v. pleasure as a political practice

malkia cyril

"in 2009, my beloved movement comrade malkia cyril invited me to a course called somatics and social justice being offered by a group called generative somatics." 273

bold

"i recall a session with black organizing for leadership and dignity (BOLD), a generative somatics movement partner, where one man's honesty about facing constant racist fear of his black body every day opened up a floodgate of shared grief, pain, anger, and shame in the room."276

junauda petrus

"junauda petrus is a soul sweetener, filmmaker, writer, runaway witch, cosmic bag lady, and cofounder at free black dirt." 279

micha cardenas

"micha cardenas is often blowing my mind, taking the stage in bright red lipstick, a gorgeous dress, and stomping boots, talking about art and technology in ways that reshape the future. she is working on tech to support refugees finding water in the desert, and bulletproof vests for black people made from recycled tires. and she is working, always, on herself."285

amita swadhin

"amita swadhin is gentle and uncompromising. its a rare combo. she puta her finder directly on a wound, but only to say -- this is not right. this cannot continue. her work with mirror memoirs to support healing from childhood sexual abuse is massive and deeply necessary."293

alana devich cyril

"alana is clever, hilarious, honest, and incredivly brave. she directed a documentary called my life, interrupted, about her dance with cancer."307

leah lakshmi piepzna-samarasinha

"leah lakshmi piepzna-samarsinha is a prolific writer and teacher in the realm of disability justice and care work. every time we talk she changes something in my foundational sense of myself" 313

rocca family

"the rocca family is the name for the top-secret collaborative art-practice work of ola el-khaldi and diala khasawnih with rocca the cat as their pussy power. they perform the zizi show under the names taita o and zizi." 327

dallas goldtooth

"dallas goldtooth is the keep it in the ground organizer at the indigenous environmental network, and a founder of the political comedy troupe the 1491s and was a trustworthy spokesperson on the ground at standing rock, which was a radical mass action to stop a pipeline from being built on indigenous-held lands."337

sonya renee taylor

"sonya renee taylor is the founder of the body is not an apology, an international movement committed to cultivating global radical self love and body empowerment."345

maori karmael holmes

"maori karmael holmes is a curator, filmaker, designer, and cultural worker. she is the founder and artisitic director of blackstar film festival."351

taja lindley

"taja lindley is a multimedia performer--she first caught my eyes as half of the comedy rap duo colored girls hustle."359

michi osato and una osato

"michi ilona osato and una aya osato are sisters, performers, writers, and educators who use burlesque to explore their identities as queer femmes of color."369

suguey hernandez

"suguey hernandez is an organizer who has crossed my path over the years because of shared loves and common friends." 377

alta starr

"i met alta starr and idelisse malave when they were at the ford foundation and tides foundation, respectively, so i intially knew them as funders who were working to shift the relationship between movements and philanthropy." 383

idelisse malave

autumn brown

"autumn brown is a mother of three living children, a facilitator with aorta, and cohost of how to survive the end of the world, our podcast. she teaches me most of what i know."391