April 10, 2024 • 67 mins
Embark on an enlightening journey with the passionate voices of Crenshaw Dairy Mart's Ashley Blakeney, Ale, and Noe Olivas as they define the essence of abolition through the lens of art and resistance. Each guest unveils their unique interpretation of abolition, interweaving their cultural narratives and life stories into a tapestry of activism that challenges and inspires. Ashley, the executive director of CDM, demystifies the idea of abolition as more than a concept—it's a movement for dismantling oppressive structures and crafting a world where every need finds fulfillment. Meanwhile, Ale merges the worlds of fashion and activism, and Noe grounds his work in the rich soil of his family's history.
Within the nurturing walls of the Crenshaw Dairy Mart, discover how art serves as a catalyst for healing and spiritual growth, anchored by the triad of ancestry, abolition, and spirituality. Explore innovative programs such as the North Star Healing Generations exhibit and the Abolitionist Pods, which take the form of intimate geodesic domes, demonstrates the tangible intersection of artistic expression and social transformation. These spaces symbolize a sanctuary for contemplative growth, encouraging community healing through the communal embrace of art.
Join us as we acknowledge the profound impact of African diasporic religions on the spirit of political resistance, exploring the capacity of art and music to fuel the fires of liberation. In this heartfelt exchange, we draw connections between personal spiritual paths and the proactive nature of abolitionist endeavors, while also envisioning a future where resources flow towards nurturing artists as agents of change. As Abolition April unfurls its banner of joy and community solidarity, we look forward to the unfolding celebrations, steeped in creative resilience and driven by a fervent belief in the power of compassion, justice, and the flourishing of every community member.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
One, two, three, four .
Welcome to the AbolitionistSanctuary podcast, where we
consider critical conversationsand call to actions at the
intersections of faith andabolition.
I am your host, reverend DrNakia Smith-Robert, the founder
(00:21):
and executive director ofAbolitionist Sanctuary.
We are a national coalitionleading a faith-based
abolitionist movement.
Okay, we're here with CrenshawDairy Mart.
(00:43):
I am excited that they arejoining us for our first week of
Abolition April and tocelebrate art and resistance.
For those of you who are new,abolition April is an awareness
recognition month presented byAbolitionist Sanctuary and aims
to highlight past and presentfreedom struggles and
collectively imagineabolitionist futures that
(01:05):
advance policies, transformativejustice strategies and
radicalize goals to mobilizesociety and religious
communities toward building amore just and equitable world of
communal thriving beyondoppressive powers, punishment,
policing and prisons.
Abolition April is for all ofus, which is why we need your
(01:25):
help in signing a petition onchangeorg to ask Mayor Karen
Bass to officially pass AprilAbolition Awareness Month in the
city of Los Angeles.
Also, please engage our contenton social media at Abolitionist
Sanctuary and DM us yourfavorite organization or person
or team who's doing abolitionwork.
(01:47):
Let's get this Art inResistance week started with our
wonderful guests Ashley, aleand Noe of the Crenshaw Dairy
Mart.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Welcome Hi, thank you for having us.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Well, welcome to the call.
Can you just tell us we'llstart with Ashley, ale and Noe
is the order we'll keep.
Can you tell us your pronounsand give us a visual of how you
are presenting yourself in thisspace, what you're wearing, what
does your space look like, somefeatures aesthetically, and
(02:25):
then finally tell us who areyour people?
Speaker 2 (02:27):
I love that.
I'm Ashley Blakeney.
I'm the executive director ofCrenshaw Dairy Mart.
I am a hazelnut complexionblack woman with long brown,
curly hair wearing a greenbutton up, no makeup.
(02:50):
Today it's been a long day andI am in my home office with two
pieces of artwork behind me thatare brown and gold and very
grounding.
And my people, my people, arelong standing Black folk that I
(03:13):
don't know how far back manygenerations they go, but I do
know my father's family.
It's from Madagascar and has alot of Southern roots, and my
mother's father is an Italianman who came over to Ellis
Island and we've just got a lotof Black and Italian and good
(03:34):
food in our lineage.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
I love it.
I love it.
Thank you, ale.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Hi everybody.
I'm Ale and my pronouns are sheand they.
I am wearing.
I'm a brown person with alittle bit of pink in my hair
and wearing a colorful button up.
I'm sitting in my living roomslash kitchen with some artwork
(04:04):
and lots of plants behind whichyou can't totally see, but
they're back there, and mypeople are from Guatemala.
Both of my parents are refugees, survivors of the civil war in
Guatemala during the 1980s.
They are my mothers of Kachikand Maya Indian descent and my
(04:28):
people are Guatemalan and myhomeland is LA.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Hi everyone, my name is Noel Olivas Key him pronouns
and what I'm wearing is just ablack poofy jacket.
In southern california it's alittle cold, but it's probably
only like 60 degrees out here.
Um, I have long hair, curlyhair, uh, wearing a beanie as
(04:58):
well, because I'm, you know,covering my head, and that's why
and I'm currently in CharlieJames Gallery in Chinatown my
people, my gente, my family, isfrom Chihuahua, mexico.
From my dad's side, they'refrom specifically from Durango,
and then my mom's side, theyhave a long history in Chihuahua
(05:19):
as well.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Yeah, that's who I am well, yeah, that's who I am.
Ashley, can you tell us a bitabout yourself?
I know you shared your pronounsand who your people were
earlier, but just tell ussomething else.
We don't know a bit aboutyourself.
And as you are thinking aboutwho you are, who are you in
relationship to abolition?
How do you define abolition,and perhaps has that meaning
(05:45):
changed over time?
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Yeah, absolutely so.
I'm Ashley Blakeney.
I'm the executive director ofCrenshaw Dairy Mart, an art
lover, trained photographer withvarying relationships to
photography, music lover, I saidearlier and I really liked it
where people lead with love, Ilead with music.
It is the only thing I know howto talk about outside of this
(06:10):
conversation.
So how do I define abolition?
Yeah, I am one of those peoplethat always says abolition,
depending on the day, has adifferent fit to me and has a
different definition.
You know, abolition at its core, at least in my understanding,
is the dismantling of systems ofharm and specifically
(06:31):
oppressive systems, and I liketo add a caveat to it that it's
also the imagination and there-envisioning and the creation
of a new future and reallythinking about innovative ways
that we can get free and stayfree and have all of our needs
(06:54):
and necessities met all of thetime.
So that's how I defineabolition today.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Yeah, and if I were taking a peek at your your
playlist, what are some of thesongs that are on there?
Speaker 2 (07:07):
if music is what you're leading, oh, not you
asking my favorite questionright now.
Um, my, my partner, verysurprisingly like with a random
pick, uh just gifted me a donnasummer record, um, the love
trilogy, and it has been theonly thing I've played every
(07:31):
morning for the last week andhas increased my mood
substantially.
So right now I'm just in adonna summer era I love that
love.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Trilogy Donna Summers that's amazing um.
Thank you for sharing that, alehow about you tell me about?
Um?
Who are you?
What are some things that wecan learn about who you are and
how you're thinking about ordefining abolition?
Speaker 3 (07:57):
um, I'm Ale and I'm the programs and operations
associate at the Crenshaw DairyMart.
I also identify as anabolitionist.
I'm a lover of fashion, I'm astudent of fashion, I'm a lover
of art and aesthetics andpopular culture.
I'm a Real Housewives historianand it's important because it
(08:23):
impacts, it informs myabolitionist practice.
But um, I also hear more aboutthat.
I identify as an abolitionist,um, and for me, abolition is is
a world in which, um, there areno prisons, there are no borders
, um, but it's also in the waysthat we relate to each other.
(08:44):
I think that's the.
That's the abolitionist,abolitionist.
The abolition that I practiceis in the way that we relate to
each other, in the ways that wecreate communities that are safe
, care, that aren't rooted inpunitive practices, that aren't
(09:08):
rooted in state violence andthat aren't rooted in systems of
oppression.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Amazing Thank you for sharing.
No way.
How about you?
Who are you and how are youthinking about abolition?
Speaker 4 (09:17):
Yeah, absolutely, thank you for that question.
I'm one of the co-founders ofthe Crenshaw Dairy Mart, so very
lucky to be right next toPatrice Cutlers and Ali Reza,
just kind of like doing thisproject together and also with
Ashley and Ali, shout out to Vicand everyone else on the team,
but just like really gratefulfor the team that we have.
(09:39):
But I'm an artist, you know,I'm a maker, I love to make
things.
That's, that's the way that Irelate to this world.
That's how I communicate,that's how I pass down the
messages that need to becommunicated to.
As far as, like, thinking aboutabolition, I'm a teacher, I'm an
(10:02):
educator, I'm a healer, I'malso a student, you know I'm a
teacher, I'm an educator.
Uh, I'm a healer.
Um, I'm also a student, youknow.
I think that's.
That's something that, uh, I'malways kind of like, uh,
returning to cause.
I feel like, uh, you know, justlearning about life, you're
never like, you're alwayslearning something new.
Um, and as far as abolition,like, I definitely agree with
(10:23):
Ashley and Ale just kind of likedismantling systems that don't
work for us, you know, um, buton the other, on the other end,
I'm really starting to thinkabout abolition and it's in a
healing way as well, too.
I think part of it is likehealing, um, getting rid of
things that don't work out asfar as systems, but also within
ourselves too, um, um, thinkinga lot about, um, you know,
(10:45):
caring for ourselves first.
You know, like, how do we beabolitionists?
And like showing up forourselves.
You know, loving ourselves andthinking about this idea of love
.
You know, thinking about theidea of love in the lens of Bell
Hooks, in the lens of Dr King,talking about you, talking about
what's it really mean tocourageously love.
(11:08):
I keep returning to that idea,just because it's not an easy
thing to do, even starting withourselves, I think, just
thinking about returning, likebeing kind to ourselves and, you
know, practicing those thingsdaily and caring for ourselves
(11:30):
and doing things that that aregood for us, and then then from
there, extending it to thecommunity and, and it's almost
kind of like modeling it.
So I feel like this abolitionis like a constant practice.
