with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.
AN AFRO-FUTURIST HARM REDUCTION ZINE FREE
From Maya Angelou's poem "Caged Bird"
Black Joy.
Joyeux Noir
The caged bird sings
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.
Written, curated, & designed by Mallory Culbert for NEXTdistro
@mivcv
@culbert_mallory @ParentsNeverToldUs bit.ly/nevertoldus
map from native-lands.ca
GREETINGS FROM STOLEN LAND
# #L La an nd d B Ba ac ck k Imagine, in the near future, land rights are taken back by our Indigenous comrades, environmental balance is restored, and the US military (one of the largest polluters in the world) is disbanded. We are no longer at war. The climate is no longer unstable.
contents terms you should know what is white supremacy? + on biological race funk & the movement review of white supremacy fight the power! rejecting white supremacy how to apologize active listening 101 biopiracy public enemy #1 + origins of policing + politics of respectability lyrics to The 4th Branch by Immortal Technique sources & resources
Terms You Should Know OPPRESSION Abuses of power carried out using governmental or cultural authority; The systematic exploitation and abuse of marginalized groups by unjust authority
REPARATIONS Restoration of wealth that was denied to our enslaved ancestors. Reparations "should come in the form of wealthbuilding opportunities that address racial disparities in education, housing, and business ownership."
exploitation
CAPITALISM
Benefitting unfairly from the labor (work) of
An economic system based on private ownership instead of
others usually by underpaying them. Ex: wage theft, slavery
[1]
state ownership of things needed for production. Under capitalism, profit must be produced at any cost and the value of human life is determined by participation in the economy
SYSTEMatic Purposeful planning and execution based on a system of rules
liberation Freedom from all forms of enslavement and injustice including social, political, economic.
wHITENESS Describes the quality that allows someone to benefit from White Supremacy.
DISCRIMINATION Acting on prejudiced thoughts that are based on perceived differences between groups
racism Discrimination + formal (legal) power
WHITE SUPREMACY a historically-based and contemporary system of exploitation and oppression of peoples of color by white Europeans “for the purpose of maintaining and defending a system of wealth, power, and privilege.”
JOYEUX NOIR
WHAT IS WHITE
on biological race: The idea of "biological" race
SUPREMACY? "The term white supremacy refers to the ways in which the ruling class elite or the power elite in the colonies of what was to become the United States used the pseudoscientific concept of race to create whiteness and a hierarchy of racialized value in order to
was
establish
separated "master
to
racial
system
that
the
white
race"
from
Black enslaved people. This was enforce
an attempt to the
idea
that
there is a natural order to society where white people are in charge.
"white"
identity
racial
has
evolved
over time. Activist Paul Kivel
defines
whiteness
as "a constantly shifting boundary
separating
those who are entitled to
have
privileges
certain
from
those
whose exploitation and vulnerability to violence is justified by their not being
white.”
Historically, identity
the
white
expanded
to
include more people in response
The power elite constructed white supremacy (and construct it still) to define who is fully human and who is not" [2].
up
a
ranking
The
disconnect and divide white people from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC); disconnect and divide Black, Indigenous, and People of Color from each other; disconnect and divide white people from other white people; disconnect and divide each and all of us from the earth, the sun, the wind, the water, the stars, the animals that roam(ed) the earth; disconnect and divide each of us from ourselves and from source.
made
numbers
to of
immigrants
growing non-white and
free
Black people. Historical Foundations of Race by David R Roediger
excerpt from Tema Okun's updated White Supremacy Culture (2021)
k n u FMovement
e h t &
Record & album art by Funkadelic
review of white supremacy When people say "fight the power," this is what they mean. According to Tema Okun's White Supremacy Culture (2021), the main characteristics of White Supremacy are:
Overall, 0 out of 5 stars. Would not recommend.
