Radical Issue Seventeen (July 2020)
July Ingredients Monthly Affirmation D.I.Y. Therapy: Challenging Beliefs Swallowing Rainbows by Jasmine Farrell Completely & Fully Mine by Inisa Fajra Rise Up by Nia Impunity is Illusion by Iris Orpi Permeate by Amanda Kazemi Breath of Aquarius by Natalie Allgyer Statement from Society... by Jessica Callender NEW CONTRIBUTORS: Bring Down Barriers by Teri Anderson What the Police Can Learn... by Sarina Dahlan Movies & Libros List of Healing Resources More Cool Things
A New Affirmation for You! I am the revolution I am powerful I am peaceful I am the revolution Yo soy la revolucion Yo soy poderoso Yo so pacifico Yo soy la revolucion
What is Radical zine? I created Radical to spread a message of sustainable self-care and to promote independent artists, writers, and healers with a focus on woc and queer creatives. Choosing to love myself unconditionally and heal has given me a reason to live and is a source of joy for me. Art, poetry, & choosing to support others gives me a greater purpose than just my own needs. XOXO, Leah
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D.I.Y. Therapy: Challenge Our Beliefs & Accept Others For most of us, practicing self-care, choosing to love ourselves and care for ourselves on a deep meaningful level is a revolution that changes our lives. If we were taught that we must be perfect, that we held no value other than what we did for others or learned to hate ourselves by comparison of an unrealistic ideal, self-care is the utmost F*** You. It is a choice at odds with the mainstream message that we are flawed, but could be better if only we put in the effort to change our appearance, that success only happens if we continuously climb the corporate ladder, and keep up with the latest, newest, shiniest trends. Self-care replaces all of that with knowing we are perfectly imperfect, that success is not defined by money or status, and that we don't need, but can be comfortable with the latest trends if they resonate with our individual desires. If you are ready to dive deeper into your self-care and a revolution of equity, love and justice for all life on this planet, start with a review of the thoughts and beliefs that control you. It's time to let go of the ideas that no longer serve you. Whether they were planted by well meaning guardians and teachers to keep us safe and polite or pushed onto us from advertisements, political ideas or religious doctrine, some beliefs make our lives harder and cause us to suffer more. If you were taught to be polite no matter what, how does that affect you when someone is being hateful towards you or when you need to assert yourself to reach your goals? If you were taught that other people's beliefs were wrong because it did not line up with your religion, are you missing out on connections that could improve your life? If you were taught that your body or features were unattractive, how has that stopped you from feeling comfortable without altering the way you look? If you were raised to believe certain people were less than you, how has that shaped the way you treat people? There is no shortage of beliefs for us to challenge. You don't need to challenge them all at once. Go slow. If you don't discover a reason to change that belief, keep it and move on to the next one. I'm not saying you need to change your complete belief system. I only hope that you will open up to the reality that some beliefs help while others harm. Here are a few beliefs that have changed for me. One very personal belief from around the age of 12 was that I was an ugly person. That belief was told to me by the media, unhappy adults, and my peers. That one belief caused me to hate my body and feel disgusted and ashamed of myself until I was 30! That was a long time to hate myself and a lot of time to do some serious damage. It took a lot of work and tears to challenge that belief. Learning about how the media portrayed women and how beauty
really was in the eye of the beholder along with practicing self-care and amazing mentors, allowed me to love my body and take better care of myself. It was my first revolutionary act. Two really prominent outer beliefs that I grew up with was thinking anyone who was religious was racist, sexist and homophobic because when I was younger the religious people I met held those beliefs. It wasn't until I was older and began meeting more people outside of my bubble that I was able to release that belief and meet religious people who not only supported and actively stood up for others. Another belief was seeing the image of males (especially Black men) who dressed and talked in certain ways as 'thugs'. This belief was learned from the media portrayal of this stereotype as unsavory characters who were drug dealers and gang members prone to violence and crime. Conversations with people, coming to terms with the death of Trayvon Martin, realizing the men in my family dealt with this harmful stereotype, and understanding the prejudices of our mass media allowed me to release both beliefs. These lessons were humbling to my ego. Releasing them allowed me to not be afraid of “the other” and also helped me release other stereotypes that have been prevalent in my life. It was a revolution of my heart that gifted me with wonderful friends and connections. As we grow older, learning how our beliefs are created by repeatedly being shared in our family stories, media, and cultures is a gift because then we can make a choice to challenge those beliefs. Once you see things, it's easy to change things. Here are some journal questions to spark your inner revolution. • Which of my beliefs have changed as I have grown? • How has that change in thinking helped me navigate the world? • Which of my beliefs now cause me to suffer, to be angry, or unhappy? • Why do they make me feel that way? • Am I ready to reform those beliefs or release completely? Receive monthly journaling/self-care activities on Patreon.com/Loviedo for $3/month.