You know it's like you'remodeling it for yourself and
then for your community, becausein the end, we're trying to
(11:51):
really imagine a new future.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Yes, yeah, I really like that emphasis that
abolition is a lifestyle right.
I'm an abolitionist as a parent, as a partner, as a professor,
as a preacher, as a person.
It really is an ethic for me.
It's a practice, it's a way ofbeing, and for me, my
abolitionist values arecompassion, creativity, courage,
(12:19):
care and community.
So those five values ground theways in which I practice
abolition, and for me, abolitionis summarized by three R's, and
this is just my way ofconnecting to abolition and it's
to repair harms, restorerelationships and rebuild more
(12:39):
just and equitable systems, ourcommunities of care.
So thank you that you were ableto share who you are and your
definitions of abolition.
And so I'm wondering how doeswho you are and your
understanding of abolitioninform the vision for Crenshaw
Dairy Mart?
So tell us what is the CrenshawDairy Mart and how did it get
(13:02):
started?
What's the story?
And perhaps that's a questionfor the co-founder and as well
as for our executive director,ashley.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Sure, I can definitely start, I think, just
like just kind of painting thepicture.
You know, just CDM is like it'sa dairy mart, you know it's
like a liquor store, uh, oncrinshaw boulevard and, um, the.
The way it all kind of startedis, um, you know, patrice,
myself and ali reza, we were allin grad school and at a usc and
(13:36):
we were having conversationsabout, you know, imagining what,
what would it look like if webrought artists and
abolitionists together andspecifically in the antelope
valley is kind of like startingthere, um, looking at land and
just imagining like, wouldn't itbe cool?
Like to what would theconversations be like?
What, what, what would we bemaking?
What you know thinking about,still, flower farms, uh, you
(13:58):
know what would be growing.
You know things like, uh, andas we are talking about this in
our thread called Free the Land,you know it's almost like we
manifested it, we sent it to theuniversity and it kind of this
opportunity landed in our lapwhere Patricia's caretaker or
(14:20):
child caretaker was opening up apreschool happened to be at
that Crenshaw location and oneside was the dairy mart and the
other side was an old buildingthat was a laundry mat.
At once it was a worship spaceat one time and unfortunately
(14:41):
she was trying to do like apreschool there.
But you know, through the cityof Inglewood there was a lot of
permit process and you know it'sa struggle, you know, and she
ended up inviting us to alsotaking over the lease on the
other end.
So it was, it was kind of just.
I guess we always say it's likethrough the invitation came
(15:03):
through uh, patrice's son, youknow, just like that kind of
landed there and and from therewe just kind of like really
incubated, we stayed still I, welistened, we uh invited the
community, we um werebrainstorming.
We didn't necessarily uh wantedto start something without like
(15:28):
listening.
I think listening is a really,really uh critical um thing
within abolition as well.
Just kind of like hearing eachother out, but also like what is
the space need?
But also I'm thinking aboutlistening also spiritually too
like what is, is the spiritsaying Like why are we here, why
this place?
And through the invitations oflike artists and even one of the
(15:52):
artists right now it's a photowas one of the first invited
people that were like hey man,what do you, what do you, what
do you see in this space, whatdo you imagine you know like,
and a lot of the incubation kindof came through that stage, see
, in this space, what do youimagine you know like, and a lot
of the incubation kind of camethrough that stage.
And also like, as artists,we're also looking at the
history uh uh, black ownedgalleries and the 60s.
Just kind of looking at thathistory and ali reza stories is
(16:15):
like has been like leaning onthat, that, um, that research
part of it, and just kind of.
I think the three pillars thatwe always kind of that we landed
on through our brainstormingsession is ancestry, abolition,
and sorry I'm blanking out for asecond but I'll get it
Abolition, ancestry and healing.
(16:35):
Of course those are the threepoints.
You know, when we think aboutlike three points, a triangle,
you know that's like thestrongest structure in nature,
but just like looking at thepast of like what are
information that we can learnfrom our fellow comrades, our
fellow ancestors, our fellowteachers, and how do we, how are
(16:58):
we going to take this into thefuture?
So like really paying attentionto that but also calling in our
own ancestors from the coolwaters and just kind of.
And then, as far as likeabolition, as we kind of like
talked about.
It was just like a framework ofcoming into the space and how
we're going to like participatewith our community.
(17:19):
And you know, like the bigfoundational point is like
healing.
Healing is the main thing, islike, how do we come in here
with leading, with care, leadingwith love, leading with
openness, you know, leading withlistening.
So that's that healing process.
That's really important, youknow, I think.
And it's a hard one too,because healing doesn't oh, it's
(17:41):
not easy, it's not, doesn'talways come easily, there's not
smooth, there's those roughpoints.
You got to confront certainthings that you haven't
confronted in a long time inorder to be the better self.
You know what I mean.
Or even like having toughconversations to courageous
conversations with each other,like hey, we, you know, just
like really showing up in thisspace for each other.
(18:03):
And that's what CDMm crenshawdairy mart is, you know.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Um, I hope that was helpful yeah, absolutely, I very
much, so thank you for sharingthat.
Ashley, do you want to add tothat?
Speaker 2 (18:18):
um, I think the only thing I'll add that was so
beautiful in a way, um, I thinkthe only thing I'll add is
really emphasizing the artcollective of it all, and that
you know we really are a spacethat is intended for an
uplifting artist and that we dokeep art at the center and at
(18:40):
the forefront.
So I often will say that youknow, cdm is where art and
abolition intersect and, as Noementioned our three pillars,
everything that we do connectsdirectly back to all three of
those pillars, which you knowwe'll probably get into.
But that's all I'll add.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Yeah, I really love the discernment process that
happened.
You said that you were stillthere was a spiritual component
of listening, and I love how itwas a partnership that started
in grad school.
So it happened organically andwith this kind of envisioning
right, just dreaming.
You know, if we could createright and that is such the
(19:22):
hallmark of abolition it's if wecan create a better world.
What would it look like?
And you all took that questionand actually did something with
it by innovating the CrenshawDairy Mart.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
What are some of the programs that are available at
Crenshaw Dairy Mart.
Can you tell us aboutparticularly the Abolitionist
Pod and other exhibits,galleries and other programs
that are available?
The most recent exhibit wasNorth Star Healing Generations,
which was a really beautifulcollaboration between Patrice
Cullors, one of our co-founders,and Rita Nazareno, who is a
Filipina artist and artisan theyhave this amazing workshop in
(20:18):
the Philippines where they makethese beautiful wicker furniture
and Nisi Berry, who's aformerly incarcerated black
literary um, and they created umthese limited edition bags
which are um, which each have adesign of a star.
The exhibit itself wasincredibly beautiful, um.
They were displayed in a waythat um that had a in the in the
(20:43):
same constellation as as how.
That would lead you to theNorth Star.
So I was incredibly creative,incredibly powerful.
That was one of the most recentexhibits that we just had and
it closed back in mid-March.
Currently we're working on theAbolitionist Pod.
(21:05):
We have two current.
The first pod lives at ourspace.
It's the Abolitionist Podprototype and it's a geodesic
dome that has living plants andherbs, succulents, and it's a
way for it's a space for for usto be able to come in and
(21:27):
reflect, think about whatabolition looks like for us, um,
and the first pod was createdum right outside of mocha.
Uh, for, for the re-riseinitiative, um, that came that
was back in 2021.
Is that correct, noah?
Speaker 4 (21:42):
2020.
Yeah 2020.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
So 2020 was the first abolitionist pod.
The second one was built at theCare First Village, the Hilda
Solis Care First Village, whichis in downtown LA.
It's a transitional housinglocation for folks.
And the second one was built in2021.
Uh, for folks.
And the second one was built in2021.
(22:08):
Um and um.
That one also has that's apermanent structure and it also
has lots of succulents.
Um, we recently went to gocheck it out and we saw how much
the, some of the aloe vera andlike the, the, the herbs in
there, the, the plants in there,have been really feeding back
into the residents of the space.
Um, and then our thirdabolitionist pot is currently in
the making.
We're in the process ofbuilding designing, getting all
(22:30):
that started, so break it down.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Let's kind of slowly walk through the abolitionist
pod.
So let's begin with the termyou'd use.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
It was geodesic dome, and maybe Noah can help me a
little bit, since he's one ofthe great visionaries behind it.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
Yeah, absolutely.
I guess the question is tobreak it down and what is a
geodesic dome, right?
Speaker 1 (23:03):
And how are we spelling geodesic, oh?
Speaker 4 (23:05):
man, I'm so bad with spelling.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
I think it's G-E-O-D-E-S-I-C.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
Yes, so geodesic dome , it's very, it's a very
interesting structure.
Basically, it's triangles thatare put together to create a
sphere, um, and there'sdifferent types of uh, geodesic
domes in the sense of, like, themore triangles you use, the,
the more rounder it is.
Uh, the, the, the, the.
(23:38):
The system that we're using isit's a 2d type of thing, where
it has like two differentmeasurements.
It's a little bit more likeangular, but we kind of enjoy
that.
And part of like the researchin the geodesic dome it's
definitely like we're definitelyinspired by indigenous
(23:59):
architecture.
So we're thinking about homes,a lot of the Kumeyaay down south
in Southern California, usingthese more structural domes, and
also you kind of see it also inLos Angeles I'm forgetting the
spot, but it's near the beach,but it's just a very like hut
(24:19):
type of feeling.
Um, but more of the geodesicdome is coming from this
architect um named buxton andfuller.
Um, that kind of became like acraze in the 60s.
You know, like more like hippietype of thing, like, oh, yeah,
this is like the new way ofliving.
But it's really interesting aswe're kind of like looking at,
uh, uh, some of like thecollaborations that that um,
(24:42):
that buxton mcfuller was doing,and and in our research with ali
reza, we were just like, oh wow, like june jordan poet, june
jordan's here, june jordan wastalking to buxton mcfuller about
you know, like what would itlook?
Like this in Harlem, like whatwould this do to the community?
What would happen in this space?
So, really looking at likeprogramming in space I think
(25:06):
that's a really big thing inarchitecture Like not just, like
you know, form, but like what'sactually happening in the space
, how are folks participating?
