In preparation for work that will be done at the upcoming Allied Media Conference and beyond, a team of radical women of color media makers (myself included) created.
If you are planning on being at the AMC in the coming days, please take a few minutes to fill it out.
Landscaping Our Dreams: What Women and Genderqueer
Media Makers of Color Need and Want http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=kYIs3eJQ_2b8eOpSMCi8_2bRtw_3d_3d
It’s been a while since I have written in this space and not because there is a lack of things to write. I have poetry fragments, real life ruminations on mami’hood and other matters. Pero honestly I have been fighting against a funk. The pace of my vida makes it easy to just role with it, especially since it’s the summer and I don’t get many breaks from being a mom.
I’ve been applying for jobs because a leaner summer tutoring schedule has lowered my weekly take home cash flow. So far the one interview that was scheduled was a no show, meaning I dressed in my interview clothes, printed out my writing samples and resume, and waited outside the office for 15-20 minutes. No one ever came. I’m pissed about it because it was work that I could easily do and it was close to casa mala, pero I’ll take it as a sign.
The truth is that no matter how smart I may be, I’m not very marketable as a single mami college dropout. Because poroto isn’t potty trained yet my childcare options are limited, not that I could afford outside childcare anyway. I can do many jobs that I see listings for but my lack of a degree usually means people won’t give me a second look. And here’s the sad shit, some of the work I have done for other people to help them get degrees means that I should have three b.a’s and three master’s degrees.
An ex of mine called me a stereotype, a statistic, which in some ways is true except for the multiple ways it’s not. The time that I dedicate to my writing and organizing work, to mami’ing, to tutoring other children, isn’t valuable according the the system we live in. I am worth way more than my net worth tells you, but all the matters is that credit score or paycheck, especially to the landlord and utility companies.
I’m looking forward to the Allied Media Conference in a few days. I’m looking at it as somewhat of a retreat, a moment to recenter myself and my work, besides I am going to be in the company of women who inspire me and surround me with love. I am excited to share this experience with my older daughter, la mapu.
Even though SPEAK! cd sales and a scholarship from the Women’s Equity Media Summit have helped pay for airfare, when I got my cheap ass flight I didn’t realize that I would have to pay extra if I wanted to sit next to la Mapu, which is kind of important since she hasn’t flown since she was um 4. I’m hoping I can pack both of our clothes onto carry-ons so that we don’t have to pay a luggage fee, then there is ground transportation and food. And um do you have any idea how much almost 12 year olds eat? carajo.
So please consider making a donation to me or to any of the other amazing mujeres who will be at the AMC in a few days, it will help sustain us and the work we do.
En serio, que parte te regalo?
Seriously, which piece should I give to you?
Que pedazo de mi carne y su historia te vendo?
What part of my flesh and it’s history can I sell to you?
Cuanto me das por una libra de lagrimas?
How much can I get for a pound of tears?
Cuanto me das por cada cuenta de rosario con nombre de un muerto
Manny
Anibal
Anthony
Hilton
Frankie
Luis
Marcelo
brisenia
How much will you give me for each rosary bead named for the dead?
Is there a list building app for that?
Cuanto me das por las horas de miedo por mis hijas menos blanca que yo?
How much will you give me for the hours of fear for my daughters less white than me?
Seriously, what’s the going per hour rate for that shit?
And do I get some sort of credit for the threats, bruises, and tape
is there an employee incentive program for the healthcare that I cannot get
that I am told that I don’t deserve
como se traduce que mi vida como madre y mujer
no vale fucking nada?
What the fuck do I need to put on my resume?
Who the fuck do I need to pay to bring me over that border
when I’m told that my border ain’t real
cuz one mañana abuela woke up to work the fields
step over her drunk father
as an American Citizen.
How much tit or pussy do I have to fucking flash to make it any clearer that the dollar I earned doing just that is worth any fucking less than yours because it ain’t backed by a degree or sponsored by an organization
cuz it ain’t got a book deal.
I do not get to clock out of this shit,
ever
or write it off on my taxes
as a business expense.
En mothafucking serio
tell me to my cara
mujer a mujer
que los 16 años
that have included the oh so valued
television, radio, newspaper appearances
speaking in front of the UN, congress and las divinas called del south bronx
que this lucha isn’t about who the fuck I am
isn’t about my identity?
LLC
Just a little shameless plug. Tomorrow nite (Wednesday) I am going to be speaking on the Powerful Latinas interview series about the development of my political consciousness, and how my creation of my media outlets are connected with my politics.
I’m really excited and hope you can listen in!
Last summer in Detroit, I was blessed and was a part of a group of incredible radical women of color media makers and media justice fighters. We spilled and spit our voices and experiences into a mic and transformed that into a CD compilation of spoken word, poetry, and song and ahora you can share our experience and in the process help mamis of color and other mujeractivistas attend this year’s Allied Media Conference.
Speak! is a women of color-led media collective. In the summer months of 2008, they created a CD compilation of spoken word, poetry, and song. After months of hard work, they are excited to finally share their first self-named album with the world!
With artists and poets from all over the country, the Speak! CD is a testament of struggle, hope, and love. Many of the contributors are in the Radical Women of Color blogosphere and will be familiar names to you. Instead of just reading their work, you’ll be able to hear their voices.
Yours truely, la Mamita Mala, is on the cd and you can also get a zine and download a curriculum porque the voices and experiences on the cd are not just meant to be listened to and forgotten pero rather are meant as steps to build movement forward upon.
The cd is $12 and $17 for the CD and zine. You can purchase the cd and zine here.
For more information on SPEAK! go aqui.
I am honored to be part of this powerful project with some powerful women. If you listen closely you can hear la Mala spitting some words.
Participating in this project has been life changing and affirming for me plus it brings together some of the most amazing radical women of color that exist.
Speak! is a women of color led media collective and in the summer
months of 2008, they created a CD compilation of spoken word, poetry,
and song. This is the first self-named album.
With womyn contributors from all over the country, Speak! is a
testament of struggle, hope, and love. Many of the contributors are in
the Radical Women of Color blogosphere and will be familiar names to
you. Instead of just reading their work, you’ll be able to hear their
voices.
Proceeds of this album will go toward funding mothers and/or
financially restricted activists wanting to attend the Allied Media
Conference in Detroit, MI this July. This is our own grassroots
organizing at its finest with financial assistance from the AMC. We
collaborated and conference called for months and here it is, ready
for your purchasing.
In addition to these moving testaments, there will be a zine,
featuring more of our work and a curriculum available to further
process the meaning of each piece for yourself, education, or a group
discussion. The possibilities are endless.
You get all of this for less than $20, you can order one for yourself
or buy a gift card for friend which can be redeemed to buy the CD.
Stay on your toes and look for more information come January 1, 2009.
Only 200 copies are available.
Forward this promo vid widely and to the ends of your contact list.
See the link here.