Swallowing Rainbows by Jasmine Farrell I will not gulp down color palettes to soothe your convictions. Leave no remission of my reality, just so you can clench onto your fantasies. You prostitute the words of our black heroes in order to glorify your fallacies. Placing blankets over casualties won’t make the bodies stink any less. Corpses are still corpses no matter how they’re dressed. I won’t muzzle my story to stop the fluttering in your chest. I will not mentally eat your dismissive statements, and gaslighted quotes that you call facts. I will not swallow the rainbow because the colors are different. I will not wash out the red, blue, yellow and greens, ring out their histories, legends, victories and their communities’ colorful beauty and hang it out to dry for your peace of mind. We all need a peace of mind. Why should we have to swallow cultures whole and forget all the gems we were told? Why hang the rainbow out to dry, bland, wrinkled and solemn? I will not tell green to be bright like yellow, or tell red to shift into blue. I love every hue. (KEEP READING)
Why can’t you love the variety without washing out the colors too? They are beautiful alone, and majestic together. I will not be color blind for anyone’s faux peace of mind. I will let them shine as one. There is no greater beauty than unity. Look at the fucking rainbow. Fear and ignorance is the issuenot washing away colors. Diversity is tasteful. Hatred toward the unknown is vilespit it out, honey. I will not swallow the rainbow because the colors are different. Especially when all the colors are bleeding. Jasmine Farrell, is an author and freelance writer from Brooklyn, NY. She has published six poetry collections and is currently working on her first novel. Her first three published poetry collections demonstrate how her life experiences have shaped her. Her collections include, My Quintessence, Phoenixes Groomed a Genesis Doves, Long Live Phoenixes and Release. She believes her poetry can create a positive mental space where readers can feel self-assured enough to move forward without fear of what others think. She wants people to reclaim who they are, so they can live life authentically and with purpose. JasmineFarrell.com & Facebook.com/justbreathejasmine & Twitter.com/justbreathejas & Instagram.com/JustBreatheJasmine
Completely & Fully Mine by Inisa Fajra She walks in first and causes chaos Loud, unnerving, with an intimidating smile A fire-breathing dragon she exercises fears instructing them to run a mile Once they’re far enough and keeping distance she settles right behind a throne surrounded by her flames Then she calls my soul in to come through undisturbed, unbothered, peaceful known by these and many other names She sits in ring of fire a presence that is clean and quiet, and naive There, from her throne, only she decides who she will or won’t receive My ego - the dragon, the shadow the wounded bird, Ms. Fye my guardian, protector she might be vicious, but she so fly My soul, my inner child, my innocence my connection to the whole she doesn’t need to be nobody, doesn’t need to try doesn’t need to hold, control, no part of it at all She resides in justice, balance, the subconscious pool of the divine And my feisty ego resides in chaos, vanity, laughter all important, all too precious all completely mine. (Writer bio on next page)
Inisa Fajra is a creative writer and poet and wellness & empowerment leader (WELbeing) who works on empowering others by helping to understand and navigate our emotions better. Her words serve to make people feel and to invite them to dig deep into their own well of emotions in order to heal, inspire, awaken and empower. Her book "New Skin" has now been published through Amazon.Instagram.com/inisa.fajra
Self-Love practice: Look at yourself in the mirror, clothed or naked. Look down toward your feet and speak “I love my feet, I love my legs, I love my stomach, I love my breasts, I love my butt, I love my (vagina/penis/whatever word you prefer), I love my arms and hands, I love my neck, I love my face, I love my hair (or lack of hair), I love my spirit, I love myself as I am in this moment. Repeat this practice as often as needed.
