Em-URGE-ing Voices

Kristina

Major: Human Services with an Emphasis in Non-Profit Administration
Hometown: Kennesaw, Georgia
Favorite Writer: I'm going to be honest, I don't read as many books as I should! I read a lot in general though. So, I guess my favorite writers are my badass friends who inspire me with their analysis of pop culture every day!
Favorite sex scene from a movie/TV/book: Orange is the New Black's most recent season was problematic as heck, but there were some pretty awesome sex scenes. Also the book Prep, by Curtis Sittenfield. I read it in middle school and I was like oh. This sex thing. Sounds pretty cool!
Hidden Talent: I'm very good at painting my nails, even on my right hand. I get it from my mom.

Posts By: Kristina Agbebiyi

Mama’s Day Bail Out

Though we’ve had a rocky past during the typical teen angst years, my mother is my best friend. She’s my shoulder to cry on, she’s my inspiration. She accepts me even when I’m at my worst, and she taught me the value of unconditional love. Smart, and driven, my mother was also the first person to teach me about being #AbortionPositive and unapologetically pro-choice. Since my childhood was spent in an often conservative Catholic school, my mom spent the time outside of school to teach me about progressive politics, bodily autonomy, and the value of pro-choice legislation. Without my mom, I couldn’t be the person that I am today. This is why it saddens me that so many of our country’s Black mothers are incarcerated, and won’t get to spend… Read more »

Toxic Masculinity Is Not A Mental Illness

If you’ve been paying attention since the beginning of time, you’ll notice that men who commit acts of violence after being scorned by a lover and/or rejected by a woman are not a new phenomenon. Here you’ll find a list of 14 women who have been killed in the last two years by men they rejected. A simple Google search will result in tons of other articles with similar themes. Where there’s a woman, there’s most likely a man trailing behind her, thinking of ways he can assert his power over her. Crossing race, class, and sexuality, men’s violence against women and femmes knows no limit. We’ve seen this in the past two weeks, as recently as yesterday with the Cleveland shooting. These men may have been in relationships with… Read more »

Taking Space

On a typical school night, I’m usually texting my friends about Bravo reality television, and catching up on some major assignment that I’ve procrastinated on. Last week I was working on a major assignment, and couldn’t find the page count needed. Stressed out once again, I fought back tears as I struggled to finish the assignment. After a dramatic 30 minutes of me crying over school, I decide to look over the rubric one last time. The fog of stress had lifted, and I could clearly see that the assignment was to be no more than five pages. So why was I having such an intense emotional reaction to making such a  simple mistake? I think the reason is that I’ve been alive for 22 years, and only truly thought… Read more »

Chimamanda and the Art of Not Knowing

If you’re even remotely close to a queer person of color, you’ve probably heard all of the lively debate and discussion over Chimamanda Ngozie Adicihie’s comments on trans womanhood. As one of the most prominent popular feminists of our time, Chimamanda is a writer known for Ted talks and books, including the critically acclaimed We Should All Be Feminists, which aims to explain feminism in the 21st century. As a non-binary femme,  I’m not going to break down why Chimamanda’s comments were harmful, incorrect, and transmisogynistic. Multiple black trans women have done so, and anything I could come up with would pale in comparison. Instead, I would like to take the time to acknowledge one thing about Chimamanda’s comments that I know to be true. She had no idea what… Read more »

Milo Yiannopoulos and The Discourse

It’s been about a week since Milo Yiannopoulos has been ousted from the conservative community. An openly gay man known for his blatant racism, and transphobia, Milo served as a bridge between the GamerGate crowd, and white gay people who refused to be held accountable for their oppressive ways. Milo’s rhetoric has been responsible for protests on almost every campus he has attended, along with violence towards college students, and those with marginalized identities. Milo firmly holds the belief that being gay is wrong and that political correctness is ruining the country.  However, it wasn’t Milo’s self determination to be the Worst Human Being In The World that got him dumped on the doorstep of the club he so desperately wanted to be a part of. It was his comments on relationships… Read more »

Why The Grammys Hurt So Much

I update my music playlists every three months. If people want the latest reviews on music, I am not the femme they should be speaking to. For some reason, listening to new music stresses me out. For one, it’s extra work. It’s often hard for me to find music, and I don’t download it illegally. Also, there’s the whole sitting there and listening to the music thing. You have to form an opinion on it. All of this is just way too much effort for me. I’d rather just listen to my Kanye West and Florence + The Machine playlist I’ve had since high school, and go on my merry way. Because of my lack of interest in new music, I guess I missed getting stung by the Beyoncé bug…. Read more »

All or None

It feels as though with every notification of a new Executive Order from Trump, I feel a 20 pound weight being added to an imaginary backpack full of emotional baggage. However, Trump’s Muslim Ban (that’s what I’m calling it, because that’s what it is) really struck a nerve. Placing a hold on refugee resettlement for 120 days, and also banning travel to 7 countries, Trump’s ban is clearly unconstitutional, the result of Islamaphobia, and the US’s resistance to accepting that white men continue to be the number one creator of terrorism in this country. Resisting the urge to stay in and eat ice cream, I decided to attend an immigration rally/protest at the Atlanta airport. Hartsfield-Jackson is the world’s busiest airport. Atlanta serves as a cultural hub and a home… Read more »

Here’s What I’m Doing While the Country Gets Sh*ttier

With the inauguration coming up in several days, life has been pretty bleak. As an organizer, a Black person, and someone with a vagina, I can only imagine how our next four years will go. However, in 2017 I’ve made the resolution to actively practice self-care. I’m relatively good at this by now, but I wanted some self-care that was sustainable and could last me through our already wack country burning to the ground. Here are 5 things I’m doing this week instead of crying. 1. Binge watching Degrassi. Whatever it takes! Seriously though, I watched Degrassi for a while, but fell off. However, after the new season premiered on Netflix I was hooked! I’ve been watching past episodes on YouTube, and the drama is such a good distraction from… Read more »

Let’s Talk About Fatphobia

Like many femmes, I have an interesting relationship with my body. I’m 5’9, and last time I checked, close to 200 pounds. I now wear size 16 jeans, and usually XL tops. I’m pretty sure my bra size is a 38 DD. Being tall, I feel as though a lot of people expect me to be super thin, and I’m not. I frequently have trouble fitting clothes at what I lovingly refer to as “White Girl Stores.” These stores include American Eagle, Forever 21, and other stores that I probably should not even be attempting to shop at because I’m 22 and about to enter the professional world. I like going to Ann Taylor and splurging on business shirts because that’s where they fit. I’ve lost many pairs of jeans… Read more »