ABSTRACT
As a student of meditation and contemplative practice, it is the author's habit to continually bring her attention back to the present moment. As the author began to establish her intellectual independence and "come out" about her disenchantment with the "cultural sociology of race" that pervaded her graduate training, she forged generative and supportive relationships with race critical scholars who introduced her to systemic approaches to the study of racism – perspectives that were largely ignored in her doctoral program. The author's reflections are organized around five prominent themes relevant to the author's No Fucks to Give approach tosociology: Du Boisian Analysis; Critical Race Theory; Systemic Racism; Black Feminisms; and Spirituality. She recalls feeling both riveted and frightened by the title alone. In particular, Mills' concept of epistemological ignorance helped her better understand the epistemic conditions shaping her (mis)education.
