# first word (blogs) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 2 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover first word. Page: Feed: --- ## [Where Black Students Find Racial Healing on Campus](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/where-black-students-find-racial-healing-on-campus/) _2026-08-30 · Aaliyah Amos · Word In Black_ Four Black grads reflect on the spaces that helped them process racial stress and feel whole. The post Where Black Students Find Racial Healing on Campus appeared first on Word In Black . ## [Who Represents Black Florida? The Answer Just Got Complicated](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/black-faces-white-districts-and-floridas-political-funhouse/) _2026-08-27 · Joseph Williams · Word In Black_ Florida’s primaries delivered a Black MAGA gubernatorial nominee, a white Democrat representing a heavily Black constituency and an underfunded Black progressive who toppled an establishment favorite. The post Who Represents Black Florida? The Answer Just Got Complicated appeared first on Word In Black . ## [A Network for Solutions to a Crisis](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/a-network-for-solutions-to-a-crisis/) _2026-08-27 · Jennifer Porter Gore · Word In Black_ The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate of any wealthy nation — and Black American women experience the worst of the worst, dying at rates roughly 2.5 times the national average and about three times higher than the rate of white women. Morgan State University in Baltimore is advancing groundbreaking, community-centered research examining \[…\] The post A Network for Solutions to a… ## [Baltimore’s Community Concert Choir Heads to Historic Ebenezer](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/baltimores-community-concert-choir-heads-to-historic-ebenezer/) _2026-08-27 · Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware · Word In Black_ Baltimore and Atlanta share deep traditions of Black faith, education, music and civil rights. The Community Concert Choir of Baltimore’s first Atlanta performance will bring those histories together inside the spiritual home of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The post Baltimore’s Community Concert Choir Heads to Historic Ebenezer appeared first on Word In Black . ## [Dolly Parton Didn’t Just Say Black Lives Mattered. She Showed It.](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/dolly-parton-didnt-just-say-black-lives-mattered-she-showed-it/) _2026-08-27 · Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware · Word In Black_ Long before corporate statements about racial justice became commonplace, Dolly Parton demonstrated her values through her money, music and philanthropy — from investing Whitney Houston royalties in Black Nashville to putting free books into millions of children’s hands. The post Dolly Parton Didn’t Just Say Black Lives Mattered. She Showed It. appeared first on Word In Black . ## [Father Pfleger Is Cleared. His Supporters Say the Process Is Broken](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/father-pfleger-is-cleared/) _2026-08-26 · Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware · Word In Black_ Father Michael Pfleger, a longtime social justice activist, is returning to ministry at predominantly Black St. Sabina after being cleared of his fifth abuse allegation, renewing calls from supporters to reform how the Chicago Archdiocese investigates clergy. The post Father Pfleger Is Cleared. His Supporters Say the Process Is Broken appeared first on Word In Black . ## [EVENT: Fighting Air Pollution in Black Communities, 9/2](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/event-fighting-air-pollution-in-black-communities-9-2/) _2026-08-26 · Shernay Williams · Word In Black_ An American Lung Association study found that almost half of all Americans live in communities with unhealthy ozone and particle pollution levels. People of color are more than twice as likely to live in these areas. In partnership with The Washington Informer, Word In Black will host a discussion with innovators working to curb pollution \[…\] The post EVENT: Fighting Air Pollution in Black… ## [Memphis Wants to Hit Pause on Musk’s Data Center Boom](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/memphis-wants-to-hit-pause-on-musks-data-center-boom/) _2026-08-25 · Willy Blackmore · Word In Black_ When Elon Musk opened his first SpaceXAI data center in South Memphis about two years ago, the city had no real regulations for such facilities, but it didn’t seem to matter. The facility was built in an old Electrolux manufacturing plant in an area already zoned for industrial use near Boxtown, a historically Black neighborhood \[…\] The post Memphis Wants to Hit Pause on Musk’s Data Center Boom… ## [Frustration When You Meant Anticipation](https://frozen-octopus.com/news/2026/08/24/frustration-when-you-meant-anticipation) _2026-08-24 · dave · Frozen Octopus_ Sometimes when I open an album from the list by an artist I don't know yet, it won't be out. It is set as a pre-release, and all the tracks are grayed out. Sometimes