What is this area doing?
What?
What are what is this areadoing?
So, like, looking through those,like, uh, those, um, uh,
research, uh and articles, um,you know, it was very much a
(25:27):
community project.
You know imagining, like youknow, this is the space where a
garden will be at, or this wouldbe like a, a space of like uh,
conversation and things likethat.
So, looking at the geodesicdome and just to give you like
an idea, like the, the size islike a diameter of like 20 feet
and it's about like 12 to 13feet tall, so it's a pretty
(25:51):
small, intimate space, but stillenough to fit in at least like
10 people.
Like circuit, like, if we do,like a healing circle, uh,
standing around it.
That's what we usually do, likethe, the pod at the crinshaw
dairy mart, where, you know,with the fellows and but
basically, uh, imagining, uh,yeah, that's kind of like a
(26:12):
geodesic dome, just like, kindof as far as the shape of it and
part of it too, just I justwant to add this quick note
which is really interesting isthat, um, because it's around
and, uh, buxom and fuller, wasalso talked like, talking about
it in relationship to the worldand also in relationship to
(26:33):
organisms, in relationship tothe galaxies, and but
particularly, um, the dandelion,and we all know the dandelion
is really significant and andthe movement, you know, as far
as like what?
Like it's a weed and this weedcan grow at it like little
crevices, you know, andsometimes people throw that weed
(26:54):
away because they think it's aweed and it's ugly, but it's
something really precious andactually really nutritious for
us, for our digestive system, ifwe make it into a tea.
And there's these videos oflike you know these like
dandelion, it growing and andblowing.
You know, obviously, as we'relike kids, we blow these
dandelions and we blow wishesand maybe we blow prayers, you
(27:17):
know, and tying that intoabolition is just like blowing
that freedom, blowing thatimagination.
So that's all part of thedesign of the structure.
Like we're looking at manythings and new things are coming
up as well, as we're likecontinuing the research
(27:41):
continuing the research.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
So let me stop you there, because you preached a
whole sermon on dandelions and Imight have to preach it the
next time I'm at the pulpit.
That was powerful.
Just tell me quickly.
I'm really trying to understandthis.
So I understand the structureand the kind of role of urban
planning and ways to helpcommunities be self-sustaining.
What was the connection youwere making between the
(28:02):
structure and the dandelion?
How did we get to that?
Speaker 4 (28:06):
The shape of it.
It's around this.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
The shape of it Okay.
Speaker 4 (28:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Got it.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
Thank you, Ashley do you want to add anything to the
abolitionist pods?
Yeah, I'll share a little bitof the why.
Um, I'm also just marinating on.
We blow prayers like that's,that's such a beautiful line.
No way, um, wow, powerful rightas you would say.
Speaker 4 (28:32):
Uh, actually that's a bar, that's a bar that's a bar,
right?
Speaker 1 (28:36):
no way that's a bar.
I was truly.
I'll say that's a bar, butthat's a bar, right?
Speaker 2 (28:41):
no, that's a bar, I was truly, I'll say that's a bar
, but that's a bar, um, yeah, soyou know when?
When the pod.
I'll just talk a little bitabout what's in the pod and and
and the why.
So the, the abolitionist pod,right when it's at its peak, it
can hold twelve hundred plants,and so the original version of
(29:01):
the pod that is now the skeletonthat's at the Crenshaw Dairy
Mart held around twelve hundredplants, and then there's a solar
(29:22):
panel system, so that itrenshawDairy Mart was observing during
2020 specifically, and soduring 2020, the co-founders
worked and supported LaurenHalsey and the food boxes that
she was doing with some ofeverything.
Crenshaw Dairy Mart wascontributing art kits to that
project, and then, additionally,in 2020, crenshaw Dairy Mart
(29:42):
was the home to the Englewoodcommunity fridge for a while,
and so there were all of thesedifferent models that we were
seeing of how our community wasshowing up for our community
right when other systems weren'tshowing up for our community,
and we're really thinking aboutwhat is a role that Crenshaw
Dairy Mart can play in thismoment.
And so that's kind of how theabolitionist pod was born was
(30:03):
looking at a way of how tocontribute to supporting our
people in ways that they need itmost, and at that time it was
access to produce and access tofood.
And so we kind of just tooklike an art, abolition and
architecture approach to that.
And so, as we build theseabolitionist pods, the intent is
that they are installed invarious places around the county
(30:24):
where people will need themmost, where people need a green
space, where people may needaccess to produce, where people
may need a space to just take anap in the middle of the day
surrounded by some plants, rightLike that's really the ultimate
goal in how we're trying toscale these pods.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
Wow, I really like this for many reasons, but I
find it interesting that thegeodesic structure an
alternative space to cages right.
That when there is an enclosedstructure that is not a prison,
(31:09):
that is not death dealing butinstead a part of life,
generating resources for peopleto thrive, that it becomes a
part of an abolitionistgeography that is opposed to the
carceral geography.
Right.
That when Ruthie Gilmore saysabolition is a place, that place
(31:33):
is the abolitionist pod, right.
So I think it's just profound.
And also the collaborative,communal aspect that you can
place this pod on the grounds ofa church, organizations and
(32:11):
parks right.
So I would really be interestedin seeing how churches can
partner with Crenshaw Dairy Martand use their real estate to
create and to house andabolitionist pods as geodesic
structures.
To me is very profound and theways in which you are helping
communities to becomeself-sustaining.
And it reminds me of.
I'm working with an organizationin Malawi called the Othaka
(32:34):
Harka Foundation and it'sfounded by a woman in her Malawi
village and she is doingsomething very similar.
She has brought togethervolunteers in her village.
Despite chiefs who told herthat she could not do this
because she was a girl, she wasable to subversively work within
(32:56):
her village to combine theirresources using the mutual aid
model that you all mentioned.
Right, and each person had togive seven cents, which is
extremely sacrificial.
But as they pooled theirresources together, they were
able to build irrigation modelsso that they can harvest in wet
and dry seasons.
They were able to give peoplerocket stoves.
(33:18):
They were able to do literacyprograms where school-aged
children teach the elders how toread.
They were able to do healthcareprevention with cervical cancer
screening and education aroundHIV AIDS no-transcript.
(33:59):
And I would love to be a partof that.
And my vision for AbolitionistSanctuary is to build a
faith-based abolitionistmovement, and a part of that is
connecting churches be morebroad and ecumenical to include
(34:22):
other religious traditions.
But how can we connect churchesto liberationist movements such
as yourself so that we can joinin building these abolitionist
futures?
And this abolitionist podsounds very promising.
I can see churches wanting tohost that.
So you talked the abolitionistpod in your exhibitions and how
(34:42):
Crenshaw Dairy Mart is locatedat the intersections of art and
resistance.
Um, how is art used as a formof healing from traumatic
induced conditions caused byinterlocking systems of
oppression, including povertyand prisons?
And I think this is a goodpivot, based on what we're
talking about with the role ofabolitionist pods.
(35:05):
But specifically, how can weheal trauma-induced conditions
caused by interlocking systemsof oppression, with the function
of art as resistance?
Speaker 4 (35:27):
Nowhere you want to start, or you want me to start,
sure, yeah, no, no, it's, it'scool.
I was, um, yeah, I just thinkabout like making, just making
in general, I I think that'sthat's really um, it's healing,
you know to to make somethingout of your hand, to use your
imagination, to, to exercisethat muscle.
I don't think, I think justthinking about, like the schools
these days, like the firstthing to take out of the budget
(35:48):
is the arts.
You know, that's like takingout imagination right there, and
I've done like some workshopswhere, like I would come to
these schools, to schools thatthat have eliminated their,
their art program, and then,like, then we like just having
fun with these kids and justlike, all right, cool, today
we're just gonna like play withcolor, or today we're gonna like
play, uh, do assemblage, andtalk to them about the history,
(36:12):
about assemblage and just usingordinary objects just to make
art, and I think just likewitnessing that and just kind of
like seeing how they interactwith the material.
But also there is a momentwhere they're expressing
themselves.
You know, and I'm just thinkingabout how art is, is, is is a
tool, art is a tool of likeexpression, but also art is a
(36:35):
tool of storytelling too.
So, um, as, as the other thingI'm thinking about is, like you
know, like using the language ofart and seeing, I see it as
kind of like that's that's theway I write, you know, if I can
kind of compare it, you know,and that's the way of
storytelling, storytelling of,of, of, of my own family history
(36:59):
, family history, um, being ableto share that, um, able to
share, uh, I think, part of likemy own spirituality, uh, ways
of healing, and I think, justeven the exercises of, of just
making art.
There's a lot of healing inthat, and and and there is, like
I don't want to go like tooback in history, but obviously,
(37:21):
like, like art therapy is athing too, you know, as as kind
of like showing or expressingsomething that we can't say,
because sometimes, like you know, I grew up in a household where
I didn't have particular tools.
I didn't know how to express uh, uh, hey, I'm angry right now.
Can I have some time?
You know what I mean?
(37:42):
Or, like, I need some time tochill.
Speaker 1 (37:46):
It's that we just fought right.
Or shut down or run.
Speaker 4 (37:51):
Exactly, and I think there's a lot of tools and a lot
of teachings, a lot ofmetaphors is like, you know, if
we can have this even more andyou know, teaching about
imagination, teaching more aboutmaking art, and in the earlier
stages too, like I'm talkingabout preschool, elementary,
like all that.
I think that's the thing thatI'm curious about.
(38:12):
As far as, like, healing andhaving art as a metaphor to talk
about these tools to heal, oreven, you know, and I think a
lot about the abolitionist podis like those are type of
programs, programs that we'reincorporating as like to start
that conversation.
It's like that.
It's just that's the startingpoint of making art and then,
(38:33):
from there, opening up theconversation and being
vulnerable with each other.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
Absolutely.
And when we talk about the hugebudgets for policing and
prisons, if we were toreallocate those funds towards
art programs, the major benefitsthat would be given to
communities right to becomeself-sustaining would be amazing
.
You talk a lot aboutspirituality no Way.