Rise Up by Nia
Nia is a queer, black, self-taught visual artist living in Baltimore City. For over 25 years Nia has created both large and small-scale projects, from murals and sign making to creating greeting cards and painting pet portraits. Their artwork focuses on the different living beings that make up this planet, including flora and fauna. As a coowner of Red Emma’s Bookstore and Coffee House and with the work they do with BRED, they hope to break the cycle of silenced emotions and create moments where feelings are present, raw, transformative and valid. www.instagram.com/little.tree.art
Impunity is Illusion by Iris Orpi I'm all that you have killed. All the lies you've told. I am the screaming rage of all that you have silenced. I am your worst enemy, the one you thin you have subdued. I am the blunt, barbaric instruments you have shoved into bloody crevices. All the cigarette burns on ksin. The gouged out eyes. The mangled genitals. The stench of excrement on the walls. The bodies with no names. I am ten thousand years' worth of prison sentences. I am the bullets you've fired. All the millions you have plundered. All the pages of history you've bastardized. I will burn your effigy every day in my front yard and never stop writing your crimes with the ashes.
(Writer bio on next page)
Iris Orpi is a Filipina writer living in Chicago, IL. She is the author of the novel The Espresso Effect and two books of collected poetry, Cognac for the Soul and Beautiful Fever. She was an Honorable Mention for the annual Contemporary American Poetry Prize 2015. her work has appeared in over two dozen online and print publications around Asia, North America, Europe, and Africa. Twittter.com/irisorpi & Facebook.com/irisorpi
SAY HER NAME
Breonna Taylor was brutally shot and killed by police in her own home. She did nothing wrong. Our fight for justice for Breonna begins today. Click below to get started or call 502-735-1784 to demand justice for Breonna right away. StandWithBre.com
Permeate by Amanda Kazemi
Amanda Kazemi is a visual artist and educator living in San Diego, CA. Her work explores the complex relationships existing between the inherited animal experience and the far-reaching capabilities of the modern state.
Breath of Aquarius by Natalie Allgyer
What a time to be alive! The world is very interesting at the moment. If you are reading this later on perhaps this image will bring you back to mid 2020 and all the turmoil that went on. Many believe that the age of Pisces is leaving or has already left, and the age of Aquarius is here or on its way. Astrology captivated me way beyond the woowoo aspects of it. Its ancient. Lots of it is proven by science too. Astrology has been studied by some of the greatest thinkers the world has ever known. For that reason I love and respect it SO much. The age of Pisces brought so much conflict. Much of it had to do with the human reaction to fear. Fear of people outside your kingdom who did things differently than you, worshiped differed Gods, looked different than you did, etc. Instead of seeking to understand we sought out to destroy. Pisces is also the age where the patriarchy was born. Of course, there were MANY great things that (KEEP READING)
happened in those 2000ish years. It’s just that for the sake of this image I’m concentrating more on the heavier side of things because, well... To me, the world feels so heavy in this very moment in time. Now that Pisces is mostly out Aquarius is mostly in. There is a feeling that feels similar to the first whiff of the soothing smell of rain during a chaotic thunderstorm. So much change. Nobody is really sure where this will all go either. There are little metaphorical tornadoes and fires everywhere. The world is growing rapidly in spite of how is it bound by what has always been. Some humans are vehemently rejecting the change. That can be felt too. The good part is that, as a general collective, we are leaving so much of the toxicity behind as we grow. The chains of Pisces are still there, but the strong ones who are hungry for change persevere thru them as if the chains don’t even exist. In the mean time, thru the mists, _____ (<— insert favorite name for The Great Creator here), ushers in the strength and nobility of wise leaders that have come before us. There is something that is constant about the nature of chaos of change; it’s rarely ever comfortable. In fact, it’s usually quite uncomfortable or even downright painful! That pain is necessary for growth and progress. Both for the higher self and for our society. Think of the metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a butterfly. There are some scary things that happen inside of that chrysalis! Remembering that change’s nature is chaotic gives me splice that we are on our way to a better world. One that our children will be proud of. Order comes from chaos (thanks Nietzsche) I hope you are all fairing well thru this time. If you are reading this on the butterfly side of the change that means we made it! Cheers. With Gratitude, Natalie Allgyer Natalie’s whimsical yet dark style incorporates pieces of her own images that she makes with her dslr camera. It can take an upward of 20 images to create one of her works. She enjoys using elements of nature and the world around her in her art. Her carefully curated color choices in combination with painstakingly thoughtful lighting, contrast, and texture lends itself to her empathic vibe and painterly feel. Websitenatalieallgyer.com.
