In “Sista’s Makin’ Moves” by the Sista II Sista Collective,
there is an overwhelming sense of solidarity and strength. One of their main
arguments is best summed up in a few lines from the poem that the piece opens
with: “We understand the irony of power, / that those who are vulnerable, / in
fact are a source of strength, / Because the meek shall inherit the earth,”
(196). These lines best describe the ideology behind SIIS fighting against systems
of injustice and violence.
SIIS’s commitment to fighting against systems of violence
and injustice, particularly events such as their 2002 Action Day mentioned on
page 202, make me think about the aforementioned “irony of power.” The fact
that these women retaliated to the murder of two teen women of color by the
police in their community took a lot of bravery and courage. Of course, since
the power structure they are fighting against favors the state, the women were
then put under surveillance and subject to police harassment. This goes to show
that the power structure these women are looking to fight against is dominated
by those in which it favors. However, since SIIS knew this and knew they were
not the only group being targeted by the state. While they were prepared to deliberately
address systems of violence with events such as their Action Day, they dedicated
more time to organizing in order to work with
the system which they wanted to overthrow.
Systems of violence and injustice, especially against women
and marginalized communities, exist pretty much everywhere. These systems exist
to uphold the hegemonic, heteronormative, patriarchal hierarchy of power which
favors white, heterosexual, cisgender men. It is these systems that have
managed to oppress and criminalize women, people of color, and people belonging
to the queer community. It is also these systems that have sparked amazing
movements such as the Civil Rights movement, the several waves of the feminist
movement, the LGBTQIA movement, as well as others which have inspired many
activists to take a stand against these systematic forms of oppression. It is
what comes from these movements, the solidarity, strength, and vision for
change that constitutes the silver lining in an otherwise gloomy cloud of
oppression.
In keeping on a brighter note, in looking at what has come
out of these systems of oppression, there may be a heavily weighted negative
side, but there are some brighter aspects. For example, groups such as SIIS
have been formed by likeminded individuals who come together to fight against
systematic oppression. These groups typically consist of strong bongs, unbelievable
strength, and a copious amount of creativity. Another brighter thing that has
come out of systematic oppression is the amount of unbelievable artwork, research,
music, and literature. One can’t ever simply forget about the violence,
criminalization, trauma, forced silence, erasures, and other negative aspects
of systematic oppression. Yet, once in a while it is nice to appreciate the
break in the clouds that is, how even though women, people of color, and queer
people are subjects to systems of violence and injustice, they are able to
create beauty in artistic forms and through strong bonds which focus on a fight
for change.
>Here< I have linked a "protest art" blog which showcases art created by those who recognize systematic oppression.
SIIS emphasizes that they feel “true transformation is
holistic,” (202). There are other groups committed to fighting against systems
of injustice and violence who would argue that true transformation is through
overthrowing the system which perpetuates the injustice and violence. Which
strategy is most effective overall?
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