(39:02):
I'm curious to know each of youif you would be willing to
share a bit about howspirituality informs your
practices and understanding ofabolition sure, I guess I'll go
(39:23):
first.
Speaker 4 (39:23):
It's everything, you know, the more I like new art
like this is my, this is myworship, this is my connection
to god, this is my peacefulspace, understanding myself more
.
I grew up in a catholic, uhfamily, so, like, spirituality,
things like that, has alwaysbeen around me.
(39:44):
But I've also explored in myown, like you know, gone, you
know, just exploring otherdifferent traditions as well,
like going to, uh, christianchurches, baptist churches, I
mean even pentecostal churches.
You, you know what I mean, likeI'm, I'm into it, you know,
like I'm, I'm, I've beensearching for it, you know, and
I've been wanting to understandmore and more of like what is my
(40:09):
connection to this earth, whatis my connection to the universe
, what's my connection to mypeople and just also thinking
about you know, just like,scientifically, we're made out
of stardust.
You know what I mean, likewe're connected to the cosmos,
and that means that you and Iwe're like organisms that are
actually supposed to worktogether instead of against each
(40:31):
other.
But, particularly right now,like I practice the Ifa
tradition.
Now, like I practice the Ifatradition it's a Yoruba
tradition and a lot of my worktalks a lot about that too, just
kind of exploring aboutdifferent deities, different,
(40:54):
you know, just prayers.
You know there's a particulardiscipline that I have too of
like, uh, prayers, but alsothinking about prayers and not
just praying but actuallyputting it into action too.
Like I think that's the biggestthing, like I think that's part
of like abolition too, justlike all right, cool, like we
(41:14):
gotta organize and act and dothis together, not just like
preach it, and I think that'slike kind of like you know where
like I'm at in my spirituality,where it's just so like that's
that's the thing that I alwayshave to fall back on and it's a
reminder.
But yeah, that's, that's alittle bit my spiritual
(41:37):
background.
That's really helpful.
And when you think about thechurch, that's a little bit my
spiritual background.
Speaker 1 (41:40):
That's really helpful .
And when you think about thechurch, there's so much
inactivity and silence againstoppression that many churches,
their silence, is a stance right.
And how can we use ourspirituality, our religion, our
belief system as catalysts forchange right To mobilize us
(42:03):
towards action is extremelyimportant.
Does Ashley or Ale want to jumpin on the spirituality piece?
Speaker 2 (42:11):
maybe music as a form of spirituality or yeah, that's
really funny because I actuallydid not grow up religious at
all no one in my family was, soI didn't have really much of a
guiding light in any higher formor being outside of music.
(42:32):
So I was always that person thatwas like music's my, you know,
in the vein of Jimi Hendrix,music's my religion, you know,
in the vein of Jimi Hendrix,music's my religion.
But I will say that in thispractice of abolition and in
this practice of being incommunity with this team, it's
actually I've learned so muchand I'm understanding how they
intersect.
(42:54):
But I do also want to say rightin connecting the spirituality
piece, the music piece, the artpiece, the abolition piece and
and your question about the howart can heal us from
trauma-induced conditions, um,space is coming up a lot, and
especially hearing no way, alsojust naming the stardust element
(43:16):
.
Something I've always talkedabout with people is how you
look at space as a place being ahealing form for folks that are
trauma impacted, and you seethat directly in hip hop, right,
that there are so manyreferences to space and how
(43:36):
space became escapism and spacebecame a way of healing for
folks, and so I think it'sreally interesting to look at it
in that and connecting a lot ofabolition and Afrofuturism go
hand in hand right, and a lot ofwhat Noé is speaking to and a
lot of the spirituality, I thinkthat that is something that
kind of really intersects all ofthose areas, yeah.
Speaker 1 (44:01):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, music is so powerful.
I, way back probably 20 yearsago, was in the music industry
and so I used to create music.
I was an artist and at thattime it was hard for me to live
in the space of art, of musicand spirituality, and I felt a
(44:27):
call to ministry.
And so where I was in thestudio, you know, from sunup to
sundown, with artists doing whatartists do, with artists doing
what artists do, um and uh I, I,it felt like I was at a
crossroad and so I left hipmaking music, um, to go into
(44:49):
ordained ministry.
But some of the people who Imade made music with are very
successful now, um, who haveworked on the Renaissance album
and worked with Diddy and aremusic executives.
They are very successful, havewritten for shows like what was
the show Queens, I think aboutthe girls' hip hop group.
(45:12):
So I love music.
I mean, I love it.
It lives inside of me and it isa form of therapy for me and
very much a part of my spiritualsystem.
And we talk about Ifa and theOrishas Noe, the sound of the
drums right.
It connects us to our ancestors, it connects us to the divine,
(45:34):
it's the movement toward freedomthat we heard in the cotton
fields with the Patinjuba, andhow they use their body to
direct people toward freedom.
That music is liberation, it isspirituality and it is a portal
between us and the divine.
So thank you for sharing.
How about you, ale?
Speaker 3 (46:02):
I didn't grow up very religious in the sense of like
spirituality, but I grew up Iguess you would call it
culturally Catholic and I wasbaptized and all that stuff.
But I didn't grow up going tochurch or like being having to
read the Bible and study it, etcetera.
What I did grow up with was alot of family's from Guatemala
and um.
In Guatemala and in CentralAmerica during the, the civil
(46:24):
wars, the Catholic church was ahuge ally for um, the working
class and and the um, the peoplewho were uh being murdered and
and and um spoke out against uhmilitary dictatorships, spoke
out against genocide.
So my family grew up, I grew upwith a lot of folks who
(46:46):
practice that type ofCatholicism.
So people who were liberationtheologists, people who were
even in the 90s, were always onthe front lines of, of
resistance groups.
So I've always seen religion orspirituality, more importantly,
(47:06):
spirituality as a way that youcan connect a fight for
resistance and a fight for abetter and more just world and
spirituality going hand in hand.
Now, today, I practice a littlebit of everything.
I practice a little bit ofsyncretism.
(47:26):
I've been able to tap intoceremony with my indigenous
ancestors and often, because ofcolonialism.
It goes a little bit of ourpractice and a little bit of
Catholicism together and for methat's been really powerful and
it's been a really groundingsource and power in my life that
(47:50):
I didn't have before.
I think for me it's actuallyhelped me really tether my
purpose, really tether myself tonot just the earth and the land
that I'm on but also tether meto the relationships I have with
other people and I think thatultimately helps me build and
really nurture my abolitionistpractice.
Speaker 1 (48:13):
Thank you for sharing that.
I'm teaching a course calledAfrican Religions and Politics
for Abolitionist Futures andwe're looking at African
diasporic religions.
So we look at Yoruba, we lookat Candomblé, we look at Lukumi,
santaria and Voodoo and theroles of these religious
(48:33):
practices towards politicalresistance.
The role of Voodoo in theFrench Revolution, the role of
Candomblé and Tierras as formingcommunities of resistance that
centered women.
Candomblé is often viewed as areligious practice where women
are more susceptible todivination, and so there's a lot
(48:54):
of women leaders.
Um so, and when you mentionedsyncretism is is a term that
(49:28):
Albert Robito uses in slavereligion and the ways in which
African people are bringingtheir indigenous religions and
they're mapping it idea thatwe're bringing our religion, our
traditions, our culture topractice it in new ways,
subversively, in the new world,and so I really appreciate how
you're sharing, how you havethat continuity within your own
indigenous practices.
That is a bridge between youand your people.
So, ashley, perhaps you cananswer this next question but
how is Crenshaw Dairy Marttraining the next generation of
(49:49):
abolitionists?
Speaker 2 (49:51):
Yeah, absolutely.
We love a good training.
So one of the things that weare really proud of and also
going back to the idea of arthealing us from trauma induced
conditions, you know, reallydeeply believing that artists
(50:13):
need to be well resourced andthat, you know, a well-resourced
artist is an artist that cancreate the work that they were
intended to make.
And so one thing that welaunched last year is our
fellowship called the CrenshawDairy Mart Fellowship for
Abolition and the Advancement ofthe Creative Economy, and in
(50:36):
that fellowship we have, we havetailored it to be specific to
Black Inglewood based artists.
No-transcript.
Speaker 1 (50:53):
I'm so sorry, I deeply apologize.
It's okay, tell us again.
Let me go to another questionand then maybe, when they're
done, we'll come back to thefellowship one.
Okay, no-transcript.
Speaker 3 (51:41):
I mean I would say all of it, but yeah, I think I
think definitely the ending copsat traffic stops, I think is a
really um, uh, a big one, um,and I mean I think for me, we
often think that we cannot livein a world without prisons or
(52:04):
police, uh, that we need policefor these types of services,
when in reality we don't, andwe've only had them around for
in the in the history of likehuman kind and um, they, they
haven't been around for themajority of humankind.
So, and I think of paramedicsand the paramedic system, right,
(52:24):
like we didn't, we paramedics,police used to have that job.
Police used to have to have torespond to medical emergencies
and then one day somebodydecided they envisioned
something different, somethingthat actually served their
communities, and I think thiswas in Pittsburgh, and now we
(52:48):
can't even imagine a cop goingto a medical emergency.
That's what we have paramedicsfor.
They think that that's.
For me, that's a clear exampleof how we can be creative, have
different systems, havedifferent services and why
(53:09):
police don't need to be attraffic stops.
Speaker 1 (53:13):
Yes, Agreed, right, that, um one, we don't need
policing, right, policingdoesn't make us any safer.
Um, and we have seen that inFerguson, here in LA, um, in St
Louis.
Right, we have with BreonnaTaylor and Mike Brown and others
(53:33):
, uh, with Kenan Anderson, right, that that policing does not
keep us any safer.
In fact, black and Brown bodiesare dying disproportionately
because of the police and theways in which we are constructed
as criminal a priori, likebefore any data, any experience
and so forth.
So you're absolutely right.
(53:54):
And what does it look like toreimagine community-led
approaches to community safetyor to public safety?
And that is, ensuring that thepolice aren't the first
responders to a medical crisisor to a health crisis, but that
medical professionals are.
And there are cities who aremoving toward that direction.
(54:18):
But we could see that policingdoesn't make us safer.