Statement from Society: We Don't Like Different Here by Jessica Nathalia Callender Statement from Society: "we don't like differ... We don't like different here We want everyone to be the same Stick to the mainstream Kill your daydreams Reality is scary Save me We don't like different here Whether the colour of your skin Or the colour of your hair Because I may not be like you Won't mean I'll hurt you I swear But our contrasts divide us Because different makes you scared From my religion or lack thereof My race or my tattoos My gender or my style You'd rather I be like you But dear society, Different doesn't warrant repair We are perfect as we are And we're all different But we share the same heart (Writer bio on next page)
Jessica Nathalia Callender is a poet with aspirations to publish her own books someday. She believes that everyone experiences the same world in many different ways, and uses poetry as a lens for people to view the ordinary world through her eyes. Follow on Instagram NEW CONRIBUTOR: Teri Anderson
Teri Anderson creates work that looks into the idea of craft in art, textiles, installation and sculpture to create a linear or surreal environment which the audience have to inhabit. The work links to her heritage and how textiles were key in their family history including sample machinists and pattern cutters. (Writer bio continued on next page)
Building on this Teri proposes an art practise which incorporates a craft based techniques into the art based discipline of installation. Teriandersonsite.wordpress.com & Instagram @tinyteri13 & Facebook @teriandersonartist
NEW CONRIBUTOR: What can the Police learn from the Catholic Church? By Sarina Dahlan While George Floyd was being slowly and methodically suffocated to death, his murderer had three other accomplices. All four were police officers. Not all police are bad. But we have to ask, what kind of system do these four policemen exist in that allows them to think they can abuse their power and get away with it? This far-fromisolated incident exposes an epidemic plaguing the police force. A change must happen. To get there, we may be able to learn from another system that had, for a long time, allowed abuse to exist. The Catholic Church. Two systems with patterns of abuse: One of the most powerful organizations in the world, the Catholic Church harbored sexual abusers—reported as far back as the 11th century when Peter Damian wrote a treatise against such abuse. In the U.S., the majority of known child sexual-abuse cases took place in the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s. But only in the 90’s did the abuse begin to appear on the news. A Boston Globe investigation in 2002 unearthed the extensiveness of both the sexual abuse and its cover-up. In one case, a former priest, John J. Geoghan had abused more than 130 people over 30 years, one as young as 4 years old. His boss, Cardinal Bernard F. Law knew about the problems in 1984 yet approved his transfer to another parish, leaving the abuser unpunished and allowing the abuse to continue. There too is a pattern of abuse of black people in this country by some police officers. According to the 2019 data of all police killing compiled by Mapping Police Violence, black Americans were 3x more likely to be killed by police and 1.3x more likely to be unarmed than white Americans. Moreover, 99% of the killings by police have not resulted in the officers being charged with a crime. If the system in which the abusers belong protects them and allows abuse to exist, the abuse of power will continue. This leads to another question—why (KEEP READING)
would the Catholic Church and the Police, systems created to help people, participate in perpetuating the abuse? The reason behind cover-ups To begin to understand, let’s investigate one phenomenon that binds humans within a group: loyalty. It is a contract one makes with another—“you have my back, I have your back”. When practiced positively, this all-for-one and one-for-all thinking allows trust to form between members of a family, tribe, community, organization, and country. In situations where there is potential danger to life, livelihood, or an ideology, one needs to know who they can trust. Both the Catholic Church and the Police have a formal ranking structure and an environment that demands loyalty and camaraderie: loyalty to other members, loyalty to the system of rank structure, and loyalty to the values possessed by the agency. Both have “loyalty oath”. Law Enforcement Oath of Honor On my honor, I will never betray my badge, my integrity, my character, or the public trust. I will always have the courage to hold myself and others accountable for our actions. I will always uphold the constitution, and will remain loyal to my community and the agency I serve. Catholic Oath of Fidelity (partial) I, N., in assuming the office of ………, promise that in my words and in my actions I shall always preserve communion with the Catholic Church. When exploited, loyalty can lead to acts that perpetuate wrongdoings. Turning a blind eye, giving excuses to wrongful acts, victim blaming, and applying a broad brushstroke explanation all play a part in keeping the abusers in positions in which they can continue their abuse. In exploiting loyalty, the very thing designed to keep the group together, the abusers can hide behind the backs of those who are bound to protect them. Like a cancer, abusers destroy from within, eating away at the fabric of trust between the system and the community. What has the Catholic Church done to bring change? Accountability: To answer a long-running demand by victims and their families, Pope Francis announced in June 2016 a new church law that removes Catholic bishops who failed to get rid of pedophile priests. He recognized that abusers were allowed to perpetuate their crime by either the negligence or direct support of those above them, and they must also pay for the crime. (KEEP READING)
Transparency: Pontifical secrecy in sexual abuse investigations played a role in the cover-up, and lifting it was a key demand by church leaders. In December 2019, Pope Francis abolished the rule of pontifical secrecy that had, for a long time, shielded them. A new universal church law forbids imposing an obligation of silence on those who report sexual abuse or allege they have been a victim. Priests and nuns must now report suspicion of sexual abuse to civil authorities where required by law. Training & Screening: The Catholic Church has instituted “Safe environment” training across dioceses/eparchies to ensure safe place for worship for children. They established a code of conduct for all adults who work with youth on a regular basis. Trainings are done to address child abuse, including how to identify instances of sexual abuse and how to report them. They no longer allow transfers of priests and deacons who have committed an act of sexual abuse to another diocese/eparchy. Moreover, they do routine screening and criminal background checks of seminarians. What can the Police learn from the Catholic Church? Accountability: Just as the Catholic Church made a law to remove bishops who failed to get rid of pedophile priests, the Police must also have a universal law to make the police chiefs who failed to address the abuse of power by police officers accountable. Accountability must be demanded of those at the top. It is their house, they must clean up the mess. Transparency: The police department must immediately provide complete transparency in the case of abuse. Unedited body cam recordings, witness accounts, the history of abuse by the officers involved. The longer the silence persists, demands will become louder as in the case of the recent countrywide protests. They also must provide a system in which reports of abuse by fellow police officers are supported, protected, and taken seriously. They must understand that doing so is not an act of disloyalty, but an act of protecting the system as a whole. It is the cutting out of cancerous cells before they infect the entire body. Training & Screening: The average training at the Police Academy is 21 weeks (5 months). As the Catholic Church has done to prevent child abuse, the Police need to establish a code of conduct against citizen abuse. The Police Academy needs to train on racism, how to identify instances of power abuse, and how to report them. Most importantly, there needs to be better screening to ensure those who apply to the Academy are not potential abusers looking to exploit their positions of power. In conclusion When a system allows abuse to become endemic, trust between that system and the community is broken. The Catholic Church has taken steps to rebuild the trust. So, too, the Police must take steps to regain the community’s trust. Each policeman must listen to the pleas to end police brutality—not as an attack on them as individuals or the sacrifice they have made in their positions, but as a request for each to uphold the (KEEP READING)
trust between their organization and the community. A society must be able to know that the institution which exists to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Serve & Protectâ&#x20AC;? is there equally for all citizens. And when thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s abuse of that power, there are steps in place to prevent it from happening again. Just as it is no longer enough for individual citizens to say they are not racist, it is not enough for each police officer to say that they as individuals are not abusers of power. We all have to work together toward a society with rules and laws that prohibit racism. In order to get there, we need to dismantle systems that allow the abuse of black lives to persist. We, whether as citizens within the community or as officers within the Police force, must hold each other to a higher standard and question when our loyalty is being exploited. Only then will we know when our trust is not misplaced.
