Samaa Abdurraqib has lived in Portland, Maine since 2010 and hasn’t figured out what she’s still doing there – other than adding some much needed melanin to this very white state. After shaking off the shackles of academia, Samaa transitioned into the non-profit world and now has a steady grind of non-profit work, group facilitation, and agitating//activating//organizing. Her academic writing can be found in journals and other publications. Recently, she’s also been doing a lot of writing about her experiences with cancer treatment. In her spare time, Samaa likes to engage in tender-nerdy activities like birding, hiking, board games, and side eye olympics. She wakes up every day being real black, real Muslim, and real queer – she thinks that’s a good thing. When she’s not doing all the things, Samaa sings love songs to her cat, Stashiell Hammett, resident charmer and most adorable feline in the world.