#rffs

[dr3amerz-f0lly]

little art piece for an object show I'm working on with @mellowraider, I actually voice BOTH of the characters shown here!!! :3

its toxic yuri :P show is called Race For Fat Stacks btw

[independentcreativeservices]

Denise Oliver-Velez is a living badass. Everyday I’m reminded about how xingon all of us truly are and we have this demeanor to ourselves because of women like Dr. Oliver-Velez. One of Brooklyn’s finest; a political activist, community organizer, well-involved in the Civil Rights movement, women's movement, and AIDS activism movement of the 1960s & 70s. A member of both the Young Lords Party and the Black Panther Party. And while in the Young Lords, she challenged one of the organization's points in their 13-Point Program and Platform. According to Oliver-Velez, "I was in the Young Lords, and one of the points in the original program was ‘Revolutionary Machismo.’ Machismo is reactionary, so you can’t have revolutionary machismo. We women weren’t having it. So we made a very different kind of statement. ‘We want equality for women. Down with machismo and male chauvinism.'" She was the Executive Director of the Black Filmmaker Foundation. She has published ethnographic research as part of several HIV/AIDS intervention projects and is working on a book on the women of the Young Lords Party with co-author Iris Morales. She’s currently a Professor of Anthropology and Women’s Studies at SUNY New Paltz and it’d be cool if this somehow got to her for her to see. Salute, sister! Let’s also keep Puerto Rico in our thoughts; most folks are giving in some fashion, but if you can—consider a donation or checking out Defend Puerto Rico. #FundPRNow. #rffs.

[independentcreativeservices]

Tenskatawa (or Lalawethika) was a Native American religious and political leader of the Shawnee tribe, known as “the Prophet.” In his early years Tenskwatawa was given the name Lalawethika ("He Who Makes Loud Noise" or "The Noise Maker"); he was considered a trouble-maker and even took his own eye out while playing with a bow & arrow. But in 1805, he turned his life around and transformed himself from a hapless, alcoholic youth into an influential spiritual leader. After a near-death experience, Tenskatawa claims to have received a message from the Master of Life; saying that he and his brother Tecumseh would lead the Shawnee people to paradise. He later delivered commanding & compelling speeches, from his vision(s), to unite all American Indians against the “pale-face destroyers.” The purification movement that he led sought to reject & resist a new way of life being forced upon them; instead, he preached to accept & retain their traditional ways. He and his brother were leaders of the Shawnee people until various battles became too much. The Shawnee lost the Battle of Tippecanoe and Tecumseh was killed at the Battle of Thames. Tenskwatawa retreated to Canada and remained there for ten years, essentially fading into obscurity before dying in 1836.

We included Tenskatawa in this series to highlight another example of how our young brothers can be lost but later realize their full potential & more; additionally highlighting the parallels between the indigenous people of the Americas and their struggle for true liberty as people of color after colonization. Knowing our past, we can better understand our future.

Don't stop fighting.

#rffs.

[independentcreativeservices]

I first learned of Zumbi in my good friend Jesus Alonzo’s book/play, “Jotos del Barrio.” After studying this book, the name Zumbi peaked my interest and I had to look into this figure. What I learned was the story of a true mystic; a hero, a fighter--thought to be immortal, and a liberator of people.

Zumbi dos Palmares was one of last kings of the Quilombo dos Palmares, a settlement of Afro-Brazilian people who had liberated themselves from slavery, in the present-day state of Alagoas, Brazil. Zumbi and his relatives were of Western African descent; they were brought to the Americas after the Battle of Mbwila, which occurred in modern-day Angola. The Portuguese won the battle eventually killing 5,000 men—capturing the King, his two sons, his two nephews, four governors, various court officials, 95 title holders and 400 other nobles which were put on ships and sold as slaves in the Americas. At age 15, Zumbi escaped slavery and perfected his own brand of Capoëra/Capoiera; he mastered this form of martial arts, derived from Angolan warriors, using his mythical strength and cunning athleticism. These tactics proved worthwhile as he led and liberated many slaves to freedom against the Portuguese. Possessing an unrelenting prowess and military strategy by the age of 20, Zumbi eluded the Portuguese and continued the Quilombo resistance until he was captured and beheaded on the spot on November 20, 1695. Today, November 20th has been celebrated in Brazil as Black Awareness Day (or Black Conscious Day, portuegese: Dia Nacional da Consciência Negra) since the 1960s. Today, we recognize Zumbi as an international hero and revolutionary figure, representing freedom & liberation.

Resist.

#rffs.

