JOY DOESN’T BETRAY

We will not be beaten or burdened.

Once again, we’re navigating corruption (Trump), betrayal (facebook) and chaos (mercury)…just typical week in America.

But we’re also riding the momentum of 1 million marching after last week’s National School Walkout and getting ready for another rising, this time for #MarchForOurLives.

Joy doesn’t betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a fine initial act of insurrection. -Rebecca Solnit

We are on the fast track to burn out. Our righteous anger and relentless commitment is honorable and necessary. But it’s not sustainable without love and joy. While it can be tempting to fall into despair, we must never stop imagining and co-creating the conditions where everyone can thrive. That is why we are here.

This week we are celebrating joy as an act of resistance. We are coming together, kids and co-workers, around what matters most and putting our bodies on the line for the safety and wellbeing of everyone. And we are going to do it marching and dancing and singing and laughing all the way. Because that is our greatest weapon.

We will not be beaten or burdened. The movement is joyful and so are we.

1. KIDS NOT GUNS

artwork by Icy & SotParkland student organizers keep stepping up their game as they lead the movement (and the adults) on gun reform. Check out this courageous demonstration by students who were punished for walking out. David Hoggs calls out the media for ignoring gun violence in black communities. And Dante Barry is hoping this “builds momentum for real solidarity with movements that have been demanding solutions to gun violence and working to empower communities” for years including Million Hoodies, Dream Defenders, Life Camp and Community Justice Reform Coalition. And while we’re at it, here’s what students can learn about resistance and resilience from Dreamers.

The fight for regulation is real. See the relationship between gun laws and gun deaths (hint: regulation works). And here’s another stat for you, more kids have been killed by guns since 9/11 than US soldiers killed in combat. It’s no wonder they’re organizing.

2. F#@* FACEBOOK

Life in Facebookistan isn’t looking good…ever since it was revealed by the New York Times and The Observer that facebook and Cambridge Analytica colluded (is that too much?) to harvest the data of 50 million users leading up to the 2016 election. Here’s Mark’s response. And Edward Snowden just chimed in calling facebook “a surveillance company rebranded as social media”. Gulp.

Is it time to delete facebook? This guy says so. But don’t wait for Congress to step in. Here’s ahow-to to protect your privacy. Others are pulling their participation from Facebook (but not instagram). This is for you if you’re ready to DELETE.

And millionaires won’t save us. That’s the myth that connects facebook to Trump. It’s up to us.

3. DEAR WHITE PEOPLE

Image by Chani NicholasWe all have one…an aunt or cousin or co-worker who can’t help themselves but complain about humanity. But it’s YOUR job to collect them. You know that, right? Here’s a great ally intervention guide for finding the guts to speak up and stop the harm. The highlights:

• Know your goal (hint: it’s not your job to save them)
• Be patient (getting woke takes time)
• Get angry
• But don’t get too angry
• Hit the books
• Assume everyone is capable of learning (this is our favorite)
• You’re not anyone’s hero (ie: don’t engage in “Ally Theatre” What’s “Ally Theatre” you say? “Ally Theater” is about making you look good. It’s obvious to everyone, it creates aggravating extra work for the people of color you want to help, and it’s a transparent bid for everyone to recognize that you are one of the good ones.)

Here are some more resources for “well intentioned white folks”.

4. #METOO

Image by Miss Lyn ShueAll month we are talking about the changing face of feminism. Thanks to the contributions of gender-nonconforming and non-binary individuals, the beauty industry may never be the same. But despite our differences, women are not as divided on the #MeToo debate as it may seem.

And we’re taking our cues from Tracee Ellis Ross who does not subscribe to society’s timelines (or anything else for that matter). “When we put ourselves first by doing things like saying ‘no,’ speaking up, sleeping with who we want, eating what our bodies intuitively tell us to eat, wearing training bras instead of push up bras, posting a picture without using Facetune…we are condemned for thinking for ourselves and being ourselves,and being ourselves, for owning our experiences, our bodies, and our lives.” And on that note, it’s time to negotiate what you’re worth.Here’s how.

5. MARCH FOR OUR LIVES

De’Janae, 21, is a survivor of gun violence. She created this poster for #MarchForOurLives in collaboration with @kdiccicio and @amplifierartBuilding on the momentum of the National School Walkout (1 million people…holy shit), we’re hitting the streets again this weekend for #MarchForOurLives. Sign up here to join.

And our friends at Amplifier have been curating poster art from the likes of @obeygiant, @micahbazant, @getlitpoet and students around the country. CTZNWELL will be passing out FREE artwork for the march in NYC. You can pick up yours THIS FRIDAY (6–8P) at our pre-rally practice at Hub Seventeen Flatiron (114 5th Ave) called Joy is An Act Of Resistance. Because it is.

6. RETROGRADE

This retrograde is all about embodying the complexity and contradictions that unleash growth.Here’s Chani’s take:

We can love things about those we aren’t able to be around. We can love the parts of a person that we once knew. We can love folks for all that they were able to give us at one time or another without putting ourselves in harms way with them now.

The first part of Mercury’s retrograde will help us recall the relationship dynamics we can no longer keep ourselves within. But be gentle with it all. Keep some loving kindness on tap for yourself as you parse out your feelings, needs, and situations.

And here’s how to survive mercury based on your sign.

7. MEET MARLON BUNDO

Image by Daily BeastOne upon a time, there was a bunny rabbit who lived with a homophobic Vice President. His name was Marlon Bundo. This is the story, written by John Oliver, of what happened when that bunny fell in love with another male bunny. And it just hit #1 on Amazon. Because love is love (and all proceeds go to the Trevor Project).