I made this painting for a benefit event some friends of mine are hosting tonight as part of a legal support tour for incarcerated members of the Greensboro ALKQN. There will be a screening of the documentary “Black and Gold” this evening at Bluestockings followed by a discussion of the situation in Greensboro, how it affects our communities, and what you can do to help.
You can read about what’s happening on the support website, which explains everything much better than I could reproduce here- this is essentially a repeat of the government’s attempts to use RICO to prosecute political organizations and community groups that they perceive as a threat. King Jay and the Greensboro ALKQN’s efforts to unite their community and build solidarity between black and brown, local government, anarchist circles, and bring about cooperation towards common goals are inspiring and an example to others.
This cause has really struck a chord with me as someone of mixed ethnicity; being Mexican-American I have never really felt “ENOUGH” of any one thing- not white enough, not brown enough, being met with shock and amusement at the fact that I’m fluent in Spanish, being the “gringo cousin” to my family in Mexico, feeling like choosing to align myself with punk/anarchist/radical ideologies and covering myself in tattoos was akin to moving a step further from my cultural identity. I am so, so unspeakably grateful to see in this difficult situation a point of unity for my racial and cultural identity and political identity, something I have often thought would never happen. My thoughts are with those who are being detained and with their families.