So, yes, absolutely, we want toend policing, and certainly at
traffic stops.
So I want to go back to circle,back to the question.
Ashley, perhaps you could sharewith us or start us off in how
we're thinking about the ways inwhich Crenshaw Dairy Mart is
(54:38):
training the next generation ofabolitionists.
Speaker 2 (54:41):
Yes, thank you so much for bearing with me.
So we are so honored andexcited that we can offer our
fellowship program, which againis the Crenshaw Dairy Mart
Fellowship for Abolition and theAdvancement of the Creative
Economy, and that fellowship isintended specifically for Black
(55:03):
Inglewood-based artists.
One thing that we haven'tmentioned yet but feels
incredibly important to mentionis that, as we are guests in the
city of Inglewood, it feelsreally important that we are
constantly contributing to theeconomy in Inglewood, and
specifically the creativeeconomy.
So what that looks like for usis, if we have an event in our
(55:23):
space, we're generally hiring anInglewood-based event planner
or using Inglewood-based vendors, right, and so you know, having
Inglewood-based landscaperslike anytime that we can
contribute to the local economy,we do, and this fellowship is
just a very important way for usto give back to artists that
(55:43):
are from Inglewood.
And so this fellowship wasreally it was kind of birthed
out of a MFA program thatPatrice started at Prescott
College a couple years ago, inwhich all of our co-founders and
studio mates were faculty andthen realized that we could be
utilizing that same curriculumand approach in our Crenshaw
(56:05):
Dairy Mart space and tying iteven closer to abolition.
And what does it look like,right to train the next
iteration of abolitionists andartists?
And what's really important forus is what we are providing to
our fellows.
So we provide $100,000unrestricted funds, we provide
health insurance, we've provideda chance for them to work with
(56:25):
local youth in an apprenticeshipformat and we really want to
have them think about andprototype, like what is the
abolitionist imagination?
You know, what kind of artworkcan we be making in this context
?
What kind of artwork are wemaking if all of our needs are
met right?
It's really difficult for Blackartists specifically to access
(56:46):
some of these larger fellowshipprograms, right?
Or to receive differentopportunities to make art
without having to constantlythink about where their next
rent payment's going to comefrom or how to, you know,
financially be well-resourced ina way to make art.
So you know we want to be ableto provide these opportunities
and, you know, also bringing injoy too, right.
(57:07):
Like what does it look like tomake Black art in a space of joy
?
And you know you haven't beento the Dairy Mart yet yet, but
you will and it is an extremelyjoyous place.
Like joy is something that isreally important.
Speaker 1 (57:17):
I try so hard to get there for the north star, oh
well, we'll set up time.
So hard to get there for thenorth star exhibit, yeah well
we'll get you there and you'll,and you'll just see.
Speaker 2 (57:28):
You know it's a really magical physical space
and you know we want to knowwhat kind of art is the result
of that.
So that's really important tous.
And you know the folks that arein this inaugural cohort are
all artists that have beenreally instrumental to the
growth of Crenshaw Dairy Mart.
Noe mentioned Oto already.
(57:49):
Oto Abazi-Attah created theSaint Nip mural that we have
dedicated to Nipsey Hussle,which is what most people have
seen of the Crenshaw Dairy Mart.
Oto was the first artist,inglewood-based artist, to come
into the space and bless thespace with the co-founders.
Juice Wood is a fellow who,juice, was one of the organizers
(58:09):
for the Inglewood CommunityFridge and really has that
amazing kind of mutual aidapproach to the artwork that
Juice makes and that felt reallyimportant to invest in.
And Autumn Breon-Williams, whois a local curator, artist,
former NASA engineer, going backto space, right.
But you know also anotherInglewood-based artist that
(58:30):
again blessed the space, youknow, before we even opened to
the public, and so you know thisis something that we intend to
offer every other year.
I get biannual and biennialconfused.
So every other year we'll beoffering this Englewood-based
artist and you know it's achance for them to connect with
our co-founders.
(58:50):
You know they have a lot ofreadings around abolition.
They sit in a lot of differentcurriculum with different art
instructors, but we also bringin folks that teach them about
taxes as an artist.
They'll meet with an art lawyer.
You know like we really want tomake sure that they are
well-rounded as an artist butalso able to go out in the world
and proudly say like I'm anabolitionist and my art is an
(59:11):
abolitionist aesthetic, and thisis how this intersects.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (59:28):
That sounds amazing.
It sounds incredible and I'mimpressed that you all are able
to find the funding to supportthese ideas, so that you're not
functioning from a scarcitymodel right but you're able to
ideate and thrive and empowerothers, which is amazing.
We're doing something similarat Abolition Sanctuary.
We have our STAR fellows, whoare summer fellows, who are
student-trained ambassador,abolitionist research interns,
(59:52):
star S-T-A-A-R research interns,star S-T-A-A-R, and we hosted
three interns this past summerin the areas of media, public
policy and law.
One student was an incoming lawstudent at USC, and our
organization focuses on thecriminalization of impoverished
Black motherhood, and so they doresearch projects around poor
(01:00:14):
Black mothers from those threedifferent lens, and then they
produced a community assetmapping resource book for the
city of Los Angeles and SouthernCalifornia.
So we're doing somethingsimilar there.
And then we also we're creatingthis technology that I'll share
more with you about, and I thinkit would be great if Crenshaw
(01:00:36):
Dairy Mart was affiliates, andit's a way to.
It's a coalition tool where youcan do e-commerce.
So if artists want to selltheir art from this site, if you
want it to put together a book,you can publish it on Amazon
and get proceeds from it.
So it's kind of a coalitionbuilding mutual aid technology
(01:01:00):
that invites everyone on to.
They can take trainings, theycan learn, they can sell, they
can connect with other people byaffinity.
So there could be a groupcalled Art and Abolition where
other people, like-minded people, connect, similar to the way
Facebook functions.
But we're really excited aboutthat and that will launch in
(01:01:22):
June, so we'll tell you moreabout it.
So, as we are concluding thiswonderful interview, wondering
if you can tell me you mentionedart as joy.
What brings you joy?
What are some of the thingsthat you do to find joy amidst
the trauma-induced aspects ofinterlocking systems of
(01:01:46):
oppression in prisons andpolicing?
What brings you joy?
And I think that that should beeasy because you've said so
much already.
So if it was one word, whatwould it be?
Speaker 3 (01:02:05):
I can start, yeah.
If it's one word it would bethe sun.
Speaker 4 (01:02:15):
Yeah, I'm with you, ale I'm just thinking nature,
nature Ashley communitycommunity.
Speaker 1 (01:02:27):
Alright, now, this next, this next segment is rapid
questions.
So you told us about joy, butwhat comes to mind when I say
these words, what thoughts doyou have?
Ideasas, feelings, images andhope.
So we, we had joy.
The other is art and resistance.
So one word will start withAshley will go in no way, and
then Ali, art and resistance.
Speaker 4 (01:02:49):
Cactus.
Speaker 1 (01:02:53):
Cactus Graffiti, graffiti, sculptures.
Cactus, graffiti, graffiti,sculptures, sculptures.
All right, how about abolitionapril?
What comes to mind?
Celebration?
Speaker 2 (01:03:10):
hugs, hugs hugs community.
Speaker 1 (01:03:18):
What comes to mind?
Speaker 3 (01:03:20):
fruitfulness hugs, hugs, dancing dancing.
Speaker 1 (01:03:29):
And the final word abolitionist futures free.
Lots of celebration.
Abolitionist futures free.
Lots of celebration, lots ofcelebration yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:03:44):
I see stars stars.
Speaker 1 (01:03:50):
And this final question please tell us what's
next for Crenshaw Dairy Mart andhow can we support you all?
Speaker 2 (01:03:57):
Yes.
So what's next for CrenshawDairy Mart?
We are we're fully fledged inthis fellowship right now.
The three fellows will behaving exhibitions in August and
September of this year, sothat'll be a chance for the
community to come through andsee what they're working on.
We should have additionalpublic programming around that
(01:04:21):
same time in August andSeptember.
Right now, Noe and Patrice havea show at the Charlie James
Gallery in Chinatown calledFreedom Portals.
We would love for folks to gothrough and support our
co-founders.
It is on view until April 15th.
This Sunday, April 8th, theywill be doing a walkthrough and
(01:04:42):
a talk and, yeah, you can findus on Instagram at Crenshaw
Dairy Mart Support looks liketelling folks about us, looks
like coming to visit.
Looks like donating to us so wecan keep investing in our
communities.
Speaker 1 (01:04:58):
Yeah Well, thank you so much.
I appreciate each of you Ashley, the executive director, la,
the programs and operationsspecialist, and Noe, one of the
co-founders for joining us.
We are excited to have CrenshawDairy Mart to celebrate
(01:05:20):
Abolition April with us, andespecially during this week of
Art and Resistance.
We wish you all the best and ifthere's anything that Abolition
Sanctuary can do to support you, please count us in.
Thank you so much, thank you Dr.
Natia.
Speaker 3 (01:05:33):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (01:05:34):
Thank you, dr McKeer.
Abolition is my religion.
Before we conclude this episode, let me affirm what we believe.
We believe in a God of theoppressed.
We believe that Black womenshare divinity with God Hagar,
harriet, sojourner, carol andcountless others who make a way
(01:05:55):
out of no way.
We believe in Black women asworthy, a source of salvation
and whose moral agency to make away out of no way demonstrates
the cardinal virtues ofcompassion, care, creativity,
courage and community over andagainst condemnation and
criminality.
We believe in a brownPalestinian Jew, the black
(01:06:18):
Messiah Jesus, who was profiled,policed and persecuted by the
state on trumped-up charges.
We believe that Jesus died acriminal but did not wake up one
.
He transcended criminality onthe cross, but no one ever needs
to die for us to be saved.
We believe in spirit asadvocate who draws the least of
(01:06:38):
these femme, women, men, girls,boys and gender non-conforming
people together in a belovedcommunity.
We believe in a resurrectionhope that calls us into right
relationship and to restore thehuman dignity of individuals who
are criminalized, caged andcast out.
