I think a critical question to me here is "who are the people?"
it's super easy to say "the people" and make that as a symbolic statement, but I think we might be served to get exquisitely clear on: who is "the people"? (it may be different for each one of us) otherwise it's just an intangible symbol that we are affixing love to, rather than those with real stories that we know and move us to act on their behalf.
I've also noticed (particularly in the predominantly white and owning-class activist spaces I first encountered) a tendency for people to see "the people" as a group separate from themselves, or maybe something amorphous they hope to someday "join". Really glad to see individualism highlighted in this piece's critique and I think you're right to raise this question.
I appreciate your continuing to hone in on getting more specific about who and what we might fight for and direct our attention to in the movement. I also think there is a pretty straightforward answer here: “the people” is everyone. Every single person you look at, hear about, and know is the people. Our ancestors and our descendants are the people. The people are the land and the trees and the animals and the water. “The people” cannot be separated into individual stories. Every story is a story of the people. It is expansive. I think that’s the beauty of the symbol of the people - when you observe any one being, you are observing all beings (hence the use of images of space, the universe, in this piece), and vice versa. I think that is the intent of using such a symbolic phrase. We must recognize that we, ourselves, are the people and thus cannot be separated from that entire collective (it is psychologically damaging to do so). I welcome challenge to this but that is my interpretation of “the people.”
This is a very meaningful post, so far the most complete I’ve seen regarding tangible action and how to do it, I wish we could question ourselves in such a deep manner regarding what are, who and how are we fighting for, thank you :,)
Yes. I love everything about this piece. Thank you. And I love all the art you chose to share, too. Thank you for continuing to write. Much solidarity.
I have deep respect for the communal heart behind this piece. I have come to question our need to translate liberation into only being brought forward by communal action, after 40 years of spending my love and life energy in various activist spaces. As in most things in life, I believe the true answer is both/and.
I have been on the receiving end of a lot of trauma in such spaces over the years, as the understandable impacts suffered by those within them were turned on me and each other instead of "the enemy" we had identified. Weathered, traumatized people don't make effective, caring community members or bringers of liberation.
If we want sustainable revolution, we must learn how to sustain ourselves and each other; at the end of the day, a movement is only as strong as those within it. Relationships must begin with ourselves, and extend from there; we are not merely resources who exist for others' benefit, as capitalism teaches us. We are all beings of inherent value by virtue of our very existence, and that recognition must be at the core of all we do if anything we create is to flourish.
I think a critical question to me here is "who are the people?"
it's super easy to say "the people" and make that as a symbolic statement, but I think we might be served to get exquisitely clear on: who is "the people"? (it may be different for each one of us) otherwise it's just an intangible symbol that we are affixing love to, rather than those with real stories that we know and move us to act on their behalf.
I've also noticed (particularly in the predominantly white and owning-class activist spaces I first encountered) a tendency for people to see "the people" as a group separate from themselves, or maybe something amorphous they hope to someday "join". Really glad to see individualism highlighted in this piece's critique and I think you're right to raise this question.
I appreciate your continuing to hone in on getting more specific about who and what we might fight for and direct our attention to in the movement. I also think there is a pretty straightforward answer here: “the people” is everyone. Every single person you look at, hear about, and know is the people. Our ancestors and our descendants are the people. The people are the land and the trees and the animals and the water. “The people” cannot be separated into individual stories. Every story is a story of the people. It is expansive. I think that’s the beauty of the symbol of the people - when you observe any one being, you are observing all beings (hence the use of images of space, the universe, in this piece), and vice versa. I think that is the intent of using such a symbolic phrase. We must recognize that we, ourselves, are the people and thus cannot be separated from that entire collective (it is psychologically damaging to do so). I welcome challenge to this but that is my interpretation of “the people.”
Thank you, so much good food for thought here. I also loved seeing all the art you shared. Thank you.
This is a very meaningful post, so far the most complete I’ve seen regarding tangible action and how to do it, I wish we could question ourselves in such a deep manner regarding what are, who and how are we fighting for, thank you :,)
Yes. I love everything about this piece. Thank you. And I love all the art you chose to share, too. Thank you for continuing to write. Much solidarity.
I have deep respect for the communal heart behind this piece. I have come to question our need to translate liberation into only being brought forward by communal action, after 40 years of spending my love and life energy in various activist spaces. As in most things in life, I believe the true answer is both/and.
I have been on the receiving end of a lot of trauma in such spaces over the years, as the understandable impacts suffered by those within them were turned on me and each other instead of "the enemy" we had identified. Weathered, traumatized people don't make effective, caring community members or bringers of liberation.
If we want sustainable revolution, we must learn how to sustain ourselves and each other; at the end of the day, a movement is only as strong as those within it. Relationships must begin with ourselves, and extend from there; we are not merely resources who exist for others' benefit, as capitalism teaches us. We are all beings of inherent value by virtue of our very existence, and that recognition must be at the core of all we do if anything we create is to flourish.
Always grateful for you and your heart Ayesha. Thank you 🙏🏻
Thank you
Thank you for this! You’ve put into words so many things that have been on my heart.