juliachenier-blog

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Oh, excited already! talk about my what my writing is about all day here surely. http://roaringgold.com/erzulie-dantor/

I’m ready, We’re ready!

Don’t wait for the details. If you are coming get your transportation secured.. 🌐🛣🚅🚍🚕🚘✈ We are securing the lodging now.

If you’re coming from out of town we will have discount codes for Uber Lyft so you can get around. October will be here before you know it. Conference information will be released soon.

No excuses this year…. SAVE THE DATE…. October 20-22, 2017

No excuses my fellow witches of color.

Start making your plans and caravans to join us.

Follow, tag & share

#bwc2017 #savethdate #blackwitchconvention #blackwitch #blackwitches #woc #witchesofcolor #indigenouswitch #baltimore #blackgirlmagic #blackgirlmagic #blackwomanmagick #blackwomanmagic #blitches

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how many pictures do you have of yourself possessed?!

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[mod note] Part of the reason why I do what I do is because the importance of this type of information becoming a part of popular culture and consciousness isn’t theoretical to its survival-it’s essential.

In other words, if we’re not talking about it, it can cease to exist for not just you, but other people. Some databases are set up in such a way that “unpopular” material is culled automatically.

I won’t let this information die.

This is true for people of all marginalizations, in all types of informational and educational curation. How can we prevent a system designed to cull the disenfranchised from our own pages from doing so? How can we make these marginalized histories and non-dominant narratives survive?

These are the questions I’m asking myself as we enter into an increasingly hostile world this year.

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this is silly.  i was a trenchcoat accused kid, it sucked.  in the world before 9/11, even teachers made us targets.  glorifying the snot nosed school shooters isn’t cool.   most of them weren’t doing anything at all but whining about suburbia.  go find some hood kids that survived to glorify

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i’m a living psa. my friends and lovers are mostly dead and since i’m grundy, can’t go down.  making six albums to make the one i want to hear this year since i found hope. not a musician, only sing these days in cars and bathrooms but it’s time. i am my own dreams coming true.  my own fucking muse.

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Swerving on them motherfuckers, bitch It ain't my time Let the world blow up first then I might just close my eyes It's all I really wanted my whole life The universe won't notice bitch You just another life The sun'll rise The stars have already died

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@g59records me = consistently creepy but feeling more so since tagging g59 all over the internet. i didn’t realize y’all were this known - found you on youtube; i’m a 30 year old mom who founded a nonprofit and am (slightly) known as a real life sjw so totally out of my element. i tried @ you on twitter before posting and mentioning you by name (which i just got) and there’s no way you’re going to catch my tags with 100k followers.  but i think one of you or someone in your camp was calling to the Barons trying to manifest some shit and know that i am/was, so if it’s going to happen, you’ll see this somehow.

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the Barons sent this shit to me. La Croix loves these dudes @g59records forever grateful for someone else giving a fuck and being weird enough to preserve 666 and go further because i only wanna rap in my car and the ukulele sounds i make can’t compare to #scrim beats

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the aforementioned boots. steel toes, comfy for all day and space in the calf for accessories

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life updates like someone cares

not locked out of tumblr anymore. i speak publicly now about outreach in babywearing, won the rosenberg advocacy award from bwi in 2016, named what i was doing World on My Shoulders, have 501c3 status, got real sick, had my gallbladder out and ran events the weekend before and after. hustled up a rack of my own cash to fund this org last year and got about 2 more from donations i crowdfunded.  just confirmed more gigs for 17, most wtf worthy being the keynote speech at an australian bw conference in summer (i’m from etexas, when tf i went global?!)  found music again, obsessed with @g59records, been writing a column for the site roaringgold.com/conjure and am moving cross country to run two bw groups, my nonprofit, start a transitional housing. love cowboy boots and a glock 26. the tiny people are about to be 3 and 5, they cuss too much; still single, got told i’m too strong to be bound by four different people last year after they told me they wanted a piece, have more future seeing dreams than ever, and discovered the names of my big main chronic illness.

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My latest column on #conjure. This one mentions #g59 @g59records

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[Younger Angela Davis spray painted in black and grey with her fro and face visible above her quote: “I am no longer accepting the things I can not change. I am changing the things I can not accept.”]

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Is babywearing a hobby or a necessity? Are carrier brand owners, fit consultants and baby boutique owners as important as the wearers? Are manufacturers necessary? Could people wear without rules and regulations?

In all seriousness, I can barely ask myself those questions without a chuckle but they have been asked and systems are in place with more being constructed every day as an answer to them.

I can state my position by answering honestly.

