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amadi ozier

@killinitsmalls.bsky.social
171 followers 99 following 94 posts

dr professor at UW-Madison - humor and black literature - free housing, free abortion, abolish the police

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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
the problem: activists create their own social world. people organize with people who already organize and speak a language that others do not use killinitsmalls.substack.com/p/the-activi...
killinitsmalls.substack.com
The Activist Layer
the problem: activists create their own social world. people organize with people who already organize and speak a language that others do not use
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A Public Affair @apublicaffair.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
🎙️Producer @saragabler.bsky.social speaks with scholar and activist @killinitsmalls.bsky.social about local and global approaches to state violence following the police killing of Corey Ruiz in Madison, WI. Listen here: www.wortfm.org/from-the-cor...
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
im on the radio! i talk about how autonomous zones occupy space for community and mutual aid, what leadership looks like in decentralized movements, and how people can get involved no matter their risk tolerance listen here: www.wortfm.org/from-the-cor...
wortfm.org
From the Corey Ruiz Autonomous Zone to Accountability - WORT-FM 89.9
Producer Sara Gabler speaks with scholar and activist Dr. Amadi Ozier about local and global approaches to state violence following the police killing of Corey Ruiz.
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
the most successful autonomous zones have tactics in common: 1) strategically valuable space 2) systems of self-governance 3) material support 4) broad public support 5) concrete demands that can be won through sustained pressure read: killinitsmalls.substack.com/p/autonomous...
killinitsmalls.substack.com
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Corey Ruiz was shot a few blocks from my house. He was on the ground, restrained by three officers, when a fourth ran up and shot him three times in the back of the head. Corey was homeless. He was trying to get housing, mental health care, and addiction treatment.
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Susan Stryker @susanstryker.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
“Just as monstrous and mutant algae invade the lagoon of Venice … in the field of social ecology, men like Donald Trump are permitted to proliferate freely, like another species of algae, taking over entire districts of New York.” —Félix Guattari, 1989
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
pic 1: the day of my abortion pic 2: the day Roe v. Wade was overturned I am very happy that I had an abortion. Thank God for abortion! No matter what, you always have options 💖😇
amadi ozier standing on a rooftop in a patterned dress under a bright blue sky, looking toward the camera.Group of masked abortion rights activists holding handmade signs at an outdoor protest.
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
We asked tenants at a Brooklyn tenant union meeting what their union should be doing. By FAR the top two answers: 1. Organizing buildings 2. Hosting block parties Turns out community is the priority, always.
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
threads - www.threads.com/@killinitsma... twitter - x.com/amadiozier bluesky - bsky.app/profile/kill...
threads.com
🌷🌷 amadi ozier (@killinitsmalls) • Threads, Say more
269 Followers • 69 Threads • dr professor + black literature its nice to be nice 🐻. See the latest conversations with @killinitsmalls.
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Spent a few hours cooking breakfast for a local day shelter this morning 💛 menu: 🥯 65 bagel sandwiches 🍳 70 servings of carrot pepper frittata 🥣 25 gallons cauliflower soup 🍝 3 pounds of pasta 🥔 90 servings of potato hash ingredients donated by local grocery stores and restaurants
Trays of freshly prepared breakfast food on a stainless steel counter, including sliced bagels spread with egg and topped with microgreens, alongside a large pan of baked frittata.
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
when I say I am a black anarchist i mean: - resist monopolies - housing + healthcare is a human right - local self-governance - community ownership - workers should be the center - capitalism is racist
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
I wrote about a 2022 eviction blockade. We held the line for nearly a month and stopped a marshal-executed eviction. This experience taught me that organizing means centering longterm neighbors, building trust, and believing that more is possible. read: substack.com/@killinitsma...
substack.com
Winning Is Not Enough
What an Eviction Defense Taught Us About How To Stay Together
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The Devil @iamdevil.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
So it turns out paying people a living wage doesn’t collapse the economy; it’s almost like the rich have been lying to us to maintain their power over our lives.
capitalandmain.com
Despite Apocalyptic Warnings, California Fast Food Wage Hike Didn’t Kill Jobs
UC Berkeley study finds employment held steady — and only pennies were added to menu prices.
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
talked to tenants in 35+ grassroots tenants unions organized tenants want a Strong Union Culture -- 1) real relationships, 2) shared political direction, & 3) organizing tools + training substack.com/@killinitsma...
substack.com
What Is a Tenant Union Culture?
“The Usual, But on Steroids”: The Next Phase of Tenant Organizing Is Real Relationships
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
visual art for my Black Science Fiction class Martha P Johnson Krista Franklin Jamea Ricamond-Edwards Rashid Johnson
A person wearing a green headwrap stands in a crowd at a protest, holding a sign with hand-drawn symbols related to gender. Other people and signs are visible in the background, suggesting a public demonstration.A surreal collage of a woman’s face partially obscured by an animal skull, set against an aged, yellowed paper background with delicate decorative elements.Two mirrored female figures stand facing each other, surrounded by vibrant, densely patterned colors and textures, creating a symmetrical and richly layered composition.A black-and-white artwork featuring a grid of repeated, stylized human-like figures or mask forms arranged in rows, with a rough, print-like texture.
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
algorithmic thinking if you’re focused on checking boxes (monthly meetings, weekly emails, templated social media content, the same quarterly town hall, reminder texts before every event)... process / protocol there's no more room for creativity, spontaneity, wonder
A black-and-white scanned page titled “1. Introduction: Rhizome.” Below the title is an experimental musical score by Sylvano Bussotti labeled “XIV piano piece for David Tudor.” The page features traditional staff lines overlaid with dense, abstract, hand-drawn markings—loops, scribbles, geometric shapes, arrows, and intersecting lines—creating a chaotic, non-linear visual composition. Numbered annotations (1–6) appear along the left margin, pointing to different sections of the score. The overall impression is of an avant-garde, highly interpretive notation rather than a conventional musical score.
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
Ernest Hogan was the first African American superstar to wear blackface His most infamous hit — “All Coons Look Alike to Me” (1896) — earned him $26,000 in royalties (over a million dollars in today’s money)
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
At 16, my godmother Juadine Henderson fought for farm workers’ rights in Mississippi She warned me how often older male organizers prey on teens I feel for every woman and girl who kept quiet to protect the movement www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/u...
nytimes.com
Cesar Chavez, a Civil Rights Icon, Is Accused of Abusing Girls for Years
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
4 episodes of Black Mirror i'll be teaching in my black science fiction class
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Yahia Lababidi @ysl.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
“The candle is not there to illuminate itself.” — attributed to Jan-Fishan Khan, via Idries Shah
