The month of March RYSE celebrated women in light of International Women’s Month. From such programming as Known to Inspire (a performance by East Bay Rysing participants), RYSE’s attendance of Sisters in Solidarity, our latest Ask A Doc video about birth control, as well as naming Richmond's first youth poet laureate, women had the spotlight. Below is a recap of that and some program highlights.
An excerpt from Stephanie, 17, a RYSE Youth Organizing Team Member speaking at the Sisters in Solidarity International Women’s Day celebration on March 6th!
“Young people care about what is going on in the world. Many adults I have encountered have underestimated me because I am young. But that hasn’t stopped nor will it stop me anytime soon. I have been in positions where elected officials have told me I was too young to understand vocabulary and politics. Of course I proved them wrong, I stand my ground strong. Whenever I hear those comments, I get excited because I’m pretty sure they’ve never seen me in action. And if they did they’d know who I am and what I will become: a strong leader. I do admit, it does get frustrating when your ideas are crushed down and your opinions are just shattered just because you are young. But that should never stop me. That is why we don’t see many of our students and youth involved because things are rarely centered around us and for us. When we are in spaces, adults always ignore us as if we aren’t in there … I might be young, but that does not stop me from experiencing racism, homophobia, sexism, and so much more. At times I do get discouraged, especially in spaces when I’m the only youth there, however I am fortunate enough to have the amazing support system that I have today that keeps me grounded and actively pushes me to do better. I cannot do this work just for myself. And I don’t just do it for myself. I do it for my students, the people who possibly just need a mentor like I did when I was younger … this is just a long fight for change, especially when fighting ageism.”
Sisters in Solidarity
The City of Richmond, CA and the Sisters in Solidarity Planning Committee hosted the 14th Annual International Women’s Day celebration on Zoom, which RYSE staff and members had the pleasure of attending and speaking at.
Click on the image to view the celebration in full!
Ask-A-Doc
Click on the image to view the full video!
Dr. Rachel Oliver a 3rd year resident from John Muir Health shares with us information on birth control and trusted sites to easily access contraceptives. This is just the latest in the Ask-A-Doc series and there will be many more to come!
RYSE announced our very first EVER Youth Poet Laureate of Richmond, CA!
The Richmond Youth Poet Laureate is a new role for the city of Richmond that highlights the artistic endeavors and artistry of youth within our community, while bridging the gap between youth and adults. It creates a platform for creative youth voice, community engagement, and performance through the Richmond Arts and Culture Commission. This position will enhance youth leadership, encourage self-advocacy skills, and serve as the ambassador for literary arts and youth expression for Richmond, CA. The Youth Poet Laureate, Sheila Mckinney, is mentored by the former Richmond Poet Laureate and RYSE Media, Arts, & Culture Manager, Ciera-Jevae, and will work with youth and adult poets nationally. Locally, Sheila in partnership with other youth poets, will support the creation of the SPEAK Poet Anthology, and curate an online poetry production during her term.
America the Land of the Free
By Sheila Mckinney
I’m sorry did we disturb your peace, it’s not my fault my ancestors were dragged with a leashYou stole us from the motherland to bring us to a land you call free, where my people had to work till their knees was weak
Seems like stolen land is your only priority
America the Land of the Free, tell me why you made my ancestors build a land just so you can sit there and laugh at me
Does my culture, my talent, my power make you scared, put us in chains cause were to much to bare Naw, all these years of serving power fiends, we die by our skin by any means
America, Hear my words clearly so you won’t mistake my past in a textbook that the future needs to here A school were the gruesomeness of slavery plays no role in the teachers books,
You think it’s better off that I don’t know because my education matters or you wouldn’t be trying to take it from me
(Land of Liberty) , quite ironic how you created a school to prison pipeline without giving us a chance to shine
That delusional that you take away our future, I just sit back and observe, because me and my peers should be the ones conserved
America the land of the free, were sundown towns still take ahold of me, lynching by night and not a good soul in sight
I thought it was “If you don’t want to do time, don’t commit the crime” you apply thugs and criminals to one race, who knew they could have such a face, i thought it was anyone who made a mistake, but when you black it’s just the color that makes them hate
America, your telling me white privilege isn’t real, in a country where white supremacists get away with killing hundreds of people including kids because they feel god-tier
but a black person can’t even drive without getting racial profiled or worst killed that gives me chills knowing you can be killed for someone holding you against your will
America the land of the Free where white people get off for being a domestic terrorist but black people get killed for holding a beverage
We walk down the street getting beat, same person who’s supposed to protect us is putting us to sleep Murder’s getting off with paid leave, you got to be kidding me
Can’t do a number of things because I’m disgusted at what america has done, the sweet bag of skittles often turns sour as I’m reminded of Travyon martin, Can't accidentally fall asleep in a driveway drained from the things america puts me through on a daily because I’m reminded of Rayshard Brooks,, can’t stand in my own granny’s backyard because I’m often reminded of Stephon Clark, can’t be black and have a mental illness because Tanisha Anderson was murdered for being bipolar, and oh god please don’t let me walk down the street with my friend because Micheal Brown's story makes my skin crawl every single time,
America you think you get it, because you don’t, forgot driving while black its being black in america that puts us in danger
