https://reasonstobecheerful.world/black-joy-oregon-racial-justice/
"In the summer of 2020, when protests against police brutality were taking
place in Portland and Salem, Oregon, Julianne Jackson was there with the crowds
on the streets, chanting for justice. But something nagged at her. Jackson, a
Black woman with a loud voice and an infectious laugh, began to feel that she
was not being accurately represented.
“There was a lot of hatred, a lot of vitriol and a lot of things I didn’t
necessarily identify with,” she says. “And while I understand those feelings —
I have them, too — it didn’t represent me as a Black woman. Black women
throughout time have really been known for our ability to find joy in all kinds
of situations, our ability to nurture, our ability to stand firm in the face of
things that are really, really difficult.”
One night, she woke with an epiphany. She and her wife had met folks at
Portland’s protests who were from the state’s rural areas. “They asked, ‘If we
were to do something like this [a march], who would come and stand with me?’”
Jackson decided that Oregon’s rural towns could be the perfect place to benefit
from a different kind of racial justice march — one oriented around joy instead
of anger.
The next day, with the help of her friend Emily Terry, Black Joy Oregon was
born, a nonviolent organization that shows up in rural areas to demonstrate
loving and joyful celebrations of Black culture. When they travel to rural
towns they stand at busy intersections and hold up signs emblazoned with
messages of love for the Black community — Black is beautiful, Black is
revolutionary, Black lives uplift, and so on. “We smile and wave at folks,
dance and just spread love and joy,” Jackson says. They also build connections
with community leaders and provide access to resources and assistance for Black
folks. "
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