Sarina Dahlan was born into an Indonesian family in Thailand, and immigrated to the United States at the age of twelve. While children in the west grew up on fairy tales, she learned parables through ghost stories, mythologies, and Japanese manga. A graduate of the University of California, San Diego with degrees in Psychology and Visual Arts, she has blended both disciplines in careers as an advertising producer, a corporate marketing strategist, and an award-winning writer. She is currently raising her three children on a healthy diet of history, Thai curry, and scientific thinking. https://sarinadahlan.com
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Your Job is to.... by Leah Oviedo
I was raised exploring various states in a family mixed with miscellaneous roots which explains my intersectional interest in art, writing, and activism. After suffering from depression for 17 years, I was inspired to heal my trauma (violence/depression) with art therapy and deep self-care. My focus is connecting with nature, smashing the patriarchy, and encouraging radical self-love with a diverse group of creators sharing their stories and their magic. With gratitude, Leah FYI: My site is ImpowerYou.org.
MOVIES Warrior Women (Native American activists) Bigger Than Water (Flint water crisis) Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland The Central Park Five The Force (Oakland police corruption)
BOOKS White Fragility: Why It's So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism Robin Di Angelo The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy by Carol Anderson Losing My Cool by Thomas Chatteron Williams African American and Latinx History of the United States by Paul Ortiz Anatomy of Peace by the Arbringer Institute Recommended bookstores: Red Emma's Semicolon Social Justice Books
Healing Resources Nationwide Suicide Prevention crisis line: 1-800-273-8255. Don’t want to call? Use a text help line. Text 741741 anywhere in the USA for a live trained counselor. The Trevor Project – Suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth, 1-866-488-7386 or TheTrevorHelpline.org There are apps that support mental health. The My3App connects someone who is feeling suicidal with their three main support contacts. My3app.org Mental Health America offers free mental health first aid training, Mentalhealthamerica.net NAMI – Alliance of mental illness has a program called Peer to Peer, similar to Big Brother/Big Sister, which is a way to socialize and give support for those who are feeling isolated. Nami.org DBSA– Depression, Bipolar, Anxiety. Dbsalliance.org Survivors of Suicide Loss. SOSLSD.org The Love Warrior Community focuses on helping people work on self-love and body acceptance. Lovewarriorcommunity.com Affordable healthcare is available through various local clinics and through Planned Parenthood.
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If you like Self-Care, check out this FREE E-BOOK! By cultivating radical self-love, you are choosing to believe in the radical idea that you are whole and valuable as you are. Loving your self is one of the bravest things you can do. Featuring work by Michelle Minero, Kiyoshi Shelton, Jaz Gray, Corry Lang, Natalie Small, Rae Lawrence, Jason Freeman, Jasmine Farrell, Anaid Garcia, Donovan Cheney, Vidya, Katrina Mendoza and Leah Oviedo. Choose your complimentary e-book format or PDF on Patreon.com/Loviedo.
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