“Breonna Taylor was an award-winning EMT & model citizen. Five months ago, a division of the Louisville Police Department executed a no-knock warrant on her home, claiming there were illegal drugs in her residence. Not a single officer announced themselves before ramming down her door and firing 22 shots, shooting Breonna 8 times, killing her. Not only was the warrant illegal and therefore void, but the man they were looking for had already been arrested earlier that day.
1. Fire, charge, and arrest John Mattingly, Brett Hankison, Joshua Jaynes, and Myles Cosgrove. Suspend their pensions.
2. Attorney General of Kentucky, Daniel Cameron, must conduct a transparent investigation of the Louisville Police Department.
3. Pass Senator Rand Paul’s bill, federally banning no-knock warrants.”
To continue the fight for Breonna Taylor: 1) Sign the WhiteHouse.gov and Color of Change petitions to demand justice from officials. 2) Call Kentucky's attorney general, Louisville's mayor, and Louisville's interim police chief to demand the officers involved in Breonna's death are fired and charged with her killing. Visit UntilFreedom.com for guidance. 3) Donate to the Louisville Community Bail Fund to aid protesters fighting in Breonna's hometown. 4) Hashtag #SayHerName on social media—so no one forgets her: Breonna Taylor.
July lessons:
Energy + time are so valuable. This season of life aka this pandemic has really opened my eyes about this at a totally different level! I’m realizing every conversation I have, every email I send, every meeting I attend has costs me energy and time. Life is short! I resist spending my time/energy in a wasteful manner especially with people who don’t deserve my time/energy. Because I’ve been practicing having healthy boundaries, rest, and honoring my body and my needs, I get to facilitate spaces where BIPOC can lean into their decolonial healing. I get to have energy to ask for support and actually receive it. I get to dream about what the future might look like and pursue transformative justice. I get to prioritize my well being and advocate for BIPOC to do the same.
Hand in hand with this realization, I’m grieving all the times I’ve invested in things that never served me. Time and energy that were spent - robbing me of ways I could have invested in my community. I’m thankful for what I’ve learned, but also trying to honor this grief.
neck/shoulder pain:
I haven’t shared much about this, but I’ve had neck and shoulder pain for many years due to stress/trauma. This pandemic has given be an opportunity to pay attention to my body and what it’s inviting me into. There are less distractions to the correlation between sometimes excruciating pain and my trauma responses. Pre pandemic, I can usually distract myself by business, taking pain relievers, and just bull dozing my way through.
I’m continually learning how much I hold myself and my words back, and my body is prompting me to show up in the world without always editing myself. My body is helping me see past wounds that need tending. My body is calling me to ask for support. My body is encouraging me to slow down.
The pain is not fun at all, but I’m thankful to reframe the seemingly inconvenience as an invitation to deepen my holistic healing.
Two things that have been helpful this month that a few friends have recommended to me are: Arnica gel and using a foam roller for neck/shoulder stretching and exercises.
Books:
Living for change by grace lee boggs
Started Grace Lee Bogg’s autobiography this month. It’s so healing and inspiring to read about a Chinese American woman who’s life was dedicated to social justice. My hope and prayer is to follow in her footsteps.
Parable of the talents by Octavia E. Butler
Last month I finished “Parable of the Sower,” which is first part of this two part series. Started part two, and I’m just as enamored by Octavia Butler’s writing.
My grandmother’s hands by resmaa menakem
Reading this book in August!
What’s been bringing me joy:
refreshing my space
A couple days ago I rearranged my studio apartment. Sometimes switching furniture and plants around can bring new energy to a space. I’ve also been having so much joy around my ancestral altar - remembering and honoring my ancestors every day. Calling on them for support. Listening to their guidance. Cultivating the relationship. Remembering that the life’s work I’m participating in is so much bigger than myself.
hydrating:
I’m still really into my daily citrus water! Leading the Ancestors workshop series has given me new insights to how simple things like drinking water can be such a beautiful invitation to listen and honor my body. It invites me to slow down and ENJOY nourishing my body + spirit. I can get swept away with anxious thoughts so easily, and these rhythms of taking care of myself helps me to be grounded in the present - in the physical world.
Dr. Jennifer Mullan’s work has really resonated with me this month (and every month). THIS POST gave me so much inspiration:
“Greetings & Salutations my People! Welcome back. 115K whew. As so much has raged & surged & fell out of our control within & around us - I trust ALL of our identities & boundaries have been pushed to limits; mine included. I’ve needed space, salt water, deep grieving & distance to reintegrate & rebalance my Self.
