Quiet Salaam: Thoughts on Social Distancing

On April 24, 2020 By Aginetta MulimaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

I miss the places more than the actual people. Or I miss the people in their spaces. Do you think people can become landmarks? Some of my work friends have been laid off (or they’re working from home and I don’t feel right to ask them if this is so). Some of my classmates find solace in our virtual classroom. Some of the spaces converge and house new communities.

Even though my work lunch dates have lapsed, I still dream up my workmate’s laughter, witty jokes, and all the other things an N95 mask muffles. One of my professors opened a chat room where students could share their thoughts. Deep down, I know as people we need each other’s honesty on how we’re doing. However, in this pandemic experience, I am still cautious of how much to let out. I do miss the residual joy. I miss witnessing it.

Since I am an essential worker, I look for a shred of calm on the drive to and from work.

I watch the storybook houses, the dilapidated duplexes, and the grocery outlets blur together. There used to be fuller parking lots. There used to be the slush of school children crossing the street, and the crossing guard waving at all the cars — morning and afternoon. I wait for the quiet salaam.

I miss the anonymity of the Punjabi food market. I would come in, say hello to the clerk, and sweep through the aisles like a feather. I miss the wide swoop of the doors leading into Goodwill, when we didn’t need anything at all. I miss the mouths with straight teeth, missing teeth, or with bright lipstick.

When my family and I start to experience cabin fever, we drive all over – dividing the town like origami. The Lehigh Valley becomes a construction paper box and we are finding the corners that keep us in. Weeks earlier, my parents and I looked out onto it’s aerial space and awaited our chance to discover a place we had not been before.

I whisper a quiet salaam at the places we drive by.

I lay the quiet salaam on my pillow and let it breathe. It swirls around with the blades of my ceiling fan, as I think about the places I cannot visit right now. I miss the places more. Their buildings flanked by trees, with a corral of cars out front, and with me whispering how I want to be there. I want to be there with people I loved, even if I didn’t know their names.

Day 3: Which Doors Lead to War?

On January 3, 2020January 20, 2020 By Aginetta MulimaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Do you resurrect the hearts of men from their slumber?

Will you find them aghast

in their grave – pointing

on how their old wars

hold steadfast to the knees of men

too young for spring?

Do you find the tablespread

laid out with slingshots of Goliath –

protesting that wars not be sown in the hearts of men:

as a palatable whim?

– A.M.

With the threat of another war (or escalation), there are unanswered questions on the trajectory of this decade. Three days ago – only a mere step in to the new year – we’re faced with uneasiness. The reports that the United States is responsible for the killing of a top Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, unsettled a lot of congressional leaders. Some noted that they were not consulted on the magnitude of such a decision – one that lead to an assassination. So how do we shape our politics? What does fairness look like and more so how are leaders convincing their citizens they have their best interest at heart? I have more questions than answers but what else is new —

I’ve seen the #NoWarwithIran hashtag in circulation. I’ve also seen passionate analyses on the symbolism in war. Some point to the parallels in presidents using wars for reelection purposes. Others comment on the need for education; as it relates to, the commentary on imperialism, national propaganda, and xenophobic increases during war times.

With various human rights organizations around the world, we are accountable to someone — in the end. What lessons have we learned from our former predecessors on war, genocide, political upheaval, and violence? At the height of the ‘war on terrorism’, millennials were either children or young adults. The comparison of Bush’s presidency (with honorable mentions to Reagan and Clinton) clung to the analogies broadcasters used. After awhile, the clips of bombings and trampled streets blurred together. Yet, that isn’t fair – an entire population of people were affected. Those streets contained homes, shops, restaurants places of worship, and so on. Does empathy have a place in war?

Will our broadcasters show us how Iranian citizens will be affected after the United States’ decision to kill an Iranian general? Will they revisit this scene and expand our narratives on innocent bystanders in war? Here’s what I know: Contentment cannot be found in times of war; especially, for folks in the iris of the cyclone.

May we remember the importance of seeing humanity in all, and those who will (and are) marginalized in times of war (even the threats of war).

A.M.

Science Fiction and the Literacy Impact

On October 11, 2019November 11, 2019 By Aginetta MulimaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Now that I’m twenty-five years old, I can’t shake the excitement I felt over a decade ago while watching Reading Rainbow. My mother, who homeschooled me from Pre-K to Third grade, weaved PBS programs into my elementary curriculum such as Reading Rainbow.

LeVar Burton, the host of Reading Rainbow, sought out adventures both otherworldly and ordinary. On the show, he visited different places and gave many a behind-the-scenes look into the professions many adults had at the time. I remember vividly the episode featuring storybook artists and how they used rolling printers to make comic publications. Not only that, I recall how transcendent the stories felt when LeVar and various narrators read them.

Source: star-trek-the-next-generation.tumblr.com

There’s a shift from youth to adulthood – in the sense – some sensations will be sorely missed. A few years back, my mother and I rewatched some of the old Reading Rainbow episodes on Netflix or Hulu (I can’t recall which one) – alongside the Magic School Bus.

