You Mean It Or You Don't

Illustrators

Lindsey Bailey is an artist and illustrator based in Memphis, TN. Her work ranges from children's books to character design.

Janna Morton is a Baltimore based Illustrator and a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art.

A photo of James Baldwin smiling against a green background. The illustrator is Lindsey Bailey.

Praying with James Baldwin

Praying with James Baldwin is a sequence of prayers that originally launched August 2, 2017. Over 30 days we pray with the "Last Words" of those who have been killed by racism and police violence, and we pray for the courage to take "First Steps" to change the world around us. Daily blog posts appear below, or you can download a free PDF of the full project here.

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Day 1 - Let Us Pray

Day 1 - Let Us Pray

“I been praying, little brother,” Elisha said, “and I sure ain’t going to stop praying now.”

Adam HollowellAugust 30, 2017James Baldwin, Black Lives Matter, #blacklivesmatter, Jesmyn Ward, Go Tell It on the Mountain, Prayer

Day 2 - Last Words: Sandra Bland

Day 2 - Last Words: Sandra Bland

"How did switching lanes with no signal turn into all of this?" - Sandra Bland, 1987-2015

Adam HollowellAugust 29, 2017Sandra Bland, #SandraBland, James Baldwin, #JamesBaldwin, #blacklivesmatter, Black Lives Matter, FBI

Day 3 - First Steps: Learn

Day 3 - First Steps: Learn

"You mean it or you don't." James Baldwin, 1984

Adam HollowellAugust 28, 2017first steps, James Baldwin, #blacklivesmatter, #jamesbaldwin, Black Lives Matter

Day 4 - Last Words: John Crawford III

Day 4 - Last Words: John Crawford III

"It's not real." John Crawford III, 1992-2014

Adam HollowellAugust 27, 2017James Baldwin, John Crawford III, Black Lives Matter, #blacklivesmatter, #JamesBaldwin

Day 5 - First Steps: Attend

Day 5 - First Steps: Attend

".. get off their knees and organize." James Baldwin, 1963

Adam HollowellAugust 26, 2017James Baldwin, #JamesBaldwin, Black Lives Matter, #blacklivesmatter, The Fire Next Time

Day 6 - Last Words: Natasha McKenna

Day 6 - Last Words: Natasha McKenna

"You promised you wouldn't kill me." Natasha McKenna, 1978-2015

Adam HollowellAugust 25, 2017Natasha McKenna, #NatashaMcKenna, James Baldwin, #JamesBaldwin, Black Lives Matter, #blacklivesmatter

Day 7 - First Steps: Contact

Day 7 - First Steps: Contact

"They ain't gotta be afraid of me." Peter in "Previous Condition," James Baldwin, 1965

Adam HollowellAugust 24, 2017Going to Meet the Man, James Baldwin, #JamesBaldwin, #blacklivesmatter, Black Lives Matter, poverty, contact

Day 8 - Last Words: Michael Brown

Day 8 - Last Words: Michael Brown

"I don't have a gun. Stop shooting." Michael Brown, 1996-2014

Adam HollowellAugust 23, 2017#JamesBaldwin, James Baldwin, #blacklivesmatter, Black Lives Matter, Michael Brown, #MichaelBrown, Ferguson, Nobody Knows My Name

Day 9 - First Steps: Mourn

Day 9 - First Steps: Mourn

"... if I began to weep, I would not be able to stop." James Baldwin

Adam HollowellAugust 22, 2017Ecclesiastes, James Baldwin, #JamesBaldwin, Black Lives Matter, #blacklivesmatter, I am Not Your Negro, Mourn

Day 10 - Last Words: Mya Hall

Day 10 - Last Words: Mya Hall

"..." Mya Hall, unknown - 2016

Adam HollowellAugust 21, 2017Mya Hall, #MyaHall, Black Lives Matter, #blacklivesmatter, James Baldwin, #JamesBaldwin