and there can be no space for “cancel culture” in this collective home mak- ing. “cancel culture” is the child of imperialism and dictatorship. we will have to be in deep evolving practices of recognizing where our racial, economic and/or gender privi- lege is causing harm, and then be reg- ularly proactive in refusing such ben- efits or figuring out how to use these benefits to dismantle them. paramount in this process are repara- tions for black and indigenous folks. we can expect that this work will not be quick, easy, nor comfortable. but it will ultimately be liberating and heal- ing for us all. though i feel a deep sense of belong- ing to the bay, it is a belonging that is not promised. and figuring out how or if i will continue to stay here is the ongoing question that i keep leaning into. buddhism and yoruba ifaism teaches that the only constant is change. change refuses our notions of sta- bility. leaning into the instability of change is crucial for us as queer BIPOC folks and white folks to con- sider in an age of an ongoing pan- demic, climate catastrophe, and polit- ical and economic uncertainty. and it asks us to do this work together. we cannot move forward in hyper indi- vidualism. individualism is unsustain- able and is a tool of patriarchy. divide and conquer. if we are going to liberate “commu- nity” from the current commodi- fied understanding, we are going to have to learn how to live mindfully interdependent with one another, as opposed to unconsciously dependent. we are going to have to re-examine how our ideas of “personal space” might be in opposition to the collec- tive spaces we need to be cultivating now for our survival. dismantling
the imperialist, white supremacist, capitalist patriarchy that bell hooks talked about cannot be done in iso- lation. we will all have to tend the soil where we will bury this con- struct that we have internalized, in hopes that it will become compost for our collective rebirth. family, let’s be clear: these days are dark and we have to be doing the deeper work, and we have to do this work together. we must utilize our collec- tive “ashe” (Yoruba word meaning, “the power to make things hap- pen”) to plant the seeds for the har- vest of our renewal.
everywhere is a church everywhere is a temple everywhere is a ritual ground
remember our wounds and scars be oracle and compass
our feet and hands be bibles and song
so whisper softly your jazz prayers as we jump this ship and re/turn home again
INVITATION OUTRO:
TRACK: “Brilliant Mycelium” Beautiful Chorus
SOUND DESCRIPTION: a gentle acapella song passing through hums, whispers and soft singing of nourishment and wisdom.
we have to come home to each other.
take a few slow deep breaths as you listen to the above track close out this reading with movement with prayer in silence it is your choice take a moment and listen then call one of your beloveds and arrange to meet them at a place where you can find your bare feet on some soil hold each other chanting softly, over and over “we will get through this together” and mean it. amara tabor-smith was born in San Francisco and lives in Oakland. She is a choreographer/ performance maker and the artistic director of Deep Waters Dance Theater. She describes her work as Afro futurist Conjure Art. Her interdis- ciplinary site-specific and community respon- sive performance works utilize Yoruba Lukumí spiritual technologies to address issues of social and environmental justice, race, gender identity, and belonging. amara’s work is rooted in black, queer, feminist principles, that insist on libera- tion, joy, pleasure and well-being. Her current multi year project House/full of Blackwomen will conclude with the final episode, “This Too Shall Pass” in February 2023 on the streets of Oakland.
we are (re) members of a (new) ancient tribe nomadic in mad space wanderers in this space of now constantly moving being moved priests yeyes survivors mambos of the avenues and boulevards side streets and freeway underpasses performing ceremony of discarded things talismans of remnant magic echoes of kitchens stories house parties and barber shop incantations bembes for eleggua to call the orisha who clears a way for divine and infinite possibility
summon your ancestors your gods your inner spirit tell them you want to be made ready remember
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In Dance | May 2014 | dancersgroup.org
u n i f y s t r e n g t h e n amp l i f y u n i f y s t r e n g t h e n a p l i f y
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