one or two will be listenable. The intended effect of a pre-release is supposed to build tension and anticipation. It is supposed to get me excited for that magic day when the album is out. I worry that it is having the opposite… ## [The Psychiatric Green Book: A Roadmap to Care](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/the-psychiatric-green-book-a-roadmap-to-care/) _2026-08-24 · Jennifer Porter Gore · Word In Black_ A first-of-its-kind resource is now available to help Black families manage one of the most unsettling occurrences it can face — a family member’s mental health crisis. “What I Wish My People Had Known — The Psychiatric Green Book: A Guide for Black Folks,” published by the Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective, is written \[…\] The post The Psychiatric Green Book: A Roadmap to Care appeared… ## [Persona-led AI publishing (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/OFMPOL4Idcna) _2026-08-24 · **Sponsored**_ Generate drafts, schedule subdomain publishing, and keep human review where needed. ## [Barber Takes Moral Mondays From Protest to the Polls](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/barber-takes-moral-mondays-from-protest-to-the-polls/) _2026-08-24 · Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware · Word In Black_ After spending months lobbying members of Congress on Capitol Hill, Moral Mondays is leaving Washington, D.C., and going local. Bishop William Barber II wants churches, neighborhoods, and grassroots groups to turn protest into political power by mobilizing 5 million infrequent low-income voters ahead of the midterms. The post Barber Takes Moral Mondays From Protest to the Polls appeared first on… ## [The Woman Behind Dr. King’s ‘Letter’ Is Getting Her Due](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/the-woman-behind-dr-kings-letter-is-getting-her-due/) _2026-08-21 · Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware · Word In Black_ More than six decades after the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. composed his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” the young Black woman who helped transform scattered notes on smuggled scraps of paper into one of history’s greatest writings is finally receiving greater recognition. Willie Pearl Mackey King worked for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) \[…\] The post The Woman Behind Dr.… ## [AI’s Data Center Boom Keeps Finding Black Communities](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/ais-data-center-boom-keeps-finding-black-communities/) _2026-08-21 · Willy Blackmore · Word In Black_ The AI data-center boom has repeatedly brought pollution and infrastructure fights to Black communities. In Covington, Georgia, residents say the latest project went a step further: turbines and generators arrived — and some began operating — before regulators gave their approval. The post AI’s Data Center Boom Keeps Finding Black Communities appeared first on Word In Black . ## [Conserve and Burst](https://frozen-octopus.com/news/2026/08/20/conserve-and-burst) _2026-08-20 · dave · Frozen Octopus_ I went to the rehearsal studio last night to play some drums to get ready for an important show on Saturday. Playing drums alone is fun but sometimes there is a point where you have no idea what to play. So I decided to use the time to get better at a kick drum technique I don't use often. There are two basic ways to hit a kick drum. 1. Press Only Version one is press the kick pedal down for every… ## [The Black Church Can’t Fight HIV Without Confronting Its Past](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/the-black-church-cant-fight-hiv-without-confronting-its-past/) _2026-08-20 · Jennifer Porter Gore · Word In Black_ HIV remains a serious public health crisis, with Black people accounting for about 40% of people living with HIV despite representing just 12% of the U.S. population. Stigma and societal norms continue to derail vital conversations around the epidemic — a public health crisis that has disproportionately impacted Black communities for more than 40 years. \[…\] The post The Black Church Can’t Fight… ## [Stephen A. Smith’s Problem Isn’t His Opinions. It’s Accountability](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/stephen-a-smiths-problem-isnt-his-opinions-its-accountability/) _2026-08-19 · Joseph Williams · Word In Black_ Stephen A. Smith has every right to criticize Black politicians, athletes and public figures. But having an opinion doesn’t confer immunity from scrutiny — especially when a pattern of commentary about Black women raises legitimate questions about misogynoir. The post Stephen A. Smith’s Problem Isn’t His Opinions. It’s Accountability appeared first on Word In Black . ## [The Cyclospora Outbreak Is Easing. The Bigger Problem Isn’t.](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/the-cyclospora-outbreak-is-easing-the-bigger-problem-isnt/) _2026-08-19 · Jennifer Porter Gore · Word In Black_ Three months after the likely first batch of lettuce contaminated with the Cyclospora parasite was sold in the United States, food inspectors and public