Fear
defensiveness/denial
Using fear to divide and conquer in order to profit and gain power
White Supremacy culture encourages silence about things
at the expense of others. Ex: Fear of not belonging, fear of not
that matter & discourages telling the truth in order to keep
being enough
feelings from getting hurt. Ex: valid criticism seen as threatening and rude
Perfectionism The belief that we can be perfect based on the rules of White Supremacy. Striving for perfection takes away our energy to question those rules. Ex: Making a mistake is confused for "being a mistake."
right to comfort/fear of open conflict Those in power have a right to comfort. The person or group causing discomfort is considered the problem rather than the actual issue at hand. Ex: white people demanding
"One right way" "The belief that there is one right way to do things and once people are introduced to the right way, they will see the light and adopt it."
apologies for being called racist
urgency False sense of urgency in everyday life that disconnects us from the need to pause, breathe, and reflect. This makes it difficult to
Paternalism Those who hold power control decisions and assume they are
take the time to be inclusive, encourage thorughful decisionmaking. Ex: sacrificeing interests of BIOC communities to win victories for white people
qualified to define standards and make decisions for those without power.
individualism Toxic denial of dependence on one another. Failure to
either/or binary
acknowledge how our knowledge is informed by so many others. Ex: determining whether an individual is racist while ignoring
Assumption that we should reduce the complexity of life and our
cultural, institutional, and systemic racism.
relationships with each other into yes/no either/or right/wrong in ways that reinforce power inequality. Ex: male/female genders
progress = bigger, more
worship of the written word Only honoring things that are written, even when what is written is full of misinformation and lies. This erases the wide range of ways
Goal is always to do/be/get more and do/be/get bigger,
that we communicate with each other. Ex: disregarding
measured "objectively". Progress is more valuable than the quality
information shared through stories, embodied knowing or indtuition
of our relationships to living things.
Qualification objectivity The belief that there is a rational and objective/neutral viewpoint that ignores emotions. Logical thinking is often a cover for personal emotions based in fear of losing power or comfort. Ex: shaming those who are emotional in arguments, shaming people
Expectation that those with formal qualifications are automatically correct. Assumes that white educated people are qualified to fix and save everyone else without acknowledging their role in it. This ignores the communities and cultures of people being "saved" while stealing their land and labor for profit. Ex: "The classics"
who think differently
quantity over quality
power hoarding Power is a limited resource that should only be held by those
Only things that can be measured have value like conflict
"deserving of" power. Suggestions for change are considered
resolution, mutual support, fair decision-making
personal attacks.
fight the power! The Black Panthers created the Free Breakfast Program to feed school-aged children, one of sixty survival programs to meet the needs of the black community 1960s counter-culture fought against us military expansion & against "the establishment" the "Black is Beautiful" cultural movement resisted the racist ideas that black people's natural skin color & facial features were inherently ugly
In 1970s Bronx, the Puerto rican Young Lords and the Black Panthers protested to get the lincoln hospital to provide addiction services run by folks in recovery [4]
"all power to da people"
The Black Panthers fought against medical discrimination by bringing e acupuncture to their communities for addiction treatment [3] notorious gangs the bloods and the crips were formed to keep black communities safe from the police
The Free love movement of the 1960s resisted government involvement in sexual matters & embraced sexual selfdetermination for women The Black Panthers' community health clinics educated and treated black health issues that were ignored by white medical research like sickle cell Anemia
rejecting white supremacy As much as White Supremacy feels inescapable at times, we will resist! Use these antidotes to reject White Supremacy culture. Fear Name fear when it happens. We must each develop the skills we need to "meet our fear, sit with our fear, name our fear, and work
defensiveness/denial "Work on your own defensiveness; ask yourself what you are defending against and why"
to avoid letting fear drive our beliefs, actions, and decisions."
Perfectionism
right to comfort/fear of open conflict
Separate the person from the mistake. Create a culture of support.
"don’t require those who raise hard issues to raise them in
Develop a learning community "where the stated expectation is
‘acceptable’ ways, especially if you are using the ways in
that everyone will make mistakes and those mistakes offer
which issues are raised as an excuse not to address them;
opportunities for learning"
develop your emotional intelligence so you can tell when you are hiding your emotions with the excuse that you are
"One right way"
being "rational;"
"work on developing the ability to notice when you become
urgency
defensive and/or insistent about doing something your way and do everything you can to take a breath; allow yourself room to
"developing a personal and collective practice of noticing when
consider how a different path or paths might improve your
urgency arises and taking a pause to deliberate with
approach and/or offer you something you really need"
thoughtfulness and intention about the nature of the urgency and the range of options available to you."
