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We are thrilled to welcome artists Nahisha Jackson and Adeline Gutierrez as they join us for the first arts and cultural organizing workshop of 2024, titled “Stepping into the Unknown: An Abolition Future.”
Drawing inspiration from the works of Black abolitionists such as Akwaeke Emezi and Mariame Kaba, we will embark on a journey to envision expansive Afro-futures. Participants will be encouraged to reflect on the limitations of their political imagination, and to move beyond notions of perfectionism, punishment, and individualism. Below are the details for the three workshops:
Workshop 1: March 27, 2024 | RSVP
What are the limitations of our political imagination? How can we release the urge to self-police? Together, we will read a short story by Mariame Kaba and reflect in small groups on the themes of punishment, harm, fear, and safety
Workshop 2: April 3, 2024 | RSVP
Everyone desires safety, though we may have different definitions of who can provide protection. Participants will be asked to imagine and visualize a being that will come to save them from our current world. Through this activity, we will explore saviorism and envision new ways to look after one another.
Workshop 3: May 1, 2024 | RSVP
We often believe in structural permanence:because something exists right now, it will always exist. Are we worthy of imagining a future different from our present? What can we take with us and what should be left behind? As a group, we will watch an animated short film and create a new political probability. We will write hopeful letters to our future descendants, and create tea capsule offerings.
Adeline Gutierrez (Left) and Nahisha Jackson (Right)
About our Facilitators:
Adeline Gutierrez excels in creating sacred spaces where individuals can authentically express themselves. As a facilitator, creative writer, and spiritual care practitioner, she is deeply devoted to the pursuit of wholeness, liberation, and the multifaceted journey towards justice. Grounded in the principles of Black feminism and the theories of feminist women of color, her teachings prioritize transformative relationships, stewardship of the Earth, and cultivation of justice and solidarity for generations to come.
Nahisha Jackson champions the enduring power of hope and love as essential tools for political imagination. A lover, dreamer, student, journalist, artist, and advocate, they are dedicated to challenging established truths about our current realities. Embracing a path of continual growth and evolution, their goal is for all of us to have the chance to return to who we were before our lives and identities were dictated for us. Grounded in the work of Black trans abolitionist writers, thinkers, and organizers, they are fighting for a world where such liberation is possible.
About Arts & Cultural Organizing Micro Learning Pods
The Ujima Arts and Cultural Organizing Member Team is a working group that meets every first Wednesday of the Month. Through each artist-led workshop series, participants are encouraged to explore various artistic mediums and nurture their creative abilities.