Shaun Dawson
@iamsdawson.bsky.social
She/They
🥷 Storyteller · DIY Detective · Disruptor
✊🏾 Unapologetically Black + Queer
https://linktr.ee/iamsdawson
🥷 Storyteller · DIY Detective · Disruptor
✊🏾 Unapologetically Black + Queer
https://linktr.ee/iamsdawson
Today I wrote about learning to fly and escape everything and how my family taught me a resilience I never asked for.
If you’ve ever run from pain instead of sitting with it, this might be for you. It’s about the price of survival.
#Blacksky #MentalHealthMatters #Incarceration
If you’ve ever run from pain instead of sitting with it, this might be for you. It’s about the price of survival.
#Blacksky #MentalHealthMatters #Incarceration
The Systems That Failed My Brothers
What happens when love can't save family members trapped in systemic poverty and mental illness? A memoir on brothers, domination, and the limits of love.
substack.com
December 23, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Today I wrote about learning to fly and escape everything and how my family taught me a resilience I never asked for.
If you’ve ever run from pain instead of sitting with it, this might be for you. It’s about the price of survival.
#Blacksky #MentalHealthMatters #Incarceration
If you’ve ever run from pain instead of sitting with it, this might be for you. It’s about the price of survival.
#Blacksky #MentalHealthMatters #Incarceration
Reposted by Shaun Dawson
My Favorite History Books of 2025 🗃️ open.substack.com/pub/kevinmle...
My Favorite History Books of 2025
Here are eleven of my favorite history books that I read in 2025 or am currently reading.
open.substack.com
December 19, 2025 at 6:18 PM
My Favorite History Books of 2025 🗃️ open.substack.com/pub/kevinmle...
The Root pointed out that Silence of the Lambs is the only horror film to win Best Picture.
Zero Black directors have ever won.
Sinners is fighting 100 years of history
But we don’t need a trophy to know it’s a classic. The culture validates the art.
#BlackSky #Sinners #Oscars #BlackCinema
Zero Black directors have ever won.
Sinners is fighting 100 years of history
But we don’t need a trophy to know it’s a classic. The culture validates the art.
#BlackSky #Sinners #Oscars #BlackCinema
Why Sinners Is Fighting an Uphill Battle for the Oscars
www.theroot.com
December 20, 2025 at 1:27 AM
The Root pointed out that Silence of the Lambs is the only horror film to win Best Picture.
Zero Black directors have ever won.
Sinners is fighting 100 years of history
But we don’t need a trophy to know it’s a classic. The culture validates the art.
#BlackSky #Sinners #Oscars #BlackCinema
Zero Black directors have ever won.
Sinners is fighting 100 years of history
But we don’t need a trophy to know it’s a classic. The culture validates the art.
#BlackSky #Sinners #Oscars #BlackCinema
The math isn’t mathing on this gender care vote.
3 Dems helped Marjorie Taylor Greene pass it.
Don’t praise the 4 GOP who voted “No” on jail time. They still voted to ban Medicaid funding.
Making care unaffordable is a ban.
#BlackSky #Trans #Politics #BlackTrans
3 Dems helped Marjorie Taylor Greene pass it.
Don’t praise the 4 GOP who voted “No” on jail time. They still voted to ban Medicaid funding.
Making care unaffordable is a ban.
#BlackSky #Trans #Politics #BlackTrans
The Republicans who voted against making gender-affirming care a crime and the Dems who voted for it
Here's who broke with their party on Marjorie Taylor Greene's hateful bill.
www.advocate.com
December 20, 2025 at 1:15 AM
The math isn’t mathing on this gender care vote.
3 Dems helped Marjorie Taylor Greene pass it.
Don’t praise the 4 GOP who voted “No” on jail time. They still voted to ban Medicaid funding.
Making care unaffordable is a ban.
#BlackSky #Trans #Politics #BlackTrans
3 Dems helped Marjorie Taylor Greene pass it.
Don’t praise the 4 GOP who voted “No” on jail time. They still voted to ban Medicaid funding.
Making care unaffordable is a ban.