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Last year, we ran 50+ community safety and rapid-response workshops and trained around 2,500 people. Our largest workshop brought together over 200 people—including neighbors who hadn’t been to a union meeting since before the pandemic Grateful to have played a small part in something growing
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
When we started the Crown Heights Care Collective, we drafted a "Statement of Core Values" (a compromise between "Points of Unity" and "Mission and Values") The vocab we use to describe who we are shapes how we imagine our relationships read: substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com
Founding the Crown Heights Care Collective
Statement of Core Values - How to build your organization's container.
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
🌻 springtime playlist 🕴️militant 2000s club golden-era groove tidal: tidal.com/playlist/919... qobuz: play.qobuz.com/playlist/594... spotify: open.spotify.com/playlist/0x1...
tidal.com
call the earth by its original name (2026 SPRING)
Playlist - call the earth by its original name (2026 SPRING) - 50 items
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 07/03/2026
pandemic art. new frames hanging in my office “what about my parents” - march 2020 “8 of swords, reversed” - April 2021
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Theseus’s ship is the old metaphor: if every plank is replaced, is it still the same ship? That question only matters if you think the point was the wood. read: substack.com/inbox/post/1...
substack.com
How to Pass the Torch: Lessons from Chicago's Community Defense
Stop Hoarding Knowledge! Here’s How Sharing Makes You Stronger
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
we have the luxury of choosing to be our very best self every day
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Erika Lee Sears @erikaleesears.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
City nights #oilpainting #art
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 22/02/2026
We talk about legacy like it’s something we can protect by holding on. The truth is that you protect a legacy by letting it go. read: substack.com/inbox/post/1...
substack.com
How to Pass the Torch: Lessons from Chicago's Community Defense
Stop Hoarding Knowledge! Here’s How Sharing Makes You Stronger
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Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 21/02/2026
Joanne Bland, one of the youngest people to march on “Bloody Sunday,” has died. She was 72. "By the time I was 11-years-old, I had been arrested at least 13 documented times”
wvtm13.com
Joanne Bland, lifelong Civil Rights activist and founder of Selma's Foot Soldiers Park, dies
Bland grew up in Selma and became involved in the Civil Rights Movement as a child foot soldier in the 1960s, participating in the historic Selma voting rights marches, including Bloody Sunday.
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
recent meals 1) oyster mushroom pot pie soup, served with puff pastry squares 2) chickpeas confit 3) fried tofu wrap with peanut sweet potato salad 4) korean batatas au gratin
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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
some of you are looksmaxxing when you need to be booksmaxxing
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
social movements run on addictive neurochemicals I break down different neurochemical organizing styles (dopamine, cortisol, oxytocin, serotonin) their strengths, drawbacks, and ways to get in or out of any organizing pattern read here: substack.com/@killinitsma...
substack.com
Movements Run on Chemistry, Too
How neurochemistry shapes organizing culture and helps us understand burnout
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
in tech circles, people joke that “AI” stands for “Actually Indians” — meaning when big companies claim they’re replacing workers with AI, they’re often just outsourcing the work overseas for lower costs
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
what my tax return is getting me
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
We asked people: How have you felt isolated? How have you built community? ▶️ Watch: www.youtube.com/watch?v=k88T... Read in ATUN newsletter: atun-rsia.org/newsletter @atun_rsia Read on Substack: killinitsmalls.substack.com/p/you-cannot...
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
When I left the Crown Heights Care Collective , no one wanted the passwords. Like I was holding a live grenade Too much pressure ! This time around, I didn’t wait for volunteers. I gave 22 people the passwords and went on vacation substack.com/@killinitsma...
substack.com
How to Pass the Torch: Lessons from Chicago's Community Defense
Stop Hoarding Knowledge! Here’s How Sharing Makes You Stronger
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1xv... humankind has not woven the web of life we are but one thread in it whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves
youtube.com
Snow Raven - WEB OF LIFE | Live at LUMA Festival x Mindscape Studio
YouTube video by SNOW RAVEN
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Beyond lucky for my time as a Schomburg Fellow during the Schomburg Center’s 100-year centennial celebration • Minstrel show guidebook • Early organizing guides for block organizations • Ann Petry’s journal…… says do not read, so I did not • Union contract: Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
Whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
PART 2 - wrote an essay on CHTU's 2025 Congress. decision-making is most effective when grounded in real relationships and a shared political program as someone said, "We are a community, let's act like it!" read here: open.substack.com/pub/killinit...
open.substack.com
Decisions = Community, Not Just Meetings (CHTU Congress, Part 2)
Recap from the 2025 Congress: "We are a community, let's act like it!"
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
watching the episode of Doctor Who that was banned in at least 1 country because the aliens look too much like penises
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
150 people have taken the Movement Personality Quiz! Take the Quiz: amadiozier.com/movement-per... Find your movement archetype: Dreamer, Rebel, Builder, Guide, Caretaker, or Experimenter. Do you challenge power, create structure, build relationships, or learn through trial and error?
Screenshot of a mobile chat showing a shared result from a “Movement Role Personality Quiz.” The quiz screen reads “The Guide” with a subtitle describing the role as connecting, expansive, and deeply relational. Below the image, chat messages say “love this quiz!!” and “gonna share with everyone i work with,” each accompanied by heart reactions.
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
action shots from 2025 Crown Heights Tenant Union Congress Socialism Conference w the Autonomous Tenant Union Network James Joyce Society @joycesociety.bsky.social Save Dairy Drive rally
Amadi Ozier stands in a casual indoor gathering space holding a drink, wearing a sleeveless shirt and a face mask pulled below their chin, while others converse in the background.Amadi Ozier and another person wearing face masks pose together indoors, standing close with arms around each other in front of a textured wall with posters.Amadi Ozier, smiling, sits in a lecture room beneath a projected presentation slide titled about literary analysis, with academic affiliation text visible on the screen behind them.Amadi Ozier speaks through a megaphone at an outdoor gathering or protest, with several people standing nearby and a banner visible in the background on a city street.
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
we don’t have to choose between hyperlocal organizing and union-wide structures, but create pathways between them. we want buildings to be self-sustaining, but also connected to a broader movement read more: killinitsmalls.substack.com/publish/post...
killinitsmalls.substack.com
Hyperlocal Organizing to Find Your Real Base (CHTU Congress, Part 1)
A Recap from the Crown Heights Tenant Union’s 2025 Congress
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
October 12, 1946 - Henrietta Johnson was evicted for complaining about a rathole under the kitchen sink "Because I complained, the landlord told the super not to take my rent" She was evicted, but neighbors moved her back in
A black-and-white newspaper clipping with the bold headline: “Harlem Strikes Back At Landlords’ Greed.” Below the headline are two side-by-side photographs showing deteriorating housing conditions and a Black woman tenant.

