Hold Fast to Dreams*
Dreaming as a Radical Tool for Liberation
“Part of the problem has been a narrowing of what is political possible. Over the years the broad spectrum of Black political life has been whittled down to what some take to be the only acceptable form of Black politics- Black liberalism. This has involved an all out assault on our radical political imaginations. All we are left to do is tinker with the current system.”
Eddie Glaude, Democracy in Black
Dreaming is my superpower. Imagining new ways we can live in this world? Whew. That is my soul work. And your soul work- that’s only accepted in special places. Places like the Mystic Soul 2019 Conference. You might remember them as the space responsible for one of my favorite pieces of writing: 6 Black Queers in an Air BnB. The theme this year was Radical Wholeness, and I presented this workshop on dreaming.
And before you say anything- YES. I should be paid for this work. Here is my PayPal and Cashapp if you want to back up your talk about me being paid for my work. Yes I give longer workshops for individuals and groups that take dreaming further and deeper. But this workshop will remain on the Medium platform. I wanted as many people to have access to it as possible. Why? Because this is my soul work. And soul work does this thing where it demands to be shared. I am SURE of dreaming as a tool for liberation. And if I can help anyone dream a little easier, a littler more radical, a little more free- Im glad to do it.
Talk to yall soon
Part One: Who taught you to hate your dreams?
- What is dreaming?
- The strategy of suppressing dreams
- The strategy at work
What keeps you from imagining possibilities?
FURTHER: What makes you see injustice and look for logical explanations for it?
Part Two: Reclaiming your imagination
- Reframing
- Productivity is not an emotion
- Building a ritual of rest
Dream Affirmations
*The title, “Hold Fast to Dreams” Comes from the first line of Langston Hughes’s poem, “Dreams”.