Paternalism
individualism
"support people at all levels of power to understand how power operates, their level of power, what holding power responsibly
"seek to understand all the ways we are informed by our dominant
looks like, and how to collectively resist and heal from internalized
identities and how our membership in dominant identity groups
tendencies to hoard and defend power."
informs us both overtly and covertly"
either/or binary
worship of the written word
"Notice when you or others use ‘either/or’ language and make time to
"dedicate time to practicing and honoring other ways of knowing
come up with more than two alternatives; Notice when you or others
and expression: oral storytelling, embodied learning, visual and
are simplifying complex issues, particularly when the stakes seem high
movement art, silence, meditation, singing, dancing"
or an urgent decision needs to be made;"
quantity over quality
Qualification "The antidotes to this characteristic include, first and foremost,
"honoring the ancient Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) philosophy that
knowing ourselves so that we become skilled at catching our
the decisions we make today should result in a sustainable world
internalized assumptions about our own qualified-ness. We must
seven generations into the future; insure that any cost/benefit
learn to question and get comfortable with the limits of our
analysis includes all the costs, not just the financial ones, for
knowing. We must learn to prioritize relationships over being right
example the cost in morale, the cost in credibility, the cost in
(thank you Rev. Tami Forte Logan). We must learn to lean into the
relationship to living beings, the cost in the use of resources;"
racial equity principles of collective action and accountability. We must learn to let go of the need to fix, save, and set straight in the
objectivity
acknowledgement that we are at our best when we are 'with' others (and ourselves)."
"support yourself and your group to sit with discomfort when people are sharing points of view or lived experiences that are not familiar to you"
progress = bigger, more
power hoarding "if you are a leader and/or hold power, avoid taking challenges personally and return to the principle of collective thinking and action; ask for help with your leadership, particularly when feeling
"distinguish between growth, which is necessary and organic, and the conditioned desire for "more" - more stuff, more transactional power, more people, more ... for its own sake;"
highly defensive;"
JOYEUX NOIR
HOW TO APOLOGIZE WHEN YOU'VE SAID SOMETHING OPPRESSIVE*
1. Actively listen to the person speaking to you--don't just silently think
of
how
you're
going
to
defend
yourself.
Why
are
they
actually upset? (Hint: it's probably not because they're butt-hurt)
2. Don't get defensive. No one is calling you a bad person necessarily, but you messed up and the other person's feelings are valid.
3. Acknowledge that you can do wrong. Sometimes we mess up, and that's okay. It only becomes a problem when we don't try to fix it!
4. Give the person space while you take time to reflect. You hurt them, don't try to force them to reconcile for *your* peace of mind.
5. How can you make this right and ensure it doesn't happen again? Look inward and check your biases. A simple apology often isn't enough--especially if it's not genuine.
JOYEUX NOIR
ACTIVE LISTENING 101 FROM MINDTOOLS.COM
1. Pay Attention. Give your undivided attention to the speaker, & acknowledge the message. Pay attention to body language. Look
at
the
speaker
directly
and
avoid
distraction.
Don't
mentally prepare a defense or disagreement!
2. Show that you're listening. Use body language and gestures to
show
that
you're
interested.
Try
occasional
nodding
and
smiling combined with spoken encouragement like "yeah, uhhuh"
3. Give feedback–as a listener, it is our job to understand what is being said. Ask questions to clarify points. Reflect out loud with what you're hearing by saying things like "What it sounds like you're saying is..." or "What I'm hearing is..."
4. Defer judgment. Don't interrupt to disagree. Don't interrupt at all!
5. Respond appropriately using the information you understood from the speaker. Be candid, open, and honest in a respectful way. Respond how you would want someone to talk to you.