[independentcreativeservices]

Patria Mercedes Mirabal Reyes, María Argentina Minerva Mirabal Reyes, and Antonia María Teresa Mirabal Reyes were three of four Dominican sisters who opposed the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo, whom ruled the Dominican Republic in one of the bloodiest eras in the Americas. These three sisters were known as “Las Mariposas” or “The Butterflies” grew up in a farming family, middle-class, and all obtained college degrees. They quickly became political activists; their activities included distributing pamphlets which contained the names of the people killed by Trujillo and they obtained materials for constructing guns & bombs in case of an open revolt. Trujillo jailed them, seized their property & possessions, but Minerva, Patria and María Teresa refused to give up on their mission to restore democracy and civil liberties to the island nation. Their activities, though, continued to be tightly monitored by government officials and they were warned to stop or pay the consequences. On November 25th 1960, on a drive home, Las Mariposas were stopped by Trujillo’s henchmen and clubbed to death. Their bodies were thrown in a Jeep and driven off a cliff, to make it appear as if it were an accident, but the truth soon came to light. With their deaths, the Maribal Sisters became martyrs for freedom, resistance, and feminism. In 1999, in the sisters' honor, the United Nations General Assembly designated November 25th the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Much to be taken from this one. It’s amazing that these women, who died very young, were easily willing to risk their lives for a cause. That’s conviction and a belief in something greater than oneself. There other important part is that these sisters stuck together—there’s strength in numbers. Finally, violence against women is something we have to continually pay attention to, in hopes that we’re actively working to end the problem. What else? You tell me.. If we don’t get it today, we’re going to get it tomorrow. Keep believing. #rffs.

[independentcreativeservices]

Hello, everyone. I hope your day is starting out fabulously!

As previously mentioned, I’m kicking off the Revolutionary Freedom Fighter Series today to celebrate our culture, history, and people. And first up is the legendary Taíno cacique Hatuey.

Originally from the island of Hispaniola, he was a part of the first resistance of Indigenous Americans to fight against the invading Spaniards brutal form of imperialism. After the arrival of the Spanish invaders, Hatuey fled to Cuba with 400 others in canoes to warn his fellow Caribbean islanders of the bearded intruders lust for gold. Hatuey used guerilla tactics to fight off the conquistadors (one of which was Hernan Cortes, who later helped conquer Mexico) until he was eventually captured and tortured, with the help of mastiffs. In 1512, before being publicly executed, Hatuey was asked by a Priest if he wanted to accept Jesus and Hatuey responded that he didn’t want to go to Heaven if that’s where such evil Spaniards went. Hatuey was burned alive at the stake in present-day Yara, Cuba, and his legacy of a pan-American resistance have enshrined him as one of the first fighters against colonialism in the “New World.”

Never forget.

#rffs.

[independentcreativeservices]

My biggest regret with the Revolutionary Freedom Fighter Series Vol. 1 was that we didn’t include any women. The intention was never to leave anyone out, but instead my vision with the first series to inspire our young men, perhaps those caught up in the criminal justice system, those struggling with addiction and life in general. However, we had to make it right this time with a full series embracing our sisters. Our mothers. Our abuelas. Our givers of life. I tell you what, when we talk about warriors, fighters, and those possessing strength; these women exemplify it. In fact, I don’t know anyone stronger; the strongest people I’ve ever met in my life were women. And Sojourner Truth might as well be the Mother of Strength. Focus. Intelligence. When we talk about perseverance, resiliency, and fighting for something; we’re talking Sojourner Truth.

Originally born in 1797 into slavery in present-day Rifton, New York, Truth escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826. In 1828, Truth learned that her son (who stayed behind when she fled) had been sold to a man in Alabama. Truth took this man to court and successfully won the rights to her son back, which was an extraordinary accomplishment given the times—this was the first instance where a Black woman challenged and won a U.S. court case against a White man. In 1843, she re-named herself Sojourner Truth after she became convinced that God had called her to leave the city and go into the countryside "testifying the hope that was in her." She began writing and penned an iconic feminist essay entitled, “Ain’t I a Woman?” which was famously read at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention in 1851. She was a considered a woman’s rights activist, a preacher, and an abolitionist; she met with President Abraham Lincoln in 1864, recruited troops for the Union Army, and became a counselor at Freedman’s Village. She advocated and connected with African-Americans to fight for their freedom in the Civil War. She flat-out played the game better; a gutsy and fiery advocate all the way until her death in 1883, where she passed at her home in Battle Creek, Michigan, at the age of 86. She should be an inspiration to us all.

So when we’re talking about the truth from now on, go ahead and #SayHerName.

Why?

Because the truth shall set you free.

#rffs.

[sk8er-g1rl-v2]

old art.

i was going through some old files, and i dug up this ugly ass old art of my first objectsona. still use her but she pmo lowkey

i don't even remember what her name was tbh, idk what makes me more mad is the fact i still kind of draw like this as a grown ass woman or the fact i drew her legs like that. WHERE IS HER OTHER EYE OH MY GOD.