We affirm discipleship as acall to advance a faith-based
(01:07:00):
abolitionist movement, to createspiritual, legal and economic
sanctuaries, to transform socialstructures where the last
become first and the captivesare set free.
We are abolitionist sanctuariesleading a coalition to repair,
restore and rebuild a more justand equitable society of
(01:07:25):
communal thriving.
Thank you.
One, two, three, four .
Welcome to the AbolitionistSanctuary podcast, where we
consider critical conversationsand call to actions at the
intersections of faith andabolition.
I am your host, reverend DrNakia Smith-Robert, the founder
(00:21):
and executive director ofAbolitionist Sanctuary.
We are a national coalitionleading a faith-based
abolitionist movement.
Okay, we're here with CrenshawDairy Mart.
(00:43):
I am excited that they arejoining us for our first week of
Abolition April and tocelebrate art and resistance.
For those of you who are new,abolition April is an awareness
recognition month presented byAbolitionist Sanctuary and aims
to highlight past and presentfreedom struggles and
collectively imagineabolitionist futures that
(01:05):
advance policies, transformativejustice strategies and
radicalize goals to mobilizesociety and religious
communities toward building amore just and equitable world of
communal thriving beyondoppressive powers, punishment,
policing and prisons.
Abolition April is for all ofus, which is why we need your
(01:25):
help in signing a petition onchangeorg to ask Mayor Karen
Bass to officially pass AprilAbolition Awareness Month in the
city of Los Angeles.
Also, please engage our contenton social media at Abolitionist
Sanctuary and DM us yourfavorite organization or person
or team who's doing abolitionwork.
(01:47):
Let's get this Art inResistance week started with our
wonderful guests Ashley, aleand Noe of the Crenshaw Dairy
Mart.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Welcome Hi, thank you for having us.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Well, welcome to the call.
Can you just tell us we'llstart with Ashley, ale and Noe
is the order we'll keep.
Can you tell us your pronounsand give us a visual of how you
are presenting yourself in thisspace, what you're wearing, what
does your space look like, somefeatures aesthetically, and
(02:25):
then finally tell us who areyour people?
Speaker 2 (02:27):
I love that.
I'm Ashley Blakeney.
I'm the executive director ofCrenshaw Dairy Mart.
I am a hazelnut complexionblack woman with long brown,
curly hair wearing a greenbutton up, no makeup.
(02:50):
Today it's been a long day andI am in my home office with two
pieces of artwork behind me thatare brown and gold and very
grounding.
And my people, my people, arelong standing Black folk that I
(03:13):
don't know how far back manygenerations they go, but I do
know my father's family.
It's from Madagascar and has alot of Southern roots, and my
mother's father is an Italianman who came over to Ellis
Island and we've just got a lotof Black and Italian and good
(03:34):
food in our lineage.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
I love it.
I love it.
Thank you, ale.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Hi everybody.
I'm Ale and my pronouns are sheand they.
I am wearing.
I'm a brown person with alittle bit of pink in my hair
and wearing a colorful button up.
I'm sitting in my living roomslash kitchen with some artwork
(04:04):
and lots of plants behind whichyou can't totally see, but
they're back there, and mypeople are from Guatemala.
Both of my parents are refugees, survivors of the civil war in
Guatemala during the 1980s.
They are my mothers of Kachikand Maya Indian descent and my
(04:28):
people are Guatemalan and myhomeland is LA.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Hi everyone, my name is Noel Olivas Key him pronouns
and what I'm wearing is just ablack poofy jacket.
In southern california it's alittle cold, but it's probably
only like 60 degrees out here.
Um, I have long hair, curlyhair, uh, wearing a beanie as
(04:58):
well, because I'm, you know,covering my head, and that's why
and I'm currently in CharlieJames Gallery in Chinatown my
people, my gente, my family, isfrom Chihuahua, mexico.
From my dad's side, they'refrom specifically from Durango,
and then my mom's side, theyhave a long history in Chihuahua
(05:19):
as well.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Yeah, that's who I am well, yeah, that's who I am.
Ashley, can you tell us a bitabout yourself?
I know you shared your pronounsand who your people were
earlier, but just tell ussomething else.
We don't know a bit aboutyourself.
And as you are thinking aboutwho you are, who are you in
relationship to abolition?
How do you define abolition,and perhaps has that meaning
(05:45):
changed over time?
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Yeah, absolutely so.
I'm Ashley Blakeney.
I'm the executive director ofCrenshaw Dairy Mart, an art
lover, trained photographer withvarying relationships to
photography, music lover, I saidearlier and I really liked it
where people lead with love, Ilead with music.
It is the only thing I know howto talk about outside of this
(06:10):
conversation.
So how do I define abolition?
Yeah, I am one of those peoplethat always says abolition,
depending on the day, has adifferent fit to me and has a
different definition.
You know, abolition at its core, at least in my understanding,
is the dismantling of systems ofharm and specifically
(06:31):
oppressive systems, and I liketo add a caveat to it that it's
also the imagination and there-envisioning and the creation
of a new future and reallythinking about innovative ways
that we can get free and stayfree and have all of our needs
(06:54):
and necessities met all of thetime.
So that's how I defineabolition today.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Yeah, and if I were taking a peek at your your
playlist, what are some of thesongs that are on there?
Speaker 2 (07:07):
if music is what you're leading, oh, not you
asking my favorite questionright now.
Um, my, my partner, verysurprisingly like with a random
pick, uh just gifted me a donnasummer record, um, the love
trilogy, and it has been theonly thing I've played every
(07:31):
morning for the last week andhas increased my mood
substantially.
So right now I'm just in adonna summer era I love that
love.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Trilogy Donna Summers that's amazing um.
Thank you for sharing that, alehow about you tell me about?
Um?
Who are you?
What are some things that wecan learn about who you are and
how you're thinking about ordefining abolition?
Speaker 3 (07:57):
um, I'm Ale and I'm the programs and operations
associate at the Crenshaw DairyMart.
I also identify as anabolitionist.
I'm a lover of fashion, I'm astudent of fashion, I'm a lover
of art and aesthetics andpopular culture.
I'm a Real Housewives historianand it's important because it
(08:23):
impacts, it informs myabolitionist practice.
But um, I also hear more aboutthat.
I identify as an abolitionist,um, and for me, abolition is is
a world in which, um, there areno prisons, there are no borders
, um, but it's also in the waysthat we relate to each other.
(08:44):
I think that's the.
That's the abolitionist,abolitionist.
The abolition that I practiceis in the way that we relate to
each other, in the ways that wecreate communities that are safe
, care, that aren't rooted inpunitive practices, that aren't
(09:08):
rooted in state violence andthat aren't rooted in systems of
oppression.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Amazing Thank you for sharing.
No way.
How about you?
Who are you and how are youthinking about abolition?
Speaker 4 (09:17):
Yeah, absolutely, thank you for that question.
I'm one of the co-founders ofthe Crenshaw Dairy Mart, so very
lucky to be right next toPatrice Cutlers and Ali Reza,
just kind of like doing thisproject together and also with
Ashley and Ali, shout out to Vicand everyone else on the team,
but just like really gratefulfor the team that we have.
(09:39):
But I'm an artist, you know,I'm a maker, I love to make
things.
That's, that's the way that Irelate to this world.
That's how I communicate,that's how I pass down the
messages that need to becommunicated to.
As far as, like, thinking aboutabolition, I'm a teacher, I'm an
(10:02):
educator, I'm a healer, I'malso a student, you know I'm a
teacher, I'm an educator.
Uh, I'm a healer.
Um, I'm also a student, youknow.
I think that's.
That's something that, uh, I'malways kind of like, uh,
returning to cause.
I feel like, uh, you know, justlearning about life, you're
never like, you're alwayslearning something new.
Um, and as far as abolition,like, I definitely agree with
(10:23):
Ashley and Ale just kind of likedismantling systems that don't
work for us, you know, um, buton the other, on the other end,
I'm really starting to thinkabout abolition and it's in a
healing way as well, too.
I think part of it is likehealing, um, getting rid of
things that don't work out asfar as systems, but also within
ourselves too, um, um, thinkinga lot about, um, you know,
(10:45):
caring for ourselves first.
You know, like, how do we beabolitionists?
And like showing up forourselves.
You know, loving ourselves andthinking about this idea of love
.
You know, thinking about theidea of love in the lens of Bell
Hooks, in the lens of Dr King,talking about you, talking about
what's it really mean tocourageously love.
(11:08):
I keep returning to that idea,just because it's not an easy
thing to do, even starting withourselves, I think, just
thinking about returning, likebeing kind to ourselves and, you
know, practicing those thingsdaily and caring for ourselves
(11:30):
and doing things that that aregood for us, and then then from
there, extending it to thecommunity and, and it's almost
kind of like modeling it.
So I feel like this abolitionis like a constant practice.
You know it's like you'remodeling it for yourself and
then for your community, becausein the end, we're trying to
(11:51):
really imagine a new future.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Yes, yeah, I really like that emphasis that
abolition is a lifestyle right.
I'm an abolitionist as a parent, as a partner, as a professor,
as a preacher, as a person.
It really is an ethic for me.
It's a practice, it's a way ofbeing, and for me, my
abolitionist values arecompassion, creativity, courage,
(12:19):
care and community.
So those five values ground theways in which I practice
abolition, and for me, abolitionis summarized by three R's, and
this is just my way ofconnecting to abolition and it's
to repair harms, restorerelationships and rebuild more
(12:39):
just and equitable systems, ourcommunities of care.
So thank you that you were ableto share who you are and your
definitions of abolition.
And so I'm wondering how doeswho you are and your
understanding of abolitioninform the vision for Crenshaw
Dairy Mart?
So tell us what is the CrenshawDairy Mart and how did it get
(13:02):
started?
What's the story?
And perhaps that's a questionfor the co-founder and as well
as for our executive director,ashley.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Sure, I can definitely start, I think, just
like just kind of painting thepicture.
You know, just CDM is like it'sa dairy mart, you know it's
like a liquor store, uh, oncrinshaw boulevard and, um, the.