The point: curiosity and wonder do wonderful things for the heart. It allows people to step away from stagnancy and to embrace what they hadn’t fully explored before. What kind of experience am I talking about? Well – you might not have to take my word for how impactful literacy changes the lens to the universe.

Alright, so here’s the thing. My sense of awe and wonder became restored in the Stitcher podcast, Levar Burton reads. It felt like coming back to the green leather couches of my childhood home and fixating on every sentence that followed into the next incredulous adventure. By age eleven, I recognized Levar Burton from Star Trek: The Next Generation and Reading Rainbow. My parents could tell you that he played a defining role in Roots. Yet, for me this seasoned podcast of Levar Burton reads brought me back to the possibility I could lead my life again with curiosity.

The podcast, a home to many science fiction stories, awakened something I felt that I lost two years after college. Aside from learning the technical aspects of my degree.

What media did you enjoy as a kid and do you still think about it? What’s your favorite podcast? Place your comments below 🙂

Going Boldly Into Unease

On October 10, 2019September 13, 2020 By Aginetta MulimaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Amongst the distant stars, I envision myself standing on a Starfleet base. In a large window spanning the length of an average-sized economic car, I look at the gray sleekness of a cargo ship nearing the station. Undoubtedly, this ship could carry large sums of fuel, calibrators, and core reactors. In the extremity of U.S. politics, I dream of the worlds ventured by Starfleet captains and their various all-species crew members. I believe I could depart from this polarity on social issues and fly a run-about to solve problems that are not here on Earth.

One could say this is a delusional fantasy and then ask how on earth could someone catapult out of their present reality. Alongside these skeptics, I can hear the resounding chorus “you cannot run away from problems.” However, I think a lot of the scenarios gleaned from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and many more can allow us to understand our position on wanting to do so. As I come nearer to the end of Deep Space Nine (spanning seven seasons), I can’t help but wonder who the American government would view as themselves. Would certain politicians label themselves as the Starfleet officers, as the Dominion, as Cardassia, and/or Romulus. For intents and purposes, I won’t garner which of these militaristic, hawk-like, oppressed, and/ or morally questionable – because there maybe significant crossover.

As many science-fiction franchises, Star Trek continuously asks of the audience where ethics and morals lie. What are our ideals and how do we stand by these ‘honorable attributes’ in times of war? What can we see in others that can be hard at time to glean from ourselves? So far I have witnessed this question thoroughly examined with Starfleet doctors. Their scope often relates to the treatment of political prisoners, exacerbated casualties, biological warfare, and the psychological reasoning from captains (who may use hawkish techniques at time to achieve their end goal).

I reflect on whether my fantasy to throw myself into a fictional universe actually alleviates my country’s current position. We are already in the bind of wars and social inequalities. I’m not overall pessimistic but right now opposition to various freedoms here (and around the world) strikes a fear in me. Where will the narrative go?

On second thought, regular civilian characters are thrown into unpredictable situations – so this 23rd century world doesn’t completely count as a fantasy. Will their land be occupied and their people controlled remain under authoritarianism? Will there be large smear campaigns steeped in religious biases? Without a runaway question-train, I ask myself: which actions allow entire populations to change for the ‘good’. I am reminded of Dr. Julian Bashir who asks Captain Benjamin Sisko how the twenty first century became chaotic and oppressive in comparison to the present century (read: twenty-third century). For reference, these two characters ventured back in time. (Reference: Deep Space Nine, Season 3 Ep.11-12)

One example – although tricky – includes Deep Space Nine’s portrayal of Colonel Kira as tackling certain issues posed in the previous centuries. As the first officer and liason for Bajor council (between the federation and Bajor), Major Kira’s story arc seems promising. We learn that her and her colleagues on Bajor led a hearty resistance to Cardassian occupation. In fact, she represents almost the tenacity of a coming of age story for a refugee compelled to rise to the forefront and change history (if not for her deceased freedom fighter colleagues for the entirety of occupied Bajor). However producers Rick Berman and Ira Steven Behr do not leave us here, the audience must see Major Kira go through a tremendous amount of; reexamining trust, trying faith-based dilemmas, loss of an unexpected friend, and more.

With that in mind, I believe Star trek doesn’t coddle fans into a utopia but an immersive look at themselves in film. Not even on Riza, a manufactured pleasure island, could shield Star trek characters from the looming threat of violence and ethical questions tied into their very existence.

Hey you

On August 4, 2019August 4, 2019 By Aginetta MulimaIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Hey you, welcome to Mausoleum of African Violets. On this blog, I’m going to share with you my opinions on a variety of topics – an amalgam to be honest. Most of the discussions will range from social commentary related to culture, new finds, racial and gender identity, and of course whatever is happening in my realm.

Background:

Since completing my Bachelor’s degree, I have looked for an outlet to express my curiosities, concerns, and thought bubbles. My degree encompassed Writing and Global Studies. While studying, I focused mostly on black feminism, womanism, international social movements, and histories often left out of American education. Unless people went looking for more information about people of color, a lot of history in the present, past, and future is missing in our general conversations.
Once this blog begins, I’ll enjoy engaging with you all about your own commentary about the topics I post on here.