focusing on intersectional justice
intersectionality, initially coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in mapping the margins, is a framework to help recognize unique life experiences based on a person’s multiple identities.
the identities highlighted here are done so in a conscious effort to center those who historically have experienced the largest burdens of systemic oppression, including but not limited to: structures of antiblackness and misogynoir, racism, white supremacy, fascism, gender violence, and classism.
people who identify with multiple of these intersecting identities are the most impacted and are the priority communities i choose to collaborate with and uplift.
pro-Black, which is often synonymous with black power, is the unification of power and wealth within the black community. affirming the experiences and identities of Black people in all spaces is essential in building pro-black communities. people of the african diaspora must be recognized and supported in their own communities’ future in an effort to never repeat this historical erasure. we have generations of Black youth that have not been given a true and rich understanding of their ancestors' contributions to current society and culture. rooting all work in pro-Black structures, systems, and reparations is a requirement to achieve racially equitable communities and workplaces.
Black
rebuilding and centering indigenous culture is required for the survival of all people and responsible land stewardship. for generations, white structures and white people have systematically and violently erased indigenous cultures. we all have the responsibility to create ways to center those cultures, and not just through empty, harmful land acknowledgements.
indigenous
people of the global majority
brown people have been leading revolutions for generations, and it benefits the whole community to listen to and work alongside them. understanding the structures of white supremacy, colorism, and racism rooted in antiblackness are essential to deconstruct the societal inequities based on ones proximity to whiteness. people of color have not had the same experience as people of the Black diaspora, which makes BIPOC communities that are uplifted through equitable practices the strongest and most resilient.
Black trans women threw the first bricks at stonewall in new york in 1969. some of these stories are resurfacing, and these strong and powerful leaders are finally being recognized. LGBTQIA2S+ is a community that is resilient, but deeply white-washed and steeped in white supremacy. for generations, BIPOC queer folks have been held back and erased by white queerness, which is upholding systems of supremacy, and it must be changed. dismantling the understanding of what is 'queer enough' is essential to moving this community forward into a racially equitable conversation, which can bring wholeness to this community.
queer
to have truly intersectional justice, it is imperative that communities listen to and uplift disabled queer, trans, Black, indigenous, and people of the global majority in their access needs. the movement for disability justice is so often overlooked and/or weaponized by white people. not all disabilities can be perceived; trust and believing people's truths is required for more just and accessible communities and workspaces. in order to achieve justice, the disabled community must be part of the conversation.
disability
gender justice should always be talked about with a focus on uplifting Black trans women. it is everyone's responsibility to understand the scaffolding of oppression from there. conversations regarding systems built within the patriarchy are relatively common at workplaces and dinner tables, but they historically only center white cis women. for this to change and for us to uplift those most affected by racist and oppressive systems, we must first center Black women, brown women, and folks beyond the binary in our conversations and our planning of dismantling the patriarchy.
gender
Freedom
freedom - when people can be free from all forms of oppression.
this is the main focus of my work, and it cannot be done alone.
this work—the work to create truly racially equitable and anti-oppressive communities, workplaces, and systems—is life saving.