The way it all kind of startedis, um, you know, patrice,
myself and ali reza, we were allin grad school and at a usc and
(13:36):
we were having conversationsabout, you know, imagining what,
what would it look like if webrought artists and
abolitionists together andspecifically in the antelope
valley is kind of like startingthere, um, looking at land and
just imagining like, wouldn't itbe cool?
Like to what would theconversations be like?
What, what, what would we bemaking?
What you know thinking about,still, flower farms, uh, you
(13:58):
know what would be growing.
You know things like, uh, andas we are talking about this in
our thread called Free the Land,you know it's almost like we
manifested it, we sent it to theuniversity and it kind of this
opportunity landed in our lapwhere Patricia's caretaker or
(14:20):
child caretaker was opening up apreschool happened to be at
that Crenshaw location and oneside was the dairy mart and the
other side was an old buildingthat was a laundry mat.
At once it was a worship spaceat one time and unfortunately
(14:41):
she was trying to do like apreschool there.
But you know, through the cityof Inglewood there was a lot of
permit process and you know it'sa struggle, you know, and she
ended up inviting us to alsotaking over the lease on the
other end.
So it was, it was kind of just.
I guess we always say it's likethrough the invitation came
(15:03):
through uh, patrice's son, youknow, just like that kind of
landed there and and from therewe just kind of like really
incubated, we stayed still I, welistened, we uh invited the
community, we um werebrainstorming.
We didn't necessarily uh wantedto start something without like
(15:28):
listening.
I think listening is a really,really uh critical um thing
within abolition as well.
Just kind of like hearing eachother out, but also like what is
the space need?
But also I'm thinking aboutlistening also spiritually too
like what is, is the spiritsaying Like why are we here, why
this place?
And through the invitations oflike artists and even one of the
(15:52):
artists right now it's a photowas one of the first invited
people that were like hey man,what do you, what do you, what
do you see in this space, whatdo you imagine you know like,
and a lot of the incubation kindof came through that stage, see
, in this space, what do youimagine you know like, and a lot
of the incubation kind of camethrough that stage.
And also like, as artists,we're also looking at the
history uh uh, black ownedgalleries and the 60s.
Just kind of looking at thathistory and ali reza stories is
(16:15):
like has been like leaning onthat, that, um, that research
part of it, and just kind of.
I think the three pillars thatwe always kind of that we landed
on through our brainstormingsession is ancestry, abolition,
and sorry I'm blanking out for asecond but I'll get it
Abolition, ancestry and healing.
(16:35):
Of course those are the threepoints.
You know, when we think aboutlike three points, a triangle,
you know that's like thestrongest structure in nature,
but just like looking at thepast of like what are
information that we can learnfrom our fellow comrades, our
fellow ancestors, our fellowteachers, and how do we, how are
(16:58):
we going to take this into thefuture?
So like really paying attentionto that but also calling in our
own ancestors from the coolwaters and just kind of.
And then, as far as likeabolition, as we kind of like
talked about.
It was just like a framework ofcoming into the space and how
we're going to like participatewith our community.
(17:19):
And you know, like the bigfoundational point is like
healing.
Healing is the main thing, islike, how do we come in here
with leading, with care, leadingwith love, leading with
openness, you know, leading withlistening.
So that's that healing process.
That's really important, youknow, I think.
And it's a hard one too,because healing doesn't oh, it's
(17:41):
not easy, it's not, doesn'talways come easily, there's not
smooth, there's those roughpoints.
You got to confront certainthings that you haven't
confronted in a long time inorder to be the better self.
You know what I mean.
Or even like having toughconversations to courageous
conversations with each other,like hey, we, you know, just
like really showing up in thisspace for each other.
(18:03):
And that's what CDMm crenshawdairy mart is, you know.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Um, I hope that was helpful yeah, absolutely, I very
much, so thank you for sharingthat.
Ashley, do you want to add tothat?
Speaker 2 (18:18):
um, I think the only thing I'll add that was so
beautiful in a way, um, I thinkthe only thing I'll add is
really emphasizing the artcollective of it all, and that
you know we really are a spacethat is intended for an
uplifting artist and that we dokeep art at the center and at
(18:40):
the forefront.
So I often will say that youknow, cdm is where art and
abolition intersect and, as Noementioned our three pillars,
everything that we do connectsdirectly back to all three of
those pillars, which you knowwe'll probably get into.
But that's all I'll add.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
Yeah, I really love the discernment process that
happened.
You said that you were stillthere was a spiritual component
of listening, and I love how itwas a partnership that started
in grad school.
So it happened organically andwith this kind of envisioning
right, just dreaming.
You know, if we could createright and that is such the
(19:22):
hallmark of abolition it's if wecan create a better world.
What would it look like?
And you all took that questionand actually did something with
it by innovating the CrenshawDairy Mart.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
What are some of the programs that are available at
Crenshaw Dairy Mart.
Can you tell us aboutparticularly the Abolitionist
Pod and other exhibits,galleries and other programs
that are available?
The most recent exhibit wasNorth Star Healing Generations,
which was a really beautifulcollaboration between Patrice
Cullors, one of our co-founders,and Rita Nazareno, who is a
Filipina artist and artisan theyhave this amazing workshop in
(20:18):
the Philippines where they makethese beautiful wicker furniture
and Nisi Berry, who's aformerly incarcerated black
literary um, and they created umthese limited edition bags
which are um, which each have adesign of a star.
The exhibit itself wasincredibly beautiful, um.
They were displayed in a waythat um that had a in the in the
(20:43):
same constellation as as how.
That would lead you to theNorth Star.
So I was incredibly creative,incredibly powerful.
That was one of the most recentexhibits that we just had and
it closed back in mid-March.
Currently we're working on theAbolitionist Pod.
(21:05):
We have two current.
The first pod lives at ourspace.
It's the Abolitionist Podprototype and it's a geodesic
dome that has living plants andherbs, succulents, and it's a
way for it's a space for for usto be able to come in and
(21:27):
reflect, think about whatabolition looks like for us, um,
and the first pod was createdum right outside of mocha.
Uh, for, for the re-riseinitiative, um, that came that
was back in 2021.
Is that correct, noah?
Speaker 4 (21:42):
2020.
Yeah 2020.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
So 2020 was the first abolitionist pod.
The second one was built at theCare First Village, the Hilda
Solis Care First Village, whichis in downtown LA.
It's a transitional housinglocation for folks.
And the second one was built in2021.
Uh, for folks.
And the second one was built in2021.
(22:08):
Um and um.
That one also has that's apermanent structure and it also
has lots of succulents.
Um, we recently went to gocheck it out and we saw how much
the, some of the aloe vera andlike the, the, the herbs in
there, the, the plants in there,have been really feeding back
into the residents of the space.
Um, and then our thirdabolitionist pot is currently in
the making.
We're in the process ofbuilding designing, getting all
(22:30):
that started, so break it down.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Let's kind of slowly walk through the abolitionist
pod.
So let's begin with the termyou'd use.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
It was geodesic dome, and maybe Noah can help me a
little bit, since he's one ofthe great visionaries behind it.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
Yeah, absolutely.
I guess the question is tobreak it down and what is a
geodesic dome, right?
Speaker 1 (23:03):
And how are we spelling geodesic, oh?
Speaker 4 (23:05):
man, I'm so bad with spelling.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
I think it's G-E-O-D-E-S-I-C.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
Yes, so geodesic dome , it's very, it's a very
interesting structure.
Basically, it's triangles thatare put together to create a
sphere, um, and there'sdifferent types of uh, geodesic
domes in the sense of, like, themore triangles you use, the,
the more rounder it is.
Uh, the, the, the, the.
(23:38):
The system that we're using isit's a 2d type of thing, where
it has like two differentmeasurements.
It's a little bit more likeangular, but we kind of enjoy
that.
And part of like the researchin the geodesic dome it's
definitely like we're definitelyinspired by indigenous
(23:59):
architecture.
So we're thinking about homes,a lot of the Kumeyaay down south
in Southern California, usingthese more structural domes, and
also you kind of see it also inLos Angeles I'm forgetting the
spot, but it's near the beach,but it's just a very like hut
(24:19):
type of feeling.
Um, but more of the geodesicdome is coming from this
architect um named buxton andfuller.
Um, that kind of became like acraze in the 60s.
You know, like more like hippietype of thing, like, oh, yeah,
this is like the new way ofliving.
But it's really interesting aswe're kind of like looking at,
uh, uh, some of like thecollaborations that that um,
(24:42):
that buxton mcfuller was doing,and and in our research with ali
reza, we were just like, oh wow, like june jordan poet, june
jordan's here, june jordan wastalking to buxton mcfuller about
you know, like what would itlook?
Like this in Harlem, like whatwould this do to the community?
What would happen in this space?
So, really looking at likeprogramming in space I think
(25:06):
that's a really big thing inarchitecture Like not just, like
you know, form, but like what'sactually happening in the space
, how are folks participating?
What is this area doing?
What?
What are what is this areadoing?
So, like, looking through those,like, uh, those, um, uh,
research, uh and articles, um,you know, it was very much a
(25:27):
community project.
You know imagining, like youknow, this is the space where a
garden will be at, or this wouldbe like a, a space of like uh,
conversation and things likethat.
So, looking at the geodesicdome and just to give you like
an idea, like the, the size islike a diameter of like 20 feet
and it's about like 12 to 13feet tall, so it's a pretty
(25:51):
small, intimate space, but stillenough to fit in at least like
10 people.
Like circuit, like, if we do,like a healing circle, uh,
standing around it.
That's what we usually do, likethe, the pod at the crinshaw
dairy mart, where, you know,with the fellows and but
basically, uh, imagining, uh,yeah, that's kind of like a
(26:12):
geodesic dome, just like, kindof as far as the shape of it and
part of it too, just I justwant to add this quick note
which is really interesting isthat, um, because it's around
and, uh, buxom and fuller, wasalso talked like, talking about
it in relationship to the worldand also in relationship to
(26:33):
organisms, in relationship tothe galaxies, and but
particularly, um, the dandelion,and we all know the dandelion
is really significant and andthe movement, you know, as far
as like what?