#BlackSky #Trans #Politics #BlackTrans
You can't support Black trans people if you don't understand who they are.
A lot of people get tripped up on terminology. Here is a breakdown of common definitions of Gender Identity and Expression to clear up the ignorance.
#BlackTrans #BlackSky #Transgender
A lot of people get tripped up on terminology. Here is a breakdown of common definitions of Gender Identity and Expression to clear up the ignorance.
#BlackTrans #BlackSky #Transgender
Gender Identity 101: A Simple Guide to the Vocabulary
Confused by gender terms? This guide breaks down gender identity, expression, and diversity simply and clearly. Let’s get on the same pag
assignedsex.substack.com
December 20, 2025 at 1:06 AM
You can't support Black trans people if you don't understand who they are.
A lot of people get tripped up on terminology. Here is a breakdown of common definitions of Gender Identity and Expression to clear up the ignorance.
#BlackTrans #BlackSky #Transgender
A lot of people get tripped up on terminology. Here is a breakdown of common definitions of Gender Identity and Expression to clear up the ignorance.
#BlackTrans #BlackSky #Transgender
They are working overtime to block healthcare for the most vulnerable. 🚨
Let’s be clear: Banning Medicaid coverage is a direct attack on Black transgender youth. We need to talk about what this really means. 👇🏾 #blacktrans
Let’s be clear: Banning Medicaid coverage is a direct attack on Black transgender youth. We need to talk about what this really means. 👇🏾 #blacktrans
They Are Trying to Price Us Out of Existence
The House just voted to ban Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care. If you think this is just about “trans rights,” you aren’t paying attention to the class war against Black bodies.
assignedsex.substack.com
December 19, 2025 at 9:38 PM
They are working overtime to block healthcare for the most vulnerable. 🚨
Let’s be clear: Banning Medicaid coverage is a direct attack on Black transgender youth. We need to talk about what this really means. 👇🏾 #blacktrans
Let’s be clear: Banning Medicaid coverage is a direct attack on Black transgender youth. We need to talk about what this really means. 👇🏾 #blacktrans
Reposted by Shaun Dawson
Have you started watching your Christmas movies? For many, those cheesy, predictable, and loveable movies are the only way to get through the holidays.
So, if you need a bit of comfort, check out these funny, adorable, and relatable films.
So, if you need a bit of comfort, check out these funny, adorable, and relatable films.
7 Festive Christmas Movies with Black Leads to Brighten Your Holidays | Black Girl Nerds
Christmas movies remind us that all types of characters, regardless of ethnicity, deserve a cheesy, heartfelt holiday happy ending.
blackgirlnerds.com
December 17, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Have you started watching your Christmas movies? For many, those cheesy, predictable, and loveable movies are the only way to get through the holidays.
So, if you need a bit of comfort, check out these funny, adorable, and relatable films.
So, if you need a bit of comfort, check out these funny, adorable, and relatable films.
My ambition be loud, but my body be like nah, let’s nap.
December 17, 2025 at 9:56 PM
My ambition be loud, but my body be like nah, let’s nap.
Reposted by Shaun Dawson
This year’s honorees read like a love letter to bold, visionary storytelling. Chloé Zhao will receive the Trailblazer Award Presented by Google, while Nia DaCosta and Geeta Gandbhir will be honored with the Vanguard Awards Presented by Acura for Fiction and Nonfiction, respectively.
Sundance 2026 Is for the Visionaries: Chloé Zhao, Nia DaCosta & Geeta Gandbhir Take Center Stage | Black Girl Nerds
The nonprofit Sundance Institute has officially announced additional honorees for the 2026 Sundance Film Festival’s annual fundraiser
blackgirlnerds.com
December 17, 2025 at 5:16 PM
This year’s honorees read like a love letter to bold, visionary storytelling. Chloé Zhao will receive the Trailblazer Award Presented by Google, while Nia DaCosta and Geeta Gandbhir will be honored with the Vanguard Awards Presented by Acura for Fiction and Nonfiction, respectively.
Incremental reform hasn’t stopped racist outcomes.
