Dear Readers, Pulse is a beat that runs through our bodies, through our communities, and through the land. We chose this theme because it encapsulates tenacity. Our pulses are the perseverance that keep us fighting for freedom and through pain when the lives of our loved ones and comrades are stolen by state-sanctioned violence. Compiling this publication, we were deeply humbled by the submissions. Your art and your voices remind us to stay open, stay soft, stay vulnerable, and to turn to love. At the same time, we can hold on to our pain and embrace our anger. This publication is a testament to and celebration of ourselves on this campus, and a demand that we, and our experiences, be recognized. We are here and our pulses beat strong. In Solidarity is a zine curated by and for people of color each semester at Oberlin College. It opposes and exists outside of mainstream media past and present, where the narratives of people of color are often erased or essentialized. We welcome any artist of color to submit work of any medium that can be shared on paper. Art is integral to our liberation. It can be a source of healing and it re-imagines the futures that we fight for. As new artists enter this institution, the format and tone of In Solidarity is ever-evolving. We hope that each issue serves as a time capsule of our collective triumphs and frustrations.
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We dedicate Pulse to trans people whose lives have been taken in 2015. Their murders were not isolated incidents, but instead, manifestations of racialized and gendered violence. Out of the 23 documented murders of trans people in 2015, 20 were women of color. We call on our readers to wake up, stay woke, and challenge one another to actively deconstruct the unjust systems that dominate our institution, the US, and our planet. We recognize and oppose capitalism as the root of amerikkkan injustice and call on readers to uplift our communities with passion and persistence. As contributors and editors, we have labored over this zine because we believe in the beauty, perseverance, and strength that is born out of coalition and creativity. With love and power, Alexandra Nicome ‘17 Anders Villalta ‘16 Cameron Campbell ‘18 Elka Lee-Shapiro ‘18 Gaby Hurtado-Ramos ‘16 Lisa-Qiao MacDonald ‘16 Olivia Evans ‘18
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To the 23 Trans Women Murdered in 2015 (20 of whom were trans women of color):
Papi Edwards Lamia Beard Ty Underwood Michelle (Yazmin) Vash Payne Taja Gabrielle DeJesus Penny Proud Bri Golec Kristina Grant Infiniti (aka Kristina Gomez Reinwald) Keyshia Blige London Chanel Mercedes Williamson Jasmine Collins Ashton O’Hara India Clarke K.C. Haggard Shade Schuler Amber Monroe Kandis Capri Elisha Walker Tamara Dominguez Keisha Jenkins Zella Ziona Mya Hall
We honor you. Rest in power. 4
Table of Contents Member of BBC 6-9 Dana Fang 10-13 Allegra Sussman 14-15 karsten jurkiewicz 16 Lydia Smith 17 Anthony Moaton 18-22 Melissa Harris 23-25 Fernando Borges 26-28 Kyle Tribble 29 Jasmine Lomax 30 Gaby Hurtado-Ramos 31-33 Mo Bey 34-35 ジョウシトモヨ 36-38 Elka Lee-Shapiro 39 Skyler 40-41 Anders Villalta 42 Miles Ginoza 43 Mayowa A. 44
Inside back cover: Anders Villalta Outside back cover: Lisa-Qiao MacDonald 5
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Yai Yai, 2015
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Kong Kong, 2015
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Liberation
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Migration
Asylum
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Coffins
Gaby Hurtado-Ramos 31
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right now my heart is healing Mayowa A. 44
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