Babywearing, to me, is a necessity that is being treated as a hobby. I've encountered the market compared to that of handbags and in a way, that seems sensible. We could go without either but life may be a bit harder. The issue with the handbag comparison is that a purse does serve a purpose but my carriers increase ease more than a tiny bit. I have saved my children from reckless drivers and loose animals while wearing them but carrying a purse hasn't saved anything but my money from dropping when wearing pocketless bottoms.

Expanding past the word no is hard for me with the next question. The littles being worn and their wearers are the most important factor in any equation.

Turning wearing into a for profit market is alarming to me. Bastardizing an art that has existed almost as long as us as humans and marketing it as a trend with all of the currently available prints and accessories truly hurts my heart. The audacity of some of these profiteers stinks of privilege and disregard for others.

The idea that a special course should be taken or a person should have a certificate framed in order to show someone how to carry a baby is disrespectful to some and off-putting to others.

If I had known how deeply involved that I would be in this world the first time that I wrapped a sheet around myself to calm my eldest during one of his overtired infant moments, I would have run, not walked, the opposite direction.

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[Description: Image of an Aztec Sacrificial Stone.] Image taken from page 130 of ‘Mexico, Aztec, Spanish and Republican: or historical, geographical, political, statistical and social account of that country from the period of the invasion to the present time: with a view of the ancient Aztec Empire

It’s NOT Just a Design

By Gia R. Moreno

Often when threads come up in the baby wearing world about CA, we always hear, “It’s just a design” and are told to calm down. But what really is just a design? Let’s look at this from an art and historical point of view.

In art what you’re looking at is design and pattern. A design is more like a drawing and a pattern is the repetition of the same elements in a certain space. Some patterns can be just that a pattern. A repetition of lines and shapes. There really isn’t much to the pattern other than the aesthetic appeal of the arrangement. In design however, there is a very deliberate structure to how things are placed. Most design is used to tell a story.

Now let’s look at design from a cultural perspective. 

Historically, for many cultures, designs in fabric, on pottery, and in artwork are there to tell a story or to recognize something of importance. From the plaids on kilts, to African Kente cloth, to Navajo (Diné) rugs. The colors, the symbols, the shapes, and even the names of the fabric all hold special meaning. Some of these meanings are very personal, even spiritual. On the surface, if you’re just looking at the design, you may not know that. You may just enjoy the color and the design. When we look at most modern renditions of cultural textiles, we find that a lot of them are culturally appropriated. A lot of companies have designs that are “inspired” by a certain culture or a holiday from a culture. What most people don’t realize is that these designs may hold very significant meanings for people.

I often hear in discussions that people should not take offense to others using designs that are CA, because the intent wasn’t to offend. I really dislike that argument. Just because you don’t intend to offend anyone, doesn’t mean that you should never be remorseful for it or that you should never try to right the wrong. It absolutely doesn’t mean that you should ignore it or try to diminish the feelings of those that are offended. If I accidentally knock someone over, is it OK for me to just step over them and then knock someone else down? 

When we look at things like Sugar Skulls, Tipis, Chinese Dragons, cultural patterns, etc, we need to recognize that those are not “just a design.” They are things that people hold dear to them, and that people have fought and died to protect. When immigrants came here, or when First Nations/Native American people were invaded, they were told that they needed to assimilate. They had to drop all of what they were in order to become a part of “society.” It’s very unfair that companies are now able to take these stolen designs and use them for their own profit. Rarely do these companies work with the people that they are appropriating from, and rarely is recognition given.

We need to be more aware that the designs that we are looking at are sacred to people. It’s not a matter of over sensitivity. It’s a matter of protecting what belongs to someone and using it in the way that it should be. Cultures are beautiful and should be shared. Cultural exchange is a meaningful and wonderful thing. Everyone gives and everyone receives. In cultural appropriation, someone takes and doesn’t give back. Yes your sugar skull tula is cute. Yes your Didy India is beautiful. Yes your Oscha Okinami is awesome, but they’re all stolen designs from other cultures. They are all reminders of how it’s OK for white people to use the designs, but not OK for the people that they originated from. They are reminders of the fact that “they just want our stuff, but they don’t want us.” And no #notall people that buy or use these things have that intent, but the further purchase or ignoring of the issue helps to perpetuate it.

The next time that you go to buy a carrier, some clothes, a rug, etc, please make sure that you are aware of what you’re buying. Put yourself into the position of the person that is getting appropriated, and listen to the voices around you. No, not everything that offends me will offend you, nor will everything that offends you will offend me. I will however take your feelings into consideration. I will avoid hurting someone after being made aware of it. We’re not trying to control people, we just want to get some respect.

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I wrote this!

Educating fellow leaders

(submission from juliachenier)

I’m a queer black woman living in east Texas, heart of the bible belt. I belong to a fairly new, very white local babywearing group.