Hasn’t stopped excessive force.
Hasn’t stopped legal loopholes protecting the same people.
Why?
Because the status quo is built on anti-Blackness.
“Reforming” it means asking it to be a polite version of itself.
#SonyaMassey #PoliceReform
Hasn’t stopped excessive force.
Hasn’t stopped legal loopholes protecting the same people.
Why?
Because the status quo is built on anti-Blackness.
“Reforming” it means asking it to be a polite version of itself.
#SonyaMassey #PoliceReform
From 40 Hours of Training to ‘I’ll Shoot You in Your Fucking Face"
Why the Reform That Was Supposed to Save Sonya Massey Changed Nothing
open.substack.com
December 17, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Incremental reform hasn’t stopped racist outcomes.
Hasn’t stopped excessive force.
Hasn’t stopped legal loopholes protecting the same people.
Why?
Because the status quo is built on anti-Blackness.
“Reforming” it means asking it to be a polite version of itself.
#SonyaMassey #PoliceReform
Hasn’t stopped excessive force.
Hasn’t stopped legal loopholes protecting the same people.
Why?
Because the status quo is built on anti-Blackness.
“Reforming” it means asking it to be a polite version of itself.
#SonyaMassey #PoliceReform
Reposted by Shaun Dawson
Texas Appears to Be Collecting a List of Trans People That Request Gender Marker Changes
No one has said why the identifying information is being compiled.
www.them.us/story/te...
#transgender #trans #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA
No one has said why the identifying information is being compiled.
www.them.us/story/te...
#transgender #trans #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA
Texas Appears to Be Collecting a List of Trans People That Request Gender Marker Changes
No one has said why the identifying information is being compiled.
www.them.us
December 17, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Texas Appears to Be Collecting a List of Trans People That Request Gender Marker Changes
No one has said why the identifying information is being compiled.
www.them.us/story/te...
#transgender #trans #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA
No one has said why the identifying information is being compiled.
www.them.us/story/te...
#transgender #trans #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA
Monogamous people will say “Imagine needing more than one person” while they’re out here juggling three situationships. Make it make sense.
December 10, 2025 at 4:32 AM
Monogamous people will say “Imagine needing more than one person” while they’re out here juggling three situationships. Make it make sense.
Wild that 2025 is almost over. This year made me sit with all the parts of myself I’ve been ignoring. It was raw, confusing, and full of lessons that finally make sense.
December 8, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Wild that 2025 is almost over. This year made me sit with all the parts of myself I’ve been ignoring. It was raw, confusing, and full of lessons that finally make sense.
Watching Jujutsu Kaisen alone in a theater right now. This is a vibe.
December 7, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Watching Jujutsu Kaisen alone in a theater right now. This is a vibe.
Reposted by Shaun Dawson
Los Angeles: Anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes reached record-highs last year in this gay haven
www.advocate.com/cri...
#transgender #trans #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA
www.advocate.com/cri...
#transgender #trans #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA
Anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes reached record-highs last year in this gay haven
In one of the friendliest cities for LGBTQ+ people, hate crimes based on gender identity reached a "record-high" last year.
www.advocate.com
December 7, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Los Angeles: Anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes reached record-highs last year in this gay haven
www.advocate.com/cri...
#transgender #trans #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA
www.advocate.com/cri...
#transgender #trans #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA
Reposted by Shaun Dawson
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is leading the pack with a jaw-dropping 17 Critics Choice Award nominations coming within a breath of Barbie’s record-setting 18 just two years ago.
'Sinners' Leads the Critics Choice Awards with 17 Nominations | Black Girl Nerds
The nominations for the 31st annual Critics Choice Awards are officially out. on E!, and this year the ceremony is leveling up in a major way.
blackgirlnerds.com
December 5, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is leading the pack with a jaw-dropping 17 Critics Choice Award nominations coming within a breath of Barbie’s record-setting 18 just two years ago.