The dictionary defines biopiracy as the commercial exploitation of biological & genetic material (like medicinal plant extracts) without giving back to the indigenous people or places they took them from. Sound familiar? I’ll give you a hint–colonization. Though the colonial era (think “thirteen original colonies”) seems long ago, biopiracy practices echo the unfair theft of resources that colonizing countries performed on their colonies. Biopiracy is capitalist exploitation that allows large pharmaceutical companies to officially patent naturally-occurring organisms and public scientific knowledge. Patents are exclusive and create legal restrictions on indigenous uses. An example of this is endangered white sage. White sage that was stolen from Native territory is sold at Sephora cosmetics but was illegal for colonized Natives until the passage of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act in 1978.
Biopiracy This can cause the extinction of endemic organisms or bankrupt natural reserves of the species, but those privileged enough to pay for it have excess of the patented product. Once species begin to go extinct, the responsibility is often placed on indigenous groups to either rehabilitate the species' previous wild numbers, or be forced to watch their cultural practices die.
Biopiracy is another form of colonialism: formerly colonized countries are still exploited for their biological and cultural resources. This increases power inequalities between wealthy colonizing countries and their ex-colonies. Biopiracy = colonialism
PUBLIC ENEMY #1 "On
this
day,
27
October
administration
of
passed
Comprehensive
the
president
1970,
the
Richard
Nixon
Drug
Abuse
Prevention and Control Act, as part of their 'war on drugs.' A Nixon adviser, John Ehrlichman, later admitted 'The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the
antiwar
understand
left
what
and I’m
Black
saying?
people. We
You
knew
we
couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war
or
Black,
but
by
getting
the
public
to
associate the hippies with marijuana and Blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night
Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.'” [5] on the evening news.
ORIGINS OF POLICING
JOYEUX NOIR
Slave patrols were some of the south’s first forms of policing. They were civilians tasked with preventing slave revolts and returning runaway slaves using harsh physical punishments. By law, almost all white men had to serve in these patrols for up to one year of service. These groups were designed to enforce slave codes by giving the white population that didn’t “own” slaves policing power and the duty to police Black people. This was insurance that the landless white men who didn’t own slaves would serve rich plantation owners instead of going against them. During the Reconstruction period after the civil war, local sheriffs functioned exactly like the earlier slave patrols. They enforced the segregation and suppression of free Black folks in the name of maintaining “public order” (aka White Supremacy). During the political wildfire that was the late 1800s, police captains and sergeants were hand-picked by local political party leaders who used their money and social influence to harass political opponents. Those party leaders who ran taverns instead of gangs would pay off officers to allow illegal gambling and sex work. During Prohibition when alcohol was made illegal, president hoover (a nazi) created a commission to investigate just how ineffective law enforcement was across the nation. That was when the movement to make policing a “respectable” profession began. This created a more unified sense of white power which used the stigma of criminality to justify discrimination.
PUBLIC ENEMY #1
A shift in the 1930s toward professionalism for the police professionincluded the development of record systems and experimentation with the science of criminal behavior. Police science combined crime statistics with sociological research about the natural tendency of Black people to commit criminal acts. Academic research came out that backed up the idea that Black people are a race of criminals. Black people became Public Enemy #1 in the north and the south. Black southerners fled north as the Ku Klux Klan began using lynchings to attempt to control bold or ambitious Black folks. Lynchings were public rituals for the whole white community with boys participating as young as 10 years old. Local vendors sold tickets and food and drinks, white people proudly took pictures, white people traded postcards that featured the brutalized victims, white people shot at the bodies for sport. These postcard momentos were so popular that businesses advertised on the back, and sons sent them to their mothers with love. Even the Nazis published and distributed these photos. Whatever remained of the victims’ bodies were cut up and handed out as souvenirs. The police force acted (and continues to act) as an extension of white fear and anger.
POLITICS OF RESPECTABILITY
JOYEUX NOIR
Policing has evolved from policy to practice. Under White Supremacy culture, we police each other, we police our communities, and we police ourselves. One of these forms of policing is “respectability,” the unspoken code used to judge the worthiness of a marginalized group based on how “respectable” they are according to White Supremacy standards. In order to prove similarities between the dominant group and one’s own, more privileged folks often distance themselves from those deemed “less respectable.” This can look like slutshaming between women, or the “Model Minority Myth” that positions Asian immigrants as exceptions from the effects of racism because of perceived “similarity of the values, norms, and practices” between them and white american culture [6]. Instead of challenging white supremacist ideals, we may fall into the Respectability trap and reinforce amongst ourselves the idea that we must earn the right to be treated fairly. We all know, as members of an oppressed group, that our individual personalities don’t matter as much as how we represent the group at large. Thus, we face pressure to be this model representative every day in order to be considered deserving of rights and safety.