Recalibration is a whole word. With that I gape at the growing collective here. Although, I can feel the urgency & need for action- I also sense a deep need for rest, personal accountability & self reflection; Weaving it. I trust that you have drank some humble tea, chuckled at your shit & put on grown folk pants. I have.
Lately labels & introductions feel so restricting. I’m in a pretty ambiguous space, but I will say - more than ever I’m glad to be here. Able to show up with a bit more of the vulnerability I bring to my personal life. I value transparency. So here I present some phases of mine, like the moon my Sun sign resides in. Just Jenny & some roots.
>I have worked with & in multiple therapeutic paths & traditions. Each revolution led to another, slowly unraveling & Decolonizing chunks of who I thought I was.
>Just therapy, didn’t do it for me.
>I know for sure that the Intergenerational trauma transmitted is every bit ancestral-as it is psychological,emotional, systemic, environmental & physical.
>I thrive when creating alchemy between raw emotion, therapeutic containment, community & humanization.
>Living amongst & fighting white supremacy/ urgency is a deeply liberatory & spiritual act of love for my People & Ancestors.
> I live with invisible disabilities & continue to work through my own internalized ableism.
>I am intense.
>I don’t like being told what to do- I didn’t at 8, I don’t at 42.
>I am more than intuitive & often what comes out here is channeled.
>I live & study multiple ancestral traditions & have for years; all embedded in my lineages.
>I have Leo in the 12th house.
>I grew up in the inner city.
>I am a Black woman who is multiracial.
>Little me is a writer & performer (dancing school from 3-15yrs old here).
>Teen me will burn it all down in a second.
>42 yo me is surrendering to liberation & revolution.”
Music:
My dear friend, DeYandré, provided playlists that corresponded with each of the Ancestors Workshop (as well as oracle/tarot group readings.) It’s such an honor to collaborate with her and to be nourished by her magic. If BIPOC want to check out these playlists here are the links:
Water Playlist // Fire Playlist // Earth Playlist // Air Playlist
Also, DeYandré is providing tarot readings and fashion styling! You can book her HERE.
Finished the ancestors workshop series:
Every month, I’m humbled by the participants in these workshops. Imposter syndrome is definitely something I’m really working through, but something that helps is remembering that I’m not alone - I’m facilitating, but I’m not alone as a fellow community member who is also figuring out this decolonial healing in a messy human way. It’s been a growing opportunity to practice honoring every individual’s journey and demonstrating that it’s powerful to give each other the space to be. No need to prove. No need to perform.
I’ve noticed that it takes repeating something many many times in order for certain things to get through. I’ve also learned that it takes time to gain trust. Even if I say “you don’t need to prove anything here,” it takes every individual to discover what that really means or feels like. Colonialism runs so deep. It’s almost easier to know that it’s true that people in the group won’t judge, but to trust themselves and to give themselves that permission can be the hardest part. I know this, because that’s my experience too.
Taking August off from workshops/webinars:
Posted this on my IG:
“ I’m learning to trust myself and my ancestors in ways I never have before. Last month it was clear to me that I needed to take August off from teaching workshops or doing any kind of leading. August is my birthday month (shoutout to my Leo’s out there! 🦁) and my spirit is saying that there’s something in store for me. Something to reclaim and receive.
My spirit is saying that I need to continue to practice what I believe in: that rest is liberation work, that honoring myself is honoring the collective, that anti capitalism decolonial work is reconditioning myself from having to grind all the time. I have an invitation to deepen that trust.
The colonial voice in my head is saying that I can’t afford to take a break. People who are interested in what I have to offer will fade away. What I’m doing already isn’t enough to make a difference. I have to be perfect - and I’m failing that big time. And what about future bills???”
I will be working on re kindling my painting practice, resting, and deepening my decolonial healing. Burning out in this work is very easy, and I’m excited to implement knowledge I know about creating healthy rhythms and practices.
Ways you can celebrate my birthday:
Contribute to my BIPOC Healing Fund:
Give a one time contribution through Venmo: @tiffanywongart - put "BIPOC Healing Fund" in the caption
My BIPOC Healing Fund makes all of my offerings (workshops, webinars, mentorships) accessible to BIPOC. My hope is to never turn down Black and Brown folx who would benefit from what I have to offer. I believe that this work has to be collective. I’m not interested in doing this alone and I firmly believe that it takes the collective to dismantle the white supremest system.