Reposted by Shaun Dawson
Killings of Black Panthers dedicated with plaque in Chicago 56 years later
The plaque marks the Near West Side home where Black Panther leaders Mark Clark and Fred Hampton were killed by police on Dec. 4, 1969.
chicago.suntimes.com/chicago/2025...
The plaque marks the Near West Side home where Black Panther leaders Mark Clark and Fred Hampton were killed by police on Dec. 4, 1969.
chicago.suntimes.com/chicago/2025...
Killings of Black Panthers marked with a plaque in Chicago 56 years later
The plaque marks the Near West Side home where Black Panther leaders Mark Clark and Fred Hampton were killed by police on Dec. 4, 1969.
chicago.suntimes.com
December 4, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Killings of Black Panthers dedicated with plaque in Chicago 56 years later
The plaque marks the Near West Side home where Black Panther leaders Mark Clark and Fred Hampton were killed by police on Dec. 4, 1969.
chicago.suntimes.com/chicago/2025...
The plaque marks the Near West Side home where Black Panther leaders Mark Clark and Fred Hampton were killed by police on Dec. 4, 1969.
chicago.suntimes.com/chicago/2025...
Watching this #Diddy documentary like, yeah I see why he trying to get Netflix to snatch it down 😭
50 Cent’s dedication to being petty and bitter? Iconic. Aspirational.
50 Cent’s dedication to being petty and bitter? Iconic. Aspirational.
December 5, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Watching this #Diddy documentary like, yeah I see why he trying to get Netflix to snatch it down 😭
50 Cent’s dedication to being petty and bitter? Iconic. Aspirational.
50 Cent’s dedication to being petty and bitter? Iconic. Aspirational.
So breaking generational curses really just means hanging out by yourself, huh?
December 3, 2025 at 2:18 PM
So breaking generational curses really just means hanging out by yourself, huh?
I buried my first film, Assigned Sex, because I was ashamed of it. But a story about gender, faith, and family in a Black body that never fit the box still matters.
Transgender filmmakers, sound engineers, and storytellers: let’s build this conversation together. #lgbtq #transpoc #blacktrans
Transgender filmmakers, sound engineers, and storytellers: let’s build this conversation together. #lgbtq #transpoc #blacktrans
Assigned Sex: The Film I Buried And Why I Am Bringing It Back
Unarchiving my debut documentary on gender, faith, and family in Black communities
assignedsex.substack.com
December 2, 2025 at 10:27 PM
I buried my first film, Assigned Sex, because I was ashamed of it. But a story about gender, faith, and family in a Black body that never fit the box still matters.
Transgender filmmakers, sound engineers, and storytellers: let’s build this conversation together. #lgbtq #transpoc #blacktrans
Transgender filmmakers, sound engineers, and storytellers: let’s build this conversation together. #lgbtq #transpoc #blacktrans
My father was convicted for trafficking drugs when I was 8 old and spent several years in prison. Like so many Black men in the 90s during the War on Drugs, he disappeared into the system. I’m still unraveling how it destroyed my family and so many other Black families. #massincarceration #policing
A Few Mad Apples: The Children Left Behind in the War on Drugs
An eye-opening documentary from Shaun Dawson on breaking down the silence associated with mass incarceration, family separation, and Black resilience.
open.substack.com
December 2, 2025 at 10:15 PM
My father was convicted for trafficking drugs when I was 8 old and spent several years in prison. Like so many Black men in the 90s during the War on Drugs, he disappeared into the system. I’m still unraveling how it destroyed my family and so many other Black families. #massincarceration #policing
Reposted by Shaun Dawson
you know what's so rewarding? practicing and getting slightly better at something.
December 1, 2025 at 12:19 AM
you know what's so rewarding? practicing and getting slightly better at something.
Early truth feels like betrayal to people still comfortable in the lie.
November 30, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Early truth feels like betrayal to people still comfortable in the lie.
The truth is the aesthetic.
November 30, 2025 at 4:54 PM
The truth is the aesthetic.
Being an artist means clapping for yourself with one hand and dragging yourself with the other.
November 30, 2025 at 5:56 AM
Being an artist means clapping for yourself with one hand and dragging yourself with the other.