Our Existence is Resistance

Assata Shakur said it. Prophets and poets say it too. My daughter's smile says it. My hearts says it.

It is our duty to fight.
It is our duty to win.
We must love each other and protect each other.
We have nothing to lose but our chains
WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT OUR CHAINS.
WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT OUR CHAINS.
WE HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT OUR CHAINS.

We embrace well-being as individuals. We build resilience as one, then many and claim liberation from oppression, together. 

How do we fight? How do we win?

There are many ways to fight. Look closely. Each activists' style of fighting seems as unique as their thumbprint.

I'm convinced anyone and everyone has gifts and resources to contribute but winning means we have to last. And "lasting" means we have to endure. The only way I see that happening is through resilience.

Resilience is a form of resistence that nurtures ourselves and one another-body, mind and spirit. Resilience helps us endure.

We house ourselves and one another= RESISTANCE to Displacement and Gentrification.

We use more wind and solar energy and less dirty coal and gas=RESISTANCE to Climate and Health Hijacking Energy Industry (Duke Energy)

We nurture our bodies, minds and souls with healthy nourishment, truth and all-encompassing Love=RESISTANCE to Genocide.

We heal.
We continue to exchange love and creativity.
We disagree and still value one another.
We choose and nurture those we trust to hold our council.
We create solutions from the dreams of those on the frontlines instead of from scraps offered by those who are dying too but do not have the up close and personal view. RESISTANCE. RESISTANCE. RESISTANCE. RESISTANCE. RESISTANCE.

OUR MERE EXISTENCE IS RESISTANCE and, in our deaths, we give new life to a centuries old laborer and human rights movement and ignite a spark that activates and reanimates activists of all walks. Alton Sterling is such a spark. May his soul be at peace and may his family have the comfort they need to go through what they may not ever get over. I know our existence is a threat when we are incarcerated and gunned down at these rates.

There are many ways to do resistance; when it gives us places to live and food to eat and solves our survival challenges, we can thrive on resistence.