Like | Air

A long-form journal article from e-flux that adapts Maya Angelou’s famous imagery to discuss systemic structures and the invisibility of labor. It examines:

: This "optimistic bias" leads to a dangerous lack of investment in preventative systems. 3. "But Still, Like Air, I'll Rise" (e-flux)

The phrase appears in several significant long-form articles and literary contexts, often used as a metaphor for things that are essential yet overlooked until they are missing. 1. ‘LinkedIn is like air to me’ (Nature, 2025) Like Air

: The persistence of marginalized voices rising through these invisible "atmospheric" pressures. 4. Environmental and Scientific Perspectives

: Extensive systematic reviews on ScienceDirect discuss the psychological and economic "shadow" air pollution casts over society, affecting life satisfaction and mental health. A long-form journal article from e-flux that adapts

Several scientific reviews use "like air" to describe the ubiquitous impact of modern technology and pollution:

: Professional networking is no longer a luxury; it is "like air"—a background necessity for career visibility, collaboration, and funding. "But Still, Like Air, I'll Rise" (e-flux) The

: How certain privileges and systems operate invisibly in the background.