Creating a better world

Hey friends! “Welcome back” to all of those who have been keeping up with me and “Welcome” to all of you who are just reading something from me for the first time. When I initially created this newsletter on 10/16, I really just wanted to have an elevated platform to have somewhere to put my thoughts. I didn’t realize it at the time but looking back, that was just the beginning of a new transformation of myself. The current global events that I continue to invest my attention to have completely changed the way that I live my life. I have completely lost all interest in the things that brought me further away from the people and things that need my attention the most right now. It’s like a switch went off in my brain after watching so many people be killed in Palestine because of white supremacy, watching millions of people in the Congo be slaves to cobalt mining just to power our smartphones, watching videos in Sudan of women and children whom are displaced and starving to death, watching videos of non-stop kidnaps and killing in Haiti, the list can go on and on. I live in a world and a society that has kept me glued to electronics so that I can stay up to date with shopping and gossip, has kept me glued to tv shows about blind love and drama, and had kept me glued to books about white authors who write about fictional love stories and detective work. Meanwhile all over the world, people are dying while I am in the comforts of my western lifestyle.

“The revolution will not be televised”. I came across a video on Instagram of poet Gil Scott-Heron, in which he explained what this slogan means to him and how it was used in his work. I never quite understood the quote before this as every time I saw a revolution, it was LITERALLY being televised LOL. He explains in the video that what most people don’t understand is that the revolution FIRST happens in our minds and that’s why it will not be televised. It is this un-televised revolution that brings me here today and not as the same person that I was 7 weeks ago. If a revolution of my mind makes me someone who spends more time reading about current global events, uses their platforms to bring more attention to current global events, watches documentaries/movies about the history of the current global events, going out to the streets to protest for oppressed populations, following more activists/historians/journalists on social media, and spending less money on my own comforts and giving more money to those who need it most then a revolution of my mind was ABSOLUTELY needed. I spent so much time mindlessly scrolling on Instagram, taking pictures, and indulging the most in things that did not truly feed my mind and soul for the long run. It was when I saw that the entire world looks to people in the United States of America to listen to them. People around the world are looking at people like us and just because we live here in this country, they look at us like we have the power to make their lives better one day. No one asks to be born and they definitely don’t get to pick where they are born. Seems like I’ve won the lottery by being born in the western world and having a lot of privileges that most people don’t have. And if we’d all understand this, we’d all be having revolutions right now.

Last week, I had started to have the feeling of needing to intentionally relieve some of my grief through the musical arts. Andre 3000 recently dropped his album “New Blue Sun” which is an album with no vocals but largely flute-based and instrumental. I had heard some of it and had felt inspired to want to get into something of my own. Although I have always been a piano lover, I never had the chance to learn outside of the keyboard my grandparents bought me from Costco as a kid. I had to teach myself how to play since I would’ve never been able to get lessons, they wouldn’t have been able to afford it. But, one instrument that I had proudly excelled in was the recorder. Yes, the recorder from elementary school. I was actually one of the kids who were so good at playing the recorder that we were promoted to playing the flute. It wasn’t a real flute though and was just a plastic version but needless to say, my talent has lied somewhere in the musical arts LOL. I still own my recorder, yes from 3rd grade, and decided to dust it off and blow my heart out.

The tune of it has changed over the years, I’m sure you aren’t surprised. I’m sure if it was band new, the songs I played would have sounded much better. I say this because my husband kept saying I sounded like I was missing notes of songs when really, this little thing is years out of tune. The first song that I was hell bent on playing was “We shall overcome”. It was one of the first songs that we had learned at the time as well as it being one of the first revolutionary songs that I learned as a child. I’m a little rusty with knowing the keys on the recorder but I pulled out my Ipad and practiced with a refresher. I was so surprised that I could even remember notes and keys that I played 23 years ago. I went on to play another song I knew “Frere Jacques” and without even looking at the keys of the song, I naturally reminded myself how to play it. I have attempted to add in a video of the time I spent in what felt like a spiritually awakening music session but it unfortunately won’t let me. I think that’s the universe telling me to wait until I get a tuned up instrument so that y’all can get the best product possible 😁.

Another intentional move I made to relieve my grief was finding collective spaces like protests. The way that I’ve been getting dressed and taking to the streets to protest, I wish I’d keep this same energy for the gym LOL. I could quite arguably say that protesting is indeed my cardio either way! Throughout the past few weeks I’ve attended Palestinian-led protests and calls for action with organizations like Within Our Lifetime (@wolpalestine) Palestinian Youth Movement (@palestinianyouthmovement) along with marginalized community led organizations like The Peoples Forum (@peoplesforum).

