On Anti-Racism & Social Justice

My work as an artist is a call to the deepest self, through the lens of my white, queer, feminine body. This deepest self - underneath our Ego - is the point of access to spirit, to love, and of course, the crucial and complex shadow.

Social justice and anti-racism work is inherently spiritual work. When we work on ourselves to uncover bias, define the oppressive systems at play in our lives, and face the difficult work of creating solutions while centering those on the margins, we are engaging in a spiritual undertaking. When we name and understand white supremacy, we are finally able to recognize what we have been swimming in since day one. 

There can be no healing without first recognizing pain. Going through life without examining our faults on a personal level, and our crimes at a national and global level, is living in ignorance.  Because the dominant systems at play rely on those of us who benefit from those systems to stay quiet, and even deny that they exist.

Justice asks us to be uncomfortable, to be in an ever-changing relationship, and in dialogue - with our neighbors and ourselves. This calls for radical honesty, radical humility, and the strength to continue moving forward with new information. 

The same way that there is no point of “arrival” in life, there is no point of “arrival” in justice. The work will be generational and ongoing. This work is not easy, but that’s exactly why we need to engage. Engage thoughtfully.

What can I do?

Begin with education. Here are some podcasts, writings, and links which I have found supremely helpful in beginning my education on anti-racism and social justice.

Article on White Supremacy Culture (and its antidotes) by Tema Okun

For the Wild Podcast: Remapping Our World with Teju Adisa-Farrar

Whiteness at Work Module 1 by Desiree Adaway and Jessica Fish