By very white, I mean as far as I know, I’m the only non white-presenting person that has ever stayed through a whole meeting. I recently volunteered myself into a leadership position, despite several months of being ignored in person and attended our first leader’s meeting yesterday afternoon. The group was small, six women including myself, and very informal.

I am sure that they didn’t prepare for the meeting like I did. In front of a mirror, practicing smiling while speaking so that I wouldn’t be called aggressive, AGAIN. Or that they didn’t make sure to arrive early, stay late to clean or keep an extra eye on the children during the afternoon. So that I wouldn’t later be called mean, disrespectful, lazy or any of the descriptors I am regularly given when approaching people about their privilege.

I styled my hair, wore the local mom outfit of a long shirt and leggings, brought carefully prepared homemade snacks and my brand name wraps. I did my best to appear friendly and relateable, to make my points easier to digest.

The talk covered: ·an extremely brief history of the main types of carriers ·appropriation vs. appreciation ·steering away from savior complex ·making meetings more accessible for all ·avoiding using offensive language · not shaming DIY carriers ·avoiding microaggressive behaviors ·buying from responsible brands ·how to conduct our online group

When I spoke on why I don’t support beloved brands, I was questioned more intensely than when I opened up for questions on traditional carriers being modernized.

“What, exactly, did my favorite brand do?”

“What do they have to do to be deemed good again?”

My description of previously being served microaggressions in front of the majority who attended yesterday’s meeting was met with resistance. As I sat there attempting to educate, my lived experience was invalidated yet again by my students and peers. I felt requested to change my tone although it was neutral, if not friendly. I blamed myself out loud for them by saying that I was often misinterpreted due to my direct nature. Instead of saying that I’ve regularly been accused by groups of white women of being aggressive as a tactic to deflect from their privilege making them uncomfortable. I spoke briefly on assimilation and how painful it is to be forced to ignore parts of yourself to make others comfortable enough to hear your voice.

There is no doubt that they didn’t understand that I was speaking about how they made me feel in ALL of our previous interactions. Or how I had to plan my words and actions so carefully in order to be looked at as close to them in babywearing experience, or as a human.

Yet again I prioritized those that needed education, over myself, and the other people who are suffering, due to the ignorance that their privilege affords them. I coddled them. By not telling them how I set a reminder two days ahead of every meeting to emotionally prepare to be ignored. I also didn’t let them know how at two meetings obvious people of color have walked in and gone unacknowledged by everyone but myself until they walked out upset. I didn’t tell them how it hurt my feelings to give advice online in our group regularly all year but to have been asked only one meeting before how to spell my name. I didn’t let them know that I fought back tears as I once again went through spelling Julia as if it couldn’t possibly fit me although I was named after both my grand and great grandmothers.

What I didn’t do was allow ignorance to be an excuse. I didn’t allow myself to be spoken over. I made sure that even when time was running low, that I touched on all the topics so that the window was open for later discussion. Saying there was a need to unpack that room is an understatement but I will continue to try.

As I left I felt heard, but after thinking, it appears that I was acknowledged just enough to be resisted. Immediately after leaving, I wrote down my thoughts in a message to a friend and then waited to compose this piece until I had reflected a bit. Once I had said friend read my first draft, she asked why the article was so emotionally distant when it had potential not to be and this was part of my response:

“I’m tired of being upset, it’s draining and I’m making excuses for people who won’t give me the same courtesy. I’m so accustomed to being ignored that being acknowledged feels like an accomplishment even though I have to change my demeanor and coddle to get the crumbs that are given to me as if I should be appreciative.”

Truly, I am tired. I am incredibly tired of triggering myself in order to educate those more privileged than I will ever be. I am frustrated that I cannot be considered equal without first giving a detailed list of pain inflicted upon my soul. Even if not specifically asked to, my experience educating has shown me the necessity of making myself the example.

As tired as I am, I will continue. My children have to grow up in this world and as a parent, it is my responsibility to give them the most positive life experience possible.

I see no other option.

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So I was on the #DearNonNatives on Twitter and found this one:

“‪#‎DearNonNatives‬ stop perpetuating erasure by dismissing Native/Indigenous issues as "left wing” or “liberal”.“

THIS. Absolutely THIS.

Newsflash, people: the Left Wing/Liberals give about as much of a shit about Indians and Native issues as the Right Wing/Conservatives do. That’s not saying much AT ALL. You are living in a dreamworld if you think there’s a majority of people outside of that race and community who actually care about us. 

And you wouldn’t believe how many so-called “Liberals” and “allies” come rushing in to tell me how WRONG I am and how they actually DO give a damn and how I’M the one who makes it difficult for Native people for pointing this sort of thing out.