At first, getting into going to any protests were tough. Its not that it was my first time, I had went protesting during 2020 and the BLM movement. The problem was I had never been protesting alone. This time around, I had all these protests that I could go to but ultimately, I had no one to go with. This wasn’t the first time that I realized, if I keep waiting on anyone else to do something with me then I might never get to do it. This was just a reminder of what I had already learned through life and past experiences. The day that I decided to go protesting by myself was the day that I took responsibility for my voice in this world and my need to find places to let my anger out. Although I’ve showed up alone, I have never felt alone when I am collectively amongst people whom are disgusted at what’s taking place in the world right now and in our names. Who are so angry at our leaders, so angry at the people who turn a blind eye, and so angry for what people allow to happen as long as its not happening to them. I find myself in tears at times, screaming chants like “Israel bombs, USA pays, how many kids did you kill today?”. I find myself astonished at times, seeing how many people from all walks of life are feeling the same way as me. I find myself both heard and seen, amongst people who know that it takes a collective community to build and change the world because we cannot do this work on our own. I am reminded that there are people who care for the greater good, the people who know that they have a privilege that many do not have, and who know that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice everywhere” (MLK, 1963). Everytime I come back from a protest I feel recharged and ready to take on the world again and again, until all the shackles of the oppressed are broken. I come back feeling inspired and knowing that I am capable of great change.

68 years ago yesterday, Rosa Parks refused to surrender her seat to a white man on the bus. 60 years ago, the “March on Washington” took place and civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King jr protested for the creation of civil rights legislation and job equality for all. This is when he gave his “I Have a Dream speech”. 58 years ago, the “Chicago Freedom Movement” was formed to protest against segregated housing, poor education systems, and both employment and health disparities created due to racism. This list can go on and on. I belong to a community of people whom have fought for me to have the opportunities that I do now. It’s as if it is in my blood to jump to action and fight against systems that for so long have oppressed my community as well as all marginalized communities. My ancestors have had to fight for freedom for so much of their lives that it is ingrained and embedded into our DNA to resist. What differs for most of us is whether we let ourselves be guided by the actions of those before us to create a better world or remain complacent under the colonial imperialistic western world built on the backs of our ancestors, a materialistic lifestyle made to keep us oppressed and comfortable with how ever much ”The Man” wants to give us. Knowing what I know now, I can never be comfortable again. Creating a better world is possible and if it was easy, everyone would be doing it.

Since I have this platform, I will make it my duty to highlight important things that we should be educated on. I have a list full of movies and documentaries that help to give me better insight on the many atrocities being committed against people of color all over the world for the benefit of the western world and in our names. I wanted to briefly highlight what’s going on in the Congo right now. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Africa), where the world gets most of its natural minerals from like gold, cobalt (powers smart phones/tablets and electric cars), diamond, copper etc, there is modern day slavery happening to get these minerals extracted to the world. Unfortunately while we reap the benefits of these minerals, the people of the Congo are being raped, killed, displaced and exploited because of it. Children are slaves to child labor while most people whom are forced to work in these mines make less than $3 a day. Outside of military rebels exploiting their own people whom are backed by China, USA, and Israel, this is a genocide that has been happening for decades but no one in the media speaks about it. These people are forgotten about because our capitalist country wont publish these types of crimes that they support in the media. They want us to continue to be comfortable and privileged and on the back of our peoples suffering.

The movie “City of Joy”, quoted by cityofcongojoy.org “is a transformational leadership community for women survivors of violence, located in Bukavu, in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a region plagued by an ongoing proxy war for the area’s vast mineral resources. As the regional conflict has played out since 1996, widespread political upheaval, displacement, disease and unimaginable sexual violence have ripped apart communities. While the devastation is deep, Congolese communities are moving forward with an eye on building a peaceful and equitable future.”

A place of community called “City of joy” was created as a safe haven and a community for women whom have been victims of sexual abuse and gender related violence’s. They have created a program called the “Vagina Warrior program” which quoted by cityofcongo.org “ aims to provide a safe and empowering community for survivors of gender violence who have demonstrated leadership qualities. The focus is on healing trauma, building self-esteem and skills, and training women leaders. The range of activities women experience over the course of their stay is breathtaking. Graduates leave City of Joy as fierce, capable women committed to their communities and the future of Congo.”

A lot of this movie has sexually triggering content so I would be advised if you choose to watch this. The truth isn’t always pretty and wrapped up in a bow when in real time, woman and children are forcibly being raped by groups of men whom are displacing them due to the effects of western colonialism and its war on our people. The truth isn’t always pretty when in real time, entire villages of people are brutally killed due to the effects of western colonialism and its war on our people. The truth isn’t always pretty when women and children cant live safely and because of their sex, they are brutally exposed to violence at the hands of the men whom are suppose to protect them due to the effects of western colonialism and its war on our people.

The truth is pretty when you watch how the women and children whom are at “The City of Joy” work through combatting their traumas collectively and are given the space to feel safe. The truth is pretty when you watch the founders of the program actually care deeply about the community and the effects of this war on their people. The truth is pretty when you watch these women learn ways to stand up and protect themselves so that if they are unfortunately placed in a dangerous situation again, they can try their bests to protect themselves. This movie brought me great sadness but at the same time brought me so much joy to watch these women rise against the horrible conditions that they will continue to be faced with. I’m so happy that a community was built for these women and children to heal in a world that they were born into that is so violent to them. I can only hope that the more the world pays attention, the less chance that thousands and millions of more people with have to continue to endure the pain that they do. #FreeCongo

As always, till next time with love, RidethaVibe with Dee ❤️