s been reborn under another bookstore’s banner and continues to add books and other nerdery to the big box shopping center where it sits, much like my old strip in South Greensboro.
And my inner child is happy because she is cocooned and then I can go back to the wonderful life those hours of imagination created as an adult.
The Principle Corner
Each week, I’m taking a moment to share how I’ve been building the Black Queer Feminist Urbanist practice and ethic, so we can approach this work from a similar starting point. In this section over the next few weeks of these themed newsletters, I’ll be reminding you why I’m ranking spaces in the first place and how that’s building up into launching phase one of the usable Black Queer Feminist Urbanist dashboard.
I came up with bookstores and libraries being second by listing ten places on a vertical scale of 1–10 with 1 being the safest for me and ten being the least.
I’m still working on how I want to collect this kind of information from you, and how it would work in an interactive dashboard, but for now, just email me your top ten. Let me know if you’d want me to share it in a future edition of this space!
And for reference, Here’s the vertical version of my Personal Space Comfort Index from most to least comfortable, with this week’s space in bold and next week’s space in italics:
Nature Trail/River Kayaking
Bookstores and Libraries
Craft circles, stores, and festivals
Places that sell and serve food (restaurants/grocery stores/bars)
Private residences
Public transportation
Schools and workplaces
Healthcare facilities
Hair Salons
Churches* (I’ll explain this asterisk in a few weeks when I break down why I feel least comfortable in a church but not necessarily in spiritual spaces).
By the Way
Here’s where I share other articles/videos that were noteworthy for me this week in this section. Apologies in advance for things behind a paywall. Some things I subscribe to and others I grab just before the wall comes down on me. I will start marking these articles and describing them.
Today is the Trans Day of Visibility and I’m really excited to have had a hand in editing this cross-post article on gender-expansiveness on transit spaces globally for GGWash. I’m going to be editing for them for a little while longer while I continue to build up this platform and I’m grateful that in this iteration of the site, we are supportive and committed to equity not just in topics, but in those who byline with us. Likewise, while others talked about the big indictment, I’m happy to hear that a federal Trans Bill of Rights was introduced in the US House and that so many folks are fighting back against all the laws and procedures being introduced threatening our safety as trans, genderqueer and nonbinary people. Hang in there folks and celebrate yourselves today!
So right as I was putting the finishing touches on this letter, I saw the plans for this new public library in Howard County, Maryland, which will be the new central branch and I’m bookmarking it on my libraries to camp out in when it’s finished. Also, have to go see this Black feminists in DC exhibition at the main DC Public Library branch.
And finally, I’m running a bit behind on publishing this week because I went down to Norfolk to support Les for her very first keynote speech, at the community college branch she graduated from in 2008. I’m very proud of her and everything she’s done with endoQueer and within our urbanism industry.
On the Shelf, On the Playlist
So, since we are talking a little bit about bookstores that really influenced me and my formative years, I’m going to dedicate this section to where you can find some of the books that I loved in those key moments between 1986–2004 that I would have been considered a young reader.
First, you can still buy Little Golden Books. The first book I memorized was one and it started this whole self-reading journey when I was four and a half. And yes, the title is a reference to Reading Rainbow, which was a staple in my household, and considering the household I grew up in, the reason I know LeVar Burton for the three most popular things he was known for in the late 80s, and early 90s. Yes, I’ve also listened to his book-reading podcast.
And there’s been so much written about the queer undertones of The Baby-sitter’s Club book series and the most recent TV adaptation, but somehow, deep in the closet, I never realized a queer elder was speaking to me.
And while I don’t like the meanings and insinuations behind Beauty and the Beast, I still really want Belle’s village library from the original Disney animated film from 1991. I also was so excited to find one of the most vividly illustrated and world-creating children’s books I also received the Christmas I received this VHS, the Sign of the Seahorse, which is still in print and available to order.
Before You Go
This is our last section, where I have classified advertisements for others, but I also advertise things that I’m doing that are for sale or for hire. Rates start at $75 a week for a four-week commitment and $150 for just one week. Learn more and get started with your ad!
Free training on data analysis and storytelling for organizations working in urban equitable development
The Equitable Development Data Insight Training Initiative (EDDIT) teaches organizations, non-profits, and local governments in the U.S. and Canada how to use their data and resources to document, reflect, evaluate, and communicate the impacts of their work to stakeholders and communities.
Our skilled data analysis and storytelling experts help organizations reach new audiences using data and resources they already own. We work closely with your organization to create 20–30 hours of personalized modules designed to meet your data and narrative needs. Organizations located in small to mid-sized cities (with populations less than 500,000) are eligible for our Initiative.
We are looking for a wide range of equitable development projects, from a local community garden to a city-wide public transportation plan. If you know an organization who could benefit from free training in data analysis and storytelling, we encourage you to share this Initiative. Let’s build equitable cities together. There is no cost to apply.
Find out more on our website.
The Equitable Development Data Insight Training Initiative (EDDIT) is a collaboration between UC Berkeley Centre for Community Innovation and University of Toronto School of Cities, funded by a $2.2 million (USD) grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
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Postdoctoral Scholar Fellow — Homelessness Hub
Location: University of California, San Diego
Homelessness Hub, a research entity in the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at UC San Diego, invites applications for a postdoctoral fellow working in the area of homelessness and/or housing precarity.
The official postdoctoral scholar fellowship appointment will be through the UC San Diego Department of Urban Studies and Planning. The postdoctoral scholar will work under the supervision of the Homelessness Hub leadership team: Dr. Jennifer Nations, Dr. Mirle Rabinowitz Bussell, and Dr. Leslie Lewis.
Homelessness Hub is focused on research, education, and communications on housing and homelessness-related topics for San Diego and neighboring regions. Equity and justice are integral to our work and we center the experiences of individuals with lived experience of homelessness. We are actively expanding our research agenda and will do so by leveraging new and existing collaborations.
A highly qualified postdoctoral scholar is sought to contribute to all aspects of
Homelessness Hub’s research process. Position duties include but are not limited to: developing research design and methods; data collection and analysis; writing manuscripts and grant proposals; and mentoring and supervising students and research assistants.
Program: https://homelessnesshub.ucsd.edu
Department: https://usp.ucsd.edu
Salary range: A reasonable salary range estimate for this position is $64,522-$72,000.
APPLY LINK: https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF03524
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If you want me to show up on your panel, keynote, or podcast book a complimentary consultation call. I still have open availability for 2023 and 2024.
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I have created a special landing page, www.theblackurbanist.com/books, that’s not only a home for my upcoming volume, A Black Urbanist Journey to a Queer Feminist Future, but all those books in the Black Queer Feminist Urbanist canon.
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if you want to send me money for quick expenses or like a tip jar, you can Venmo me or buy me a Ko-fi. If you become a Patreon, you can do that on a set monthly basis, along with a special thank you note each week! The GoFundMe is still alive if you want to make large donations quickly and you can subscribe on Substack, but know that nothing in this newsletter is going behind paywall, this is considered a love offering.
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And if you want to support my textile and fiber work, head over to www.kristpattern.com.
Until next time,
Kristen