Someone recently asked me how I maintain a source of consistent optimism in justice work. Maybe I don’t say this publicly enough, but short answer: I don’t.

This week I have been pessimistic about everything from voting rights to Ferguson to the value and impact of my own writing, work, and research. It doesn’t mean I give up or look for a bright side — it means pessimism happens. And it means I’ll have plenty of fuel for a badass critique by the weekend.