On a Trial Run of Sorts

I told myself that this summer would be the one where I could do a dry run of studying for a Ph.D. It’d be a chance to work with major deadlines spaced sporadically, and every single day would be up to me to decide how I could structure my time.

But I think that even more than simply deciding whether I would want to jump into a Ph.D., there’s something far more significant in finding something you’re passionate about, then structuring a schedule to find out how I could learn the most about it. I would attempt to find some facet worth investigating in a day, then trying to wrap my head around every part of that one concept. And then I’d just repeat that while trying to figure out what the aims of a project would become.

For me, the personal research project I’ve been working through this summer has been a means towards increasing my political development, as well as a place for me to produce some sort of scholarship. If whatever I end up writing about or sharing is gatekept, or more importantly, it inhibits y ability to actually organize or materially support Black folks for liberation, I want no part of academia. Perhaps it is Joy James’ recent talks and her reflections on the guerrilla intellectual, or maybe it’s me trying to revisit Moten & Harney. Nonetheless, I’m just trying to be frank and rightfully honest about every possible limitation and choice I am making about my…