PUBLIC ENEMY #1
The always-changing rules of respectability are used by the hegemonic culture to control and justify the harm towards oppressed groups. Because these standards are moving goalposts, they are intentionally unattainable. Then, the lack of respectability is used as an excuse to cause harm.
Get rid of the cop in your head! You are worthy of respect and love regardless of if you're "Respectable" or not.
RE PARENTING YOURSELF
How to heal your inner child
Why re-parenting? When the world adultifies* Black children and uses it as an excuse to hurt us, we must be especially gentle with ourselves. We must speak to and think about ourselves with the kindness we are not afforded elsewhere. Reparenting is about healing our trauma by correcting the mistakes our parents or guardians made when they raised us. It is the greatest self care we can practice.
what is re-parenting? Reparenting is the daily practice of teaching yourself these skills: 1. Accountability - modeling how to get through mistakes with compassion &
from Dr. Nicole LePera (@the.holistic.psychologist) on Instagram
FLESRUOY GNITNERAP-ER
awareness of your own role in the situation 2. Discipline - modeling how to delay gratification, work to achieve a goal, and keep daily promises 3. Emotional Resilience - modeling how to process emotions and communicate them 4. Self-awareness - understanding of wants, needs, desires, & passions 5. Boundaries - how to firmly set and hold them 6. The ability to be present/engaged in the moment
get started! Find support - tell your friend, your partner, or someone in your community that you are taking on this work. Daily 10 min silent reflection - breathe, meditate, journal or whatever in silence with no distractions, Validate your own emotions - journaling instead of suppressing emotions or trying to be toxically positive about them blocks healing from our parenting wounds. Pay attention to "punishment" behaviors - visualize your inner child when you find yourself using restrictive behavior. You don't need to be punished for your emotions or actions! Get plenty of sleep , if possible - emotional release can bring physical pain and exhaustion to the body
*Adultification is a form of racial prejudice that considers and treats children of color (specifically Black children) like they are much more mature than reasonably expected for their age. This results in Black children being tried and sentenced as adults and Black girls being hyper-sexualized and targeted by predators because they went through puberty.
iF c ir y L
The voice of racism preaching the gospel is devilish Where nobody gives a fuck whether you die or you live A fake church called the prophet Muhammad a terrorist I'm tryin' to give the truth, and I know the price is my life Forgetting God is not a religion, but a spiritual bond But when I'm gone they'll sing a song about Immortal Technique And Jesus is the most quoted prophet in the Qu'ran Who beheaded the President, and the princes and sheiks You don't give a fuck about us, I can see through your facade They bombed innocent people, tryin' to murder Saddam Like a fallen angel standing in the presence of God When you gave him those chemical weapons to go to war with Iran Bitch niggaz scared of the truth, when it looks at you hard This is the information that they hold back from Peter Jennings Cause Condoleeza Rice is just a new age Sally Hemmings It's like MK-ULTRA, controlling your brain I break it down with critical language and spiritual anguish Suggestive thinking, causing your perspective to change The Judas I hang with, the guilt of betraying Christ They want to rearrange the whole point of view in the ghetto You murdered and stole his religion, and painting him white The fourth branch of the government, want us to settle Translated in psychologically tainted philosophy A bandana full of glittering, generality Conservative political right wing, ideology Fighting for freedom and fighting terror, but what's reality? Martial law is coming soon to the hood, to kill you Glued together sloppily, the blasphemy of a nation While you hanging your flag out your project window Got my back to the wall, cause I'm facin' assassination Guantanamo Bay, federal incarceration How could this be, the land of the free, home of the brave? The voice of racism preaching the gospel is devilish d n Indigenous holocaust, and the home of the slaves A fake church called the prophet Muhammad a terrorist Corporate America, dancin' offbeat to the rhythm Forgetting God is not a religion, but a spiritual bond You really think this country, never sponsored terrorism? And Jesus is the most quoted prophet in the Qu'ran Human rights violations, we continue the saga They bombed innocent people, tryin' to murder Saddam El Savador and the contras in Nicaragua When you gave him those chemical weapons to go to war with Iran And on top of that, you still want to take me to prison This is the information that they hold back from Peter Jennings Just cause I won't trade humanity for patriotism Cause Condoleeza Rice is just a new age Sally Hemmings m or f