if i lash out all you see is ghetto but as for me and my people centuries of built up anger the anger worst than the 1921 massacre but when you see me i hide a mask that only i can cure
America you tell me what dream you see, created by the black man and stolen by the white
You think your superior, not at all were the ones who saves the world yet were the ones getting hurled let me remind you land of liberty that cotton is a billion dollar industry and who came up with the idea of vaccines, who came up with the straightening comb, or the traffic light, America was built on black principles
The most disrespected, neglected, and unprotected person is the strongest
America it’s not you this time it’s the black queens and it always has been
I look forward to meeting the new america,
just like Harriet, Anne, Martin, Claudette and the whole black community
America I got something to tell you , I want to go back to my roots, where fufu isn’t just the hype but it’s apart of everyday life
I want to say goodbye until I get a real good taste of where I come from because I was robbed
One day america, i'm gonna leave you, i won’t be forgotten but i will be seen, i'm going to a place where my people started off, the vibe and culture so deep, my ancestors
praise and leap, where my intelligence, melanin, and passion is appreciated
But don’t forget America we see you for you, created a repeating cycle to tear down black communities starting with buck breaking, welfare, and the incarceration of blacks, know your history my people, in other words stay woke and never fall asleep because if you do we will back down on our working knees slaving for the white man who thinks we can’t be great but they gon wait and see one day (pause)
As for America the land of the Free, I will restore what you took from me
RYSE Statement On Violence Against Asian Women
“Violence happens before violence happens. RYSE stands in solidarity with our Asian communities, most notably Asian women and elders who are facing increased verbal violence materializing into multiple acts of physical violence today and this past year as a whole. The six women brutally murdered Tuesday night are only the latest occurrence. Let’s be clear: failing to label it what it is, violence rooted in white supremacy, capitalism and misogyny, is also violence. The already perverse mishandling of this story only intensifies the Asian community’s vulnerability and it is important we fortify all context to see this for what it is…”
RYSE stands in solidarity with our Asian communities. Click the image to read our full statement in response to the Atlanta mass shooting on March 16th.
RYSE PROGRAMMING
CLICK ON EACH IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION
HEAD HERE FOR MORE GENERAL INFORMATION ON RYSE PROGRAMMING
RYSE’s Media, Arts, & Culture team presented for the Community Circle for the Arts Education Alliance of the Bay Area. Their Voices from Our Field segment featured staff members, Khairee Clark, Nyabingha Zianni, Isaiah Grant, and Webster Quoc Nguyen, speaking on how they create programs in partnership with young people that center creativity, youth power, and racial justice.
COVID-19 Info For Contra Costa County
This month the country reached 100 million vaccine doses in almost half of the time initially projected. As this trend continues and as we approach a transition into a new normal, the same safety precautions still need to be stressed. Even those vaccinated need to stay safe, as they still run the risk of hosting and transmitting the virus. Below are some stats, tips, and thoughts on best practices to stay safe and protect your community.
Click on any photo and it will take you to the full post.
Richmond Rapid Response Fund
RYSE is a core partner for the Richmond Rapid Response Fund (R3F). R3F was born from a community-centered process that began the first week of the region-wide shelter in place. This process, known as the West Contra Costa COVID Community Care Coalition, engages over 90 cross-sector stakeholders including community partners and non-profits, the City, the School District, the County, local and regional coalitions, and funders. RYSE continues to anchor the WCC COVID Community Care Coalition, to learn more or to get connected email: info@rysecenter.org
Last but not least, a HUGE congratulations to RYSE youth members who received their college acceptances this month! To close out our International Women’s Month recap, below is a poem by RYSE’s Media, Arts, & Culture Program Manager CiCi-Jevae, as she performed at the Sick of White Supremacy: Medical Racism, Vaccine Inequity, BIPOC Immunity, a conversation hosted by RYSE's Board of Directors. See you next month!
Ain’t Nobody Like Fannie
by CiCi-Jevae Gordon
Ain’t nobody like Fannie
Like a hard fist that blooms
Hands bruised from cotton pickin’
A mind that sings the blues
A heart that pumps pumps and pumps for our rights
Like a Black woman
All brickhouse and weary
Keeping a gospel song loaded in her throat
To help the people cope
Fannie, is the kind of woman
Who survives a jumping in a jail cell
By men that could have come from her womb
& still she will burst into a brawl for them
And did I mention
Fannie is the kind of woman
Who stares racism down like the barrel of a gun
Without ever flinching
Fannie, is the kind of woman who believes in
The power of the people
The power of our voices
The power in our choices
She lived her life fighting for the right to vote
Fannie never got to be a mother
She underwent surgery to remove a cyst
When white doctors performed a forced sterilization
When they can’t break our bones
They shoot for our spirit
They have always tried to erase us
To shut us up/ silence us
But here is a world of a woman
That refused to bow down
After being beaten/ disrespected by presidents/ witnessing a lynching
There is nothing more that white supremacy can do
Can’t nobody tell me nothing about Fannie
About her fight & fury
How she was the spirit of ancestors reincarnated
A black goddess so loved and hated but
In 1969: She founded the freedom farm cooperative that grew to 680 + acres
Giving black folks land they could own
This, from a woman who lived on a plantation
This, from a woman denied the right to learn
To feel and to mourn
This, a woman, an ancestor, a fighter, a legacy on her own
She once said
“Sometimes it seem like to tell the truth today is to run the risk of being killed.
But if I fall, I'll fall five feet four inches forward in the fight for freedom.
I’m not backing off