Why I stepped out of my One Billion Rising South Africa Coordinator role. | Gillian Schutte
…I do not think that Eve Ensler is racist or has bad intentions. I think that Eve Ensler is a heartfelt and loving person but is victim to her own invisible white privilege and v-day’s organisational whiteness structures and was thus unable to envisage this revolt against (and from within) her well-intentioned movement.
If she cares and loves the world’s women, as she does, and if this movement is truly revolutionary ,then we call on her to open up this space to many more diverse women to decide on the way forward.
A revolution cannot be manufactured – it cannot be choreographed or staged or managed or controlled. It cannot be the brainchild of one person with a committee of worker bees to do her bidding. Though there are feminists involved in the organizing committee from around the world – it is not a big enough input to run a democratic global campaign. There does need to be much more public participation in the decision-making processes in all countries and the international office should consider using its resources to facilitate this process.
A revolution is organic – it truly belongs to the people – it is based on ideology of freedom and equity for the oppressed – not the oppressor deciding on or for the oppressed…
-Gillian Schutte
"My sex, dark as an orchid, rubbery and blue-purple as pulpo, an octopus, does not look nice and tidy, but otherworldly. I do not have little rosette nipples. My nipples are big and brown like the coins of my childhood."
- Sandra Cisneros, Guadalupe the Sex Goddess
(via bravenewgirls)
I AM MY MAMA’S REVOLUTION!
Check out these breathtaking Mama’s Day cards that celebrate all types of families at http://wwwmamasday.org.
On Sunday I will celebrate ALL mothers and families.
(Source: jean9nes)
"No one is going to give you the education you need to overthrow them."
- Assata Shakur
(Source: twitter.com, via ethiopienne)
An Open Letter From Assata
My name is Assata Shakur, and I am a 20th century escaped slave. Because of government persecution, I was left with no other choice than to flee from the political repression, racism and violence t..
"I am not tragically colored. There is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes. I do not mind at all. I do not belong to the sobbing school of Negrohood who hold that nature somehow has given them a lowdown dirty deal and whose feelings are all hurt about it. Even in the helter-skelter skirmish that is my life, I have seen that the world is to the strong regardless of a little pigmentation more or less. No, I do not weep at the world—I am too busy sharpening my oyster knife."
- Zora Neale Hurston, Dust Tracks on a Road
(Source: holaafrica)
"I don’t know what brings broken people together.
Maybe damage seeks out damage
The way stains on a mattress halo into one another
The way stains on a mattress bleed into each other."
- Warsan Shire
(Source: aaally-rat, via theuncolonizedmind)
"Love is a verb. Love is as love does. Love is an act of will. It is the will to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth. Will implies choice. We do not have to love. We choose to love."
- bell hooks
(Source: ynannarising, via bettacomecorrect)
