America has a long tradition of incarcerating Black survivors of domestic and sexual violence who dare to fight back. Whether it’s Bresha Meadows, a 15 year old Black girl incarcerated for nearly 300 days for defending her family against her abusive father, or Ky Peterson, a Black transman serving a 20 year sentence for protecting himself against a rapist, Black survival is constantly punished. Help us resist, and build spaces of celebration for Black resilience. Join with a coalition of organizations and activists who are working together to organize art actions honoring Black women, trans and gender non-conforming survivors who defend themselves. #DecriminalizeSurvival Join FORCE for a haiku open mic on twitter on May 22nd, and celebrate the lives of Bresha Meadows, CeCe McDonald, Ky Peterson, GiGi Thomas and so many others, whose survival defies the state. Decriminalize Survival is co-hosted by awQward, the first ever trans and queer people of color specific talent agency. Co-sponsors include the Marsha P Johnson Institute, Safety Pin Box, Black and Pink, Collective Action for Safe Spaces, and The Watering Hole. Participating? Be sure to use #DecriminalizeSurvival at the end of your haiku. You can find examples of haikus here. The basic haiku structure is 5 syllables - 7 syllables - 5 syllables
