In times like these, we need community. Its absolutely necessary that when the world feels lost and hopelessly chaotic, that we continually find ourselves in a safe space with people you can share in what the Reverend King referred to as Beloved Community. The Buddhists have a term for such a collective, the Sangha, when four or more people engage in a spiritual peace that encourages the best in one another. Celebrated Buddhist Monk Thich Nhat Hanh describes the Sangha community as a refuge in his revelatory book, “Living Buddha, Living Christ”:
When we live as a Sangha, we regard each other as brothers and sisters — sharing space, sharing the essentials of daily life, observing the same precepts, using only words that contribute to harmony, sharing our insights and understanding, and respecting each other’s viewpoints. A community that follows these principles always lives happily and at peace.
It is instinctive for humans to want to share in a collective space where they are supported and encouraged to be the best version of themselves, to develop & create their most authentic self, without manipulation, fault, or deceit. Of course, in today’s technologically isolating world where digits and emoji’s define identities and emotions, being in the present moment using positive language and interaction. In the age of the internet it has become infinitely easier to find a web of resources that encourage our interests, support our beliefs & values, and aid us in the quest for truth & justice.
I have found just that community, a Sangha if you will, with Peace Over Violence. A nonprofit social justice movement in Los Angeles, POV works to support survivors of trauma, sexual assault, and domestic violence through education & advocacy. Over the past three months, I committed myself to the work of becoming a Violence Prevention Specialist to raise consciousness around systemic oppression and apparatus of state violence. Together with around twenty other beautiful, unique, and passionate individuals, we engaged in constructive dialogues exploring the dynamics of interpersonal violence, unhealthy cyclical relationships, and the politics of power & control. Within these workshops and presentations, we learned how to address the root of social ills to treat the cancer at the source. Through an intersectional feminist lens, we can understand how systems of oppression manifest at the individual level to police the body, repressing diversity of thought, censoring political dissent by filtering non-conformists through the criminal justice system, the school to prison pipeline, and mass incarceration. These are the very things we seek to address through peaceful advocacy and collaborative, constructive dialogue.
I understand that conversations around state & domestic violence, rape culture, sexual assault, and child abuse can be quite difficult, if not altogether frightening. Yet when we share in a safe collective space, allow ourselves to hang back in mindful listening, and speak up with constructive language, we can learn to grow in our discomfort of matters that are dark & disturbing. This is necessary to resist, overcome, and dismantle iniquitous systems of manipulation, exploitation, and systemic genocide. We must not become so jaded by the fogs of war, excess, and wealth that we passively accept what we believe cannot be changed. At Peace Over Violence we believe that violence is learned, and therefore it can be unlearned. In order to root violent behaviors out of our culture, we must first accept they are there, and then begin the work of cultivating peaceful practices, nurturing creative growth.
So, where do we start? We always begin were we are at. With ourselves, our families, friends, and communities. We start with our gifts, talents, tools, and resources. And then we make a plan. Today, March 26, I am participating in the rally and walk for Women’s Equality with the Feminist Majority Foundation. Congregating at 8:30 AM at the Pan Pacific Park in Beverly Hills, we will proceed to engage in our right to assembly, organized protest, and civil disobedience. The purpose of this action is to advocate for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution. Early Feminist and Women's suffrage activist Alice Paul outlined the rights and protections Women are entitled to by law & divine will, barring discrimination on the basis of sex. It is a great shame and deficit to the credit of the U.S. that it would continue to discriminate against an entire group of people based on essential constructions of gender. The pay gap is a disgrace & the numbers don’t lie. Women need full & equal representation in all matters of social, political, economic, cultural, and spiritual life. This is simply not the case, or reflective of the reality of the world. By marching in collective action, we are organizing for these very rights. Join us in this movement by putting your body on the line, placing your feet on the creative soils of herstory, and documenting its growth of its full revolution.
This calendar week is full, with events packed through the end of March. And what better way to celebrate the close of Women’s Herstory Month than to partake in social justice actions & performance art at the Hammer museum’s events Her Dream Deferred. A collaborative development between the Bureau of Feminism & the African American Policy Forum (AAPF), each night will features critical conversations around state violence targeting Black Women & terrorizing communities, representations of race & gender in the media, and cultural empowerment through song, dance, and theatre.
In close, I want to say thank you to the people who walked alongside me in the journey to peace from violence. I am filled with gratitude, hope, and joy in the knowledge that there are many more out there, dedicated to the work in building, supporting, and creating peaceful communities of Sangha through encouragement, love, and friendship. Its been a pleasure planting new seeds of wisdom among the rich & fertile soils of diverse democracy. In her book of poems, "Our Dead Behind Us", Audre Lorde wrote “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” Let us not fail to acknowledge the beauty that materializes when we reflect the magic that resides within the practice of spiritual community, and the social transformations that can femme’fest when we succeed together.
May the Feminist Force Be with U.
Sincerely,
The Rainbow Children
