Say It With Yo' Chest: A Spoken Word Toolkit

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POLITICIZED GRIEF SERIES

SAY IT WITH YO' CHEST A SPOKEN WORD TOOLKIT

Welcome to the Say It With Yo’ Chest toolkit. To Say It With Your Chest: “there is something profoundly and palpably defiant about that.” We thank you for speaking your truth, for taking time to tend to yourself, for giving voice to what is difficult, and for engaging spoken word and poetry as a practice of healing. The Chicago Torture Justice Center (CTJC) works through a politicized healing model. We seek to heal not only from trauma due to Covid-19 and police violence, but also from incredible harm and loss in courts, jails and carceral facilities and from centuries of dispossession in our communities. Poet Tiff Beatty speaks powerfully to this in the poem “Art is Bonfire" at the end of this toolkit. We claim our loss, pain, rage, and resilience as politicized grief. We seek to heal by restoring ourselves and our communities, dismantling systems of harm, and creating new paradigms of care and accountability. Our grief healing is political and our politics are healing. We created a few tools that can support deeper reflection and healing practice. You can use these tools as a way to continue processing and speaking truth to who you are becoming. You may be feeling grief, rage, sadness, longing, hurt, despair, dissociation, joy, hope, connection, peace, frustration.

Whatever you are feeling is okay. The rest of this toolkit will guide you through Grounding, Reflection, and Response.

1 | GROUNDING

Through our breath, we connect with our bodies, our voice, and our power. Practice with this breathing meditation from Rev. Dr. Stephanie Crumpton.

Looking up, inhale and expand your ribcage. Exhale, dropping your arms until palms meet your thighs.

Inhale, expanding your chest. Lift your arms up, gazing at your palms as they meet. Exhale, pressing down and out any air you do not need.

Inhale, gazing up and bringing your palms together. Exhale, bringing your hands down to the center of the heart.

Notice these hands. Feel your pulse in these hands. Notice the heat in between your hands. Think about this moment, what you need to release. Remember this moment of being centered. This place of grounding is always here. Ashe.

Art: Molly Costello, mollycostello.com

CHICAGOTORTUREJUSTICE.ORG | P.O. BOX 647, EVANSTON, IL 60204


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Say It With Yo' Chest: A Spoken Word Toolkit by Chicago Torture Justice Center - Issuu