“I Came To The Fork in the Road and Went Straight”: Embracing Nonbinary Ways of Knowing

Forks in the Road: The Tyranny of Binaries

In his song with Eminem“Renegade,” Jay-Z delivers a line that resonates far beyond its lyrical context: “I came to a fork in the road and went straight.” This simple yet profound statement captures a philosophy of resistance to binaries, a refusal to conform to the false choices that systems of power often impose. It is a declaration of agency, creativity, and the ability to carve a third path when faced with the limitations of “either/or.” Inspired by this line, I have come to understand it as the essence of what I call nonbinary (enby) epistemology—a way of knowing and being that thrives in tension, mystery, and complexity.

Hip-Hop as a Hush Harbor: A Revelation

The roots of the R.E.S.T mixtape and enby epistemology can be found in spaces of resistance and authenticity. For me, hip-hop served as a modern-day hush harbor—a space carved out for expression and liberation in a world that often silences those on the margins. In the same way that en…