THE THE 4TH 4TH BRANCH BRANCH
I break it down with critical language and spiritual anguish The Judas I hang with, the guilt of betraying Christ You murdered and stole his religion, and painting him white Translated in psychologically tainted philosophy Conservative political right wing, ideology Glued together sloppily, the blasphemy of a nation Got my back to the wall, cause I'm facin' assassination Guantanamo Bay, federal incarceration How could this be, the land of the free, home of the brave? Indigenous holocaust, and the home of the slaves Corporate America, dancin' offbeat to the rhythm You really think this country, never sponsored terrorism? Human rights violations, we continue the saga El Savador and the contras in Nicaragua And on top of that, you still want to take me to prison D M a r Just cause I won't trade humanity for patriotism
BY BY IMMORTAL IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE TECHNIQUE
y
r
r
e
J
y
b
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tt
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It's like MK-ULTRA, controlling your brain Suggestive thinking, causing your perspective to change They want to rearrange the whole point of view of the ghetto The fourth branch of the government, want us to settle A bandana full of glittering, generality Fighting for freedom and fighting terror, but what's reality? Read about the history of the place that we live in And stop letting corporate news tell lies to your children
Flow like the blood of Abraham through the Jews and the Arabs ia n i Broken apart like a woman's heart, abused in a marriage It's Th like MK-ULTRA, controlling your bra The brink of holy war, bottled up, like a miscarriage e ve 4t t A hcausing Suggestive thinking, your perspective to us chan Bra Embedded correspondents don't tell the source of the tension r t nch l Song y ric s They want to rearrange the whole point of©view of the ghet And they refuse to even mention, European intervention The fourth branch of the government, want us to sett Or the massacres in Jenin, the innocent screams A bandana full of glittering, generali U.S. manufactured missles, and M-16's Fighting for freedom and fighting terror, but what's realit Weapon contracts and corrupted American dreams Read about the history of the place that we live Media censorship, blocking out the video screens And stop letting corporate news tell lies to your childre A continent of oil kingdoms, bought for a bargain Democracy is just a word, when the people are starvin' Flow like the blood of Abraham through the Jews and the Ara The average citizen, made to be, blind to the reason Broken apart like a woman's heart, abused in a marria A desert full of genocide, where the bodies are freezin' The brink of holy war, bottled up, like a miscarria And the world doesn't believe that you fightin' for freedom Embedded correspondents don't tell the source of the tensio Cause you fucked the Middle East, and gave birth to a demon And they refuse to even mention, European interventio It's open season with the CIA, bugging my crib Or the massacres in Jenin, the innocent scream Trapped in a ghetto region like a Palestinian kid U.S. manufactured missles, and M-16
JOYEUX NOIR
SOURCES
1. Perry, Andre M., Ray, Rashawn. Why we need reparations for black americans. 2020 April 15. From https://www.brookings.edu/policy2020/big ideas/why-we-need-reparations-forblack-americans 2. Okun, Tema. White Supremacy Culture. 2021. 3. “How Racism Gave Rise to Acupuncture for Addiction Treatment.” The Atlantic. From https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archiv e/2018/08/acupuncture-heroinaddiction/566393/ 4. https://www.studioatao.org/post/understa nding-respectability-politics
SOURCES & RESOURCES
RESOURCES
1. https://www.thepatriot.co.zw/old_posts/th e-black-panther-party-part-fourcocaine-as-a-weapon-to-destroypanthers/ 2. Historical Foundations of Race by David R Roediger 3. The Rose That Grew from Concrete by Tupac Shakur