health officials appear to be getting a grip on the outbreak that has sickened thousands and killed two people. On August 14, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 3,123 \[…\] The post The Cyclospora Outbreak Is Easing. The Bigger… ## [When a Black Child Dies Without Answers, Grief Has Nowhere to Go](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/when-a-black-child-dies-without-answers-grief-has-nowhere-to-go/) _2026-08-18 · Rev. Shiela Johnson · Word In Black_ When a death remains unexplained, mourning can become suspended between grief and dread. For Black families, that uncertainty is compounded by a history of racial violence, institutional distrust and the inherited fear that the world may not keep their children safe. The post When a Black Child Dies Without Answers, Grief Has Nowhere to Go appeared first on Word In Black . ## [The Hidden Cost of the “Great Deal”: Is Fast Fashion Worth Your Health?](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/the-hidden-cost-of-the-great-deal-is-fast-fashion-worth-your-health/) _2026-08-18 · Jennifer Porter Gore · Word In Black_ In the past decade, fast-fashion retailers have reshaped how Americans shop, creating a constant firehose of new styles and “irresistible” deals for consumers of trendy clothing often made quickly and cheaply. The barrage of options is refreshed daily by online retailers like Shein, Temu and Fashion Nova, alongside chains like H&M. U.S. consumers spend tens \[…\] The post The Hidden Cost of the… ## [Batch Processing Albums](https://frozen-octopus.com/news/2026/08/16/batch-processing-albums) _2026-08-17 · dave · Frozen Octopus_ If you are following the Album feed from this website, you might have noticed a little chaos lately. I have been running all the old albums through Claude Cowork having it find and update any missing genres and record labels. It is doing it in batches and it is actually getting things in order. That's the good news. The "bad" news is the updated albums are showing up in the RSS feed which is a… ## [Retro Grid Dungeon Crawler (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/gjgmIsi3K5P9) _2026-08-17 · **Sponsored**_ Retro grid movement with first-person combat, loot and skill-tree progression. ## [Is 2819 Church About Jesus — or Philip Anthony Mitchell?](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/is-2819-church-about-jesus-or-philip-anthony-mitchell/) _2026-08-14 · Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware · Word In Black_ Philip Anthony Mitchell points followers to Jesus. Critics worry some are putting the preacher on a pedestal. The post Is 2819 Church About Jesus — or Philip Anthony Mitchell? appeared first on Word In Black . ## [Moving not Migrating](https://frozen-octopus.com/news/2026/08/13/moving-not-migrating) _2026-08-14 · dave · Frozen Octopus_ There are two computers on my desk. Computer #01, MacBook Pro, has Tahoe 26 running on it with Claude Cowork that I have been using for four months. Computer #02, Macbook Neo, has the Golden Gate 27 beta running on it so it has the new Siri AI. Both are fun but they are drastically different. I have a system that I have been slowly building in Cowork living in a folder with markdown files. I need… ## [Word In Black’s Fall Event Schedule](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/fall26events/) _2026-08-13 · Shernay Williams · Word In Black_ We’re hosting virtual conversations every two weeks this summer. Register for them all here. The post Word In Black’s Fall Event Schedule appeared first on Word In Black . ## [The Latest Tool to Help Prevent Maternal Mortality: Wristbands](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/the-latest-tool-to-help-prevent-maternal-mortality-wristbands/) _2026-08-12 · Andrew Jones/KFF Health News · Word In Black_ Hospitals nationwide are giving new mothers “I Gave Birth” wristbands to help doctors spot dangerous postpartum complications. But maternal-health experts warn that a bracelet can only do so much as Medicaid cuts threaten access to postpartum care. The post The Latest Tool to Help Prevent Maternal Mortality: Wristbands appeared first on Word In Black . ## [Is College Still Worth It?, 8/19 Event](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/collegeevent/) _2026-08-12 · Shernay Williams · Word In Black_ While enrollment is declining at many four-year colleges, HBCUs are breaking enrollment records. But what does the future look like for college graduates as the U.S. grapples with AI in the workplace and an unstable job market? Join this live, virtual event as we explore whether college is still worth it in 2026. We invite \[…\] The post Is College Still Worth It?, 8/19 Event appeared first on Word… ## [As School Season Begins, Trump Calls for a Revised Vaccine Schedule](https://wordinblack.com/2026/08/trump-wants-to-rewrite-the-childhood-vaccine-schedule/) _2026-08-11 · Jennifer Porter Gore · Word In Black_ President Donald Trump on Monday revived his attempt to change the nation’s approach to childhood vaccines by signing an executive order that would upend the routine schedule of jabs children receive in their early