Samirah Boomi

Hi, I'm Samirah Boomi, a queer south asian american in San Jose. I write to heal myself, then share it to heal the collective as well.

What does "liberation" mean to you?

To me, liberation is when we are all free. It is when no community's freedom oppresses another community. To me, that means imagining different kinds of community ties, protections, and connections - ones around solidarity, sustainability, and sovereignty.

Is your creative practice one of liberation?

I write as my practice of self care. Sometimes, my self care is liberation. Other times, it is necessary work so that I can keep fighting for liberation. Though the end result always feels liberating, sometimes, the process hurts - ESPECIALLY if I'm creating art to heal a trauma. But I know it is worth it because I am worth it. This is similar to how I've experienced community organizing as well. We believe in what we are fighting for and what we are building - but still, the process isn't easy, and it doesn't always feel freeing.

How can art be a tool in the revolution?

Art can give clarity to what many people feel on a collective level. In the revolution, I believe this helps unify, challenge, reframe, shift, and become clear on our vision.

Share a little bit about your creative process!

Sometimes I start with my raw feelings in a poem, then I connect it with our collective healing. Other times, I start with a theme in my community, usually one that needs to be openly spoken about for us to heal past it. Then, I connect it back to myself. (For example, I recently wrote about the misconceptions about womxn in domestic violence in the south asian community. I started with an excerpt from a book, then added in my own experiences.)

@sami.ra.ni storiesbyshri.weebly.com/