In
Sista's Makin' Moves by Sista II Sista
(SIIS), there is an enormous sense of encouragement to empower women. In the
first line of the second Stanza where it read “Hermanas somos, pedazos de
tierra” -which translates to “We are sisters, pieces of the earth”-, Sista II
Sista attempts not only to empower, but the importance of unification in our
struggle towards ending violence towards women on a domestic and institutional
level.
The
first line of the second stanza of SIIS’s poem is powerful for reasons other than
the content of the words. The simple fact that they chose to make this line in Spanish
makes me think about who they are directing this towards and who they truly
feel needs to be empowered. Yes, all women are subjected to violence, but women
of color experience it more and they experience it in higher volumes. Women of
color who experience violence on any level are neglected by their communities
and continue to face violence despite wanting or attempting to seek help. Although
the fact that this line is in Spanish makes me upset in thinking about the
disproportionate number of Latinx and Afro-Latinx women who deal with violence
in their communities, I am joyful of the fact that they are not ashamed or
scared to be vocal about it. They are no longer willing to accept that violence
is being perpetrated onto them not only in their homes by either their fathers,
husbands, brothers or even strangers, but by law enforcement, community
organizations, healthcare systems, etc.
The
content of the line, although simplistic, talks about women as inherently
strong and dynamic. “Hermanas somos” makes me think about the importance of
solidarity in the fight to end violence against women. For example, in the Latinx
community, people create systems of segregation based on racist ideals rooted
in colonialism. White passing latinx people shame Afro-Latinx and indigenous people
because of the color of their skin. I believe this line wants to eliminate
divides we create within our own communities so that we can collectively
support each other through issues that affect everyone. “Pedazos de tierra”
makes me think about the immense strength that lies within women. The earth is
strong, nurturing, giving, but can take even faster than it gives, but most
importantly it’s here and will continue to be. In this part, I feel empowered
as I hope everyone woman of color who reads this does because it reminds us
that we are powerful and despite the violence that is being forced upon us, we
remain strong and we fight.
The
line in the poem is important because it is relatable. It can be directed
towards the woman who is being abused at home and continues to find the
strength within herself to leave or to the woman who helps fight for her
community so that institutions are held accountable for their contributions in
perpetuating violence against women. In reading the poem, the work of Frida
Kahlo and her references to earth in her paintings continued to flood my mind.
Despite Frida’s struggles with her emotionally abusive husband and bearing the
burden of being criticized for not being able to have children, etc., she often
depicted herself in relationship to the earth whether on a beautiful landscape
or with plants growing out of her; Frida saw the power and strength of the
earth and used it to empower herself.
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