theechrysalisamidst

[theechrysalisamidst]

ladies and gents may i present you with my favorite photo of Ella Fitzgerald ft. that guy

homie was down bad, and can we blame him?

[theechrysalisamidst]

Karrine Steffans at the set of Lil’ Kim’s “How Many Licks” music video, 2000.

[theechrysalisamidst]

I love Karrine Steffans.

[theechrysalisamidst]

[theechrysalisamidst]

[theechrysalisamidst]

More things to come.

A Trans centered podcast

Expanding our Mutual Aid network across social media platforms

And more!!!!!

[theechrysalisamidst]

"Social media has encouraged our individualism and has enhanced the desire to 'brand' ourselves as radical or as having the 'right' politics. It is in the interest of corporations like Facebook and Twitter that we spend as much time as possible creating free content for them, and that we feel compelled to get approval on their platforms. All of this can motivate us to want to be perceived to be doing things, rather than actually doing them. Much mutual aid work is very ordinary, sometimes boring, and often difficult. To return to an earlier example, everyone wants a selfie with Angela Davis to post, but many people do not want to take the time to visit prisoners, go to court with people, wait in long lines at welfare offices, write letters to people in solitary confinement, deliver groceries to an elderly neighbor, or spend many hours in meetings about how to coordinate care for people in need. When we get our sense of self from fame, status, or approval from a bunch of strangers, we're in trouble. It is hard to stick to our principles and treat others well when we are seeking praise and attention. If we are to redefine leadership away from individualism, competition, and social climbing we have to become people who care about themselves as part of the greater whole. It means moving from materialist self-love, which is often very self-critical ('I will be okay and deserve love when I look right, when others approve of me, when I am famous') and toward a deep belief that everyone, including ourselves, deserves dignity, belonging, and safety just because we are alive. It means cultivating a desire to be beautifully, exquisitely ordinary just like everyone else. It means practicing to be nobody special. Rather than a fantasy of being rich and famous, which capitalism tells us is the goal of our lives, we cultivate a fantasy of everyone having what they need and being able to creatively express the beauty of their lives. This is a lifelong unlearning practice because we have all been shaped by systems that make us insecure, approval-seeking, individualist, and sometimes shallow. Yet we also all have the deeply human desire to connect with others, to be of service in ways that reduce suffering, and to be seen and loved by those who truly know us and whom we love. Mutual aid groups are a place where we can notice these learned instincts and drives in ourselves and unlearn them--that is, make choices to act out of mutuality and care on purpose."

Dean Spade, Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (And the Next) (2020)

[theechrysalisamidst]

”The false separation of politics and injustice from ordinary life—and the idea that activism is a kind of lifestyle accessory—is demobilizing to our movements, hides the root causes of injustice, and keeps us passive and complicit. Robust social movements offer an opposing view. We argue that all the aspects of our lives—where and how we live and work, eat, entertain ourselves, get around, and get by are sites of injustice and potential resistance.”

From Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next) by Dean Spade

[theechrysalisamidst]

- Dean Spade Mutual Aid

[theechrysalisamidst]

Dean Spade, Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next)

[theechrysalisamidst]

“However, when we do our work from a feeling that there is not enough money, time, or attention to go around, we sometimes get competitive with other groups or with other people within our group, or we feel so much urgency about particular tasks that we don’t take the necessary steps to do our task well, and we forget about being kind to each other in our rush to get something done.”

—Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During This Crisis (And the Next) by Dean Spade

[theechrysalisamidst]

[theechrysalisamidst]

If you get a star ⭐️ in your inbox. It means your moot appreciates you, and your efforts in the community. Send this to 10 mutuals to continue the love!🖤💙💜🤍🌌

💜💜💜🪻

[theechrysalisamidst]

Maybe the greatest line ever spoken.

[theechrysalisamidst]

[theechrysalisamidst]

🥰❤️