years. Titled “Delivering Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations for Americans,” the executive order calls for states to voluntarily implement an abbreviated \[…\] The post As… ## [Meeting the New Bot](https://frozen-octopus.com/news/2026/08/07/meeting-new-bot) _2026-08-08 · dave · Frozen Octopus_ Lately I updated the Mac Neo I got to the macOS Golden Gate 27.0 beta. It comes with the new Siri app and Siri AI. After installing the beta I got busy with work and life so I didn’t have a chance to try it out. A couple days ago I gave it a serious look at. I’ve been using Claude Cowork since April so it is interesting to compare the two. My first impressions is that the new Siri AI’s speed is… ## [Time for Some Free Power](https://frozen-octopus.com/news/2026/07/30/time-some-free-power) _2026-07-30 · dave · Frozen Octopus_ Watching the heartbreaking news about the Kumamoto area after the earthquake the last few days. It has my mind back on our emergency supplies and kit for earthquakes. It is not a bad thing to make sure it is all set up considering the amount of quakes in Japan. Watching the people in Kumamoto deal with things has me thinking about two main areas. The first is our emergency bag/kit. I would say it… ## [Time, Carbon, and Craft](https://frozen-octopus.com/news/2026/07/16/time-carbon-and-craft) _2026-07-17 · dave · Frozen Octopus_ I got a time stamper from an incredible store called Shimojima that is near where we rehearse. Think of it as the store where you buy the paper supplies you need for your store. So stuff like plain boxes or bags or whatever. I'm trying not to let this new block printing adventure be an excuse to buy tons of tools. That being said, I did buy three things for archival and tracing purposes. For… ## [Becoming a Blockhead](https://frozen-octopus.com/news/2026/07/13/becoming-blockhead) _2026-07-13 · dave · Frozen Octopus_ I started in on Moku Hanga (wood block printing) over the weekend. I was missing woodworking, but that is not a feasible pursuit in a small apartment. Carving the blocks puts my brain and hands in the same vibe as when I was woodworking. It also has that wood smell that is wonderful for woodworking. So far, I am at the "what is this tool for” stage but learning pretty quickly. Our local 100-yen… ## [Independent podcasts, all self-hosted (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/TuXLok5daern) _2026-07-13 · **Sponsored**_ Browse 21,607 shows from 13,404 domains — listen in the browser and follow favourites. ## [The Work Continues with Paradiddle Diddle](https://frozen-octopus.com/news/2026/07/09/work-continues-paradiddle-diddle) _2026-07-10 · dave · Frozen Octopus_ I’ve been focusing on one drum pattern a month as a default thing to play when I pick up drumsticks. This month is RLRRLL / LRLLRR (Paradiddle-Diddle). Last month was Seven Stroke Rolls which I lovingly refer to as "Janie Jones" now. Starting into this month's pattern I wasn't into it at first. This was due to the fact that it doesn't alternate between starting on the left or right hand. It always… ## [Review Don’t Do](https://frozen-octopus.com/news/2026/06/25/review-dont-do) _2026-06-26 · dave · Frozen Octopus_ Another thing that I am thankful I started doing a while ago is resisting temptation and letting myself get to the end of a review. Get a complete overview of the land before starting down the path. I have a daily and weekly review that I do each morning before starting into work. A review is basically a self-meeting where I discuss things with myself. During the reviews, I would come across a… ## [First Word Verb](https://frozen-octopus.com/news/2026/06/24/first-word-verb) _2026-06-24 · dave · Frozen Octopus_ Woke up today thinking about how I am grateful to past me for implementing a couple of self-rules a while back that I take for granted now. They are glacial in scope, but they really see the difference now, even though I didn't notice changes when I started. For example, when I put something into any to-do list or calendar app, the first word is a verb. When I first started doing it, I was like, “… ## [Right Wrist Power](https://frozen-octopus.com/news/2026/06/18/right-wrist-power) _2026-06-18 · dave · Frozen Octopus_ At the ticket gates here, and probably everywhere, you insert a ticket or pay with a card or phone on the right-hand side. That means right-handed people who pay with their watch have to do a clunky reach over to pay with their wrist. Us left-handers wear watches on the right wrist. That means when I walk through the ticket gate, I get a rare chance to feel ergonomically normal. It is quite… ## [The Work Continues with Sevens](https://frozen-octopus.com/news/2026/06/01/work-continues-sevens) _2026-06-01 · dave · Frozen Octopus_ Month two of the focus on one drum rudiment plan is here. Last month I moved From Random Linear to to Monthly Pattern . I'd been generating a random linear drum pattern but decided I was practicing often but probably wasn't getting very deep into a pattern. The focus on the six stroke roll was good. I am definitely a lot faster at that pattern. I never played it at a show but my hands feel…