Left photo: A young Black woman stands in a severely damaged apartment. She looks upward while lifting her arm to point at a large, jagged hole in the ceiling above her. Chunks of plaster hang down, exposing dark wooden beams. The walls around her appear cracked and stained. The lighting is dim, emphasizing the unsafe conditions.

Right photo: The same woman is shown in a kitchen. She sits or leans near the sink area, looking toward the camera with a tired or resigned expression. Behind her, there is a gaping hole in the wall under the sink—large enough to expose pipes and broken plaster. The countertop and backsplash look worn and crumbling.

Caption beneath the photos: Small printed text describes that she was evicted after complaining about the conditions—specifically the hole in the roof and a rat hole under the sink—and that neighbors later moved her back in. The caption identifies her as “Mrs. Henrietta Johnson, 29, mother of two,” as printed in the original newspaper.
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 30/11/2025
Why does James Joyce’s Ulysses -- a novel set in Dublin with zero Black characters -- use the N-word so often? Why is American racial imagery everywhere in it? Blackface minstrelsy shaped Europe’s idea of “America” short version: open.substack.com/pub/killinit...
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
someone said: "u do not need political permission to not like someone's vibe" 💯💕
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
Huey P. Newton: “He understood that whether he lived or died, the crucial point was that his work would live on--that the people would carry on the fight in his absence”
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amadi ozier @killinitsmalls.bsky.social · 16/11/2025
I co-founded the Crown Heights CARE Collective in 2022, four months before I left NYC. I wanted to created a spark hot + contagious enough to outlast me ... and I did ! read how: open.substack.com/pub/killinit...
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