Like it's a weed and this weedcan grow at it like little
crevices, you know, andsometimes people throw that weed
(26:54):
away because they think it's aweed and it's ugly, but it's
something really precious andactually really nutritious for
us, for our digestive system, ifwe make it into a tea.
And there's these videos oflike you know these like
dandelion, it growing and andblowing.
You know, obviously, as we'relike kids, we blow these
dandelions and we blow wishesand maybe we blow prayers, you
(27:17):
know, and tying that intoabolition is just like blowing
that freedom, blowing thatimagination.
So that's all part of thedesign of the structure.
Like we're looking at manythings and new things are coming
up as well, as we're likecontinuing the research
(27:41):
continuing the research.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
So let me stop you there, because you preached a
whole sermon on dandelions and Imight have to preach it the
next time I'm at the pulpit.
That was powerful.
Just tell me quickly.
I'm really trying to understandthis.
So I understand the structureand the kind of role of urban
planning and ways to helpcommunities be self-sustaining.
What was the connection youwere making between the
(28:02):
structure and the dandelion?
How did we get to that?
Speaker 4 (28:06):
The shape of it.
It's around this.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
The shape of it Okay.
Speaker 4 (28:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Got it.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
Thank you, Ashley do you want to add anything to the
abolitionist pods?
Yeah, I'll share a little bitof the why.
Um, I'm also just marinating on.
We blow prayers like that's,that's such a beautiful line.
No way, um, wow, powerful rightas you would say.
Speaker 4 (28:32):
Uh, actually that's a bar, that's a bar that's a bar,
right?
Speaker 1 (28:36):
no way that's a bar.
I was truly.
I'll say that's a bar, butthat's a bar, right?
Speaker 2 (28:41):
no, that's a bar, I was truly, I'll say that's a bar
, but that's a bar, um, yeah, soyou know when?
When the pod.
I'll just talk a little bitabout what's in the pod and and
and the why.
So the, the abolitionist pod,right when it's at its peak, it
can hold twelve hundred plants,and so the original version of
(29:01):
the pod that is now the skeletonthat's at the Crenshaw Dairy
Mart held around twelve hundredplants, and then there's a solar
(29:22):
panel system, so that itrenshawDairy Mart was observing during
2020 specifically, and soduring 2020, the co-founders
worked and supported LaurenHalsey and the food boxes that
she was doing with some ofeverything.
Crenshaw Dairy Mart wascontributing art kits to that
project, and then, additionally,in 2020, crenshaw Dairy Mart
(29:42):
was the home to the Englewoodcommunity fridge for a while,
and so there were all of thesedifferent models that we were
seeing of how our community wasshowing up for our community
right when other systems weren'tshowing up for our community,
and we're really thinking aboutwhat is a role that Crenshaw
Dairy Mart can play in thismoment.
And so that's kind of how theabolitionist pod was born was
(30:03):
looking at a way of how tocontribute to supporting our
people in ways that they need itmost, and at that time it was
access to produce and access tofood.
And so we kind of just tooklike an art, abolition and
architecture approach to that.
And so, as we build theseabolitionist pods, the intent is
that they are installed invarious places around the county
(30:24):
where people will need themmost, where people need a green
space, where people may needaccess to produce, where people
may need a space to just take anap in the middle of the day
surrounded by some plants, rightLike that's really the ultimate
goal in how we're trying toscale these pods.
Speaker 1 (30:43):
Wow, I really like this for many reasons, but I
find it interesting that thegeodesic structure an
alternative space to cages right.
That when there is an enclosedstructure that is not a prison,
(31:09):
that is not death dealing butinstead a part of life,
generating resources for peopleto thrive, that it becomes a
part of an abolitionistgeography that is opposed to the
carceral geography.
Right.
That when Ruthie Gilmore saysabolition is a place, that place
(31:33):
is the abolitionist pod, right.
So I think it's just profound.
And also the collaborative,communal aspect that you can
place this pod on the grounds ofa church, organizations and
(32:11):
parks right.
So I would really be interestedin seeing how churches can
partner with Crenshaw Dairy Martand use their real estate to
create and to house andabolitionist pods as geodesic
structures.
To me is very profound and theways in which you are helping
communities to becomeself-sustaining.
And it reminds me of.
I'm working with an organizationin Malawi called the Othaka
(32:34):
Harka Foundation and it'sfounded by a woman in her Malawi
village and she is doingsomething very similar.
She has brought togethervolunteers in her village.
Despite chiefs who told herthat she could not do this
because she was a girl, she wasable to subversively work within
(32:56):
her village to combine theirresources using the mutual aid
model that you all mentioned.
Right, and each person had togive seven cents, which is
extremely sacrificial.
But as they pooled theirresources together, they were
able to build irrigation modelsso that they can harvest in wet
and dry seasons.
They were able to give peoplerocket stoves.
(33:18):
They were able to do literacyprograms where school-aged
children teach the elders how toread.
They were able to do healthcareprevention with cervical cancer
screening and education aroundHIV AIDS no-transcript.
(33:59):
And I would love to be a partof that.
And my vision for AbolitionistSanctuary is to build a
faith-based abolitionistmovement, and a part of that is
connecting churches be morebroad and ecumenical to include
(34:22):
other religious traditions.
But how can we connect churchesto liberationist movements such
as yourself so that we can joinin building these abolitionist
futures?
And this abolitionist podsounds very promising.
I can see churches wanting tohost that.
So you talked the abolitionistpod in your exhibitions and how
(34:42):
Crenshaw Dairy Mart is locatedat the intersections of art and
resistance.
Um, how is art used as a formof healing from traumatic
induced conditions caused byinterlocking systems of
oppression, including povertyand prisons?
And I think this is a goodpivot, based on what we're
talking about with the role ofabolitionist pods.
(35:05):
But specifically, how can weheal trauma-induced conditions
caused by interlocking systemsof oppression, with the function
of art as resistance?
Speaker 4 (35:27):
Nowhere you want to start, or you want me to start,
sure, yeah, no, no, it's, it'scool.
I was, um, yeah, I just thinkabout like making, just making
in general, I I think that'sthat's really um, it's healing,
you know to to make somethingout of your hand, to use your
imagination, to, to exercisethat muscle.
I don't think, I think justthinking about, like the schools
these days, like the firstthing to take out of the budget
(35:48):
is the arts.
You know, that's like takingout imagination right there, and
I've done like some workshopswhere, like I would come to
these schools, to schools thatthat have eliminated their,
their art program, and then,like, then we like just having
fun with these kids and justlike, all right, cool, today
we're just gonna like play withcolor, or today we're gonna like
play, uh, do assemblage, andtalk to them about the history,
(36:12):
about assemblage and just usingordinary objects just to make
art, and I think just likewitnessing that and just kind of
like seeing how they interactwith the material.
But also there is a momentwhere they're expressing
themselves.
You know, and I'm just thinkingabout how art is, is, is is a
tool, art is a tool of likeexpression, but also art is a
(36:35):
tool of storytelling too.
So, um, as, as the other thingI'm thinking about is, like you
know, like using the language ofart and seeing, I see it as
kind of like that's that's theway I write, you know, if I can
kind of compare it, you know,and that's the way of
storytelling, storytelling of,of, of, of my own family history
(36:59):
, family history, um, being ableto share that, um, able to
share, uh, I think, part of likemy own spirituality, uh, ways
of healing, and I think, justeven the exercises of, of just
making art.
There's a lot of healing inthat, and and and there is, like
I don't want to go like tooback in history, but obviously,
(37:21):
like, like art therapy is athing too, you know, as as kind
of like showing or expressingsomething that we can't say,
because sometimes, like you know, I grew up in a household where
I didn't have particular tools.
I didn't know how to express uh, uh, hey, I'm angry right now.
Can I have some time?
You know what I mean?
(37:42):
Or, like, I need some time tochill.
Speaker 1 (37:46):
It's that we just fought right.
Or shut down or run.
Speaker 4 (37:51):
Exactly, and I think there's a lot of tools and a lot
of teachings, a lot ofmetaphors is like, you know, if
we can have this even more andyou know, teaching about
imagination, teaching more aboutmaking art, and in the earlier
stages too, like I'm talkingabout preschool, elementary,
like all that.
I think that's the thing thatI'm curious about.
(38:12):
As far as, like, healing andhaving art as a metaphor to talk
about these tools to heal, oreven, you know, and I think a
lot about the abolitionist podis like those are type of
programs, programs that we'reincorporating as like to start
that conversation.
It's like that.
It's just that's the startingpoint of making art and then,
(38:33):
from there, opening up theconversation and being
vulnerable with each other.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
Absolutely.
And when we talk about the hugebudgets for policing and
prisons, if we were toreallocate those funds towards
art programs, the major benefitsthat would be given to
communities right to becomeself-sustaining would be amazing
.
You talk a lot aboutspirituality no Way.
(39:02):
I'm curious to know each of youif you would be willing to
share a bit about howspirituality informs your
practices and understanding ofabolition sure, I guess I'll go
(39:23):
first.
Speaker 4 (39:23):
It's everything, you know, the more I like new art
like this is my, this is myworship, this is my connection
to god, this is my peacefulspace, understanding myself more
.
I grew up in a catholic, uhfamily, so, like, spirituality,
things like that, has alwaysbeen around me.
(39:44):
But I've also explored in myown, like you know, gone, you
know, just exploring otherdifferent traditions as well,
like going to, uh, christianchurches, baptist churches, I
mean even pentecostal churches.
You, you know what I mean, likeI'm, I'm into it, you know,
like I'm, I'm, I've beensearching for it, you know, and
I've been wanting to understandmore and more of like what is my
(40:09):
connection to this earth, whatis my connection to the universe
, what's my connection to mypeople and just also thinking
about you know, just like,scientifically, we're made out
of stardust.
You know what I mean, likewe're connected to the cosmos,
and that means that you and Iwe're like organisms that are
actually supposed to worktogether instead of against each
(40:31):
other.
But, particularly right now,like I practice the Ifa
tradition.
Now, like I practice the Ifatradition it's a Yoruba
tradition and a lot of my worktalks a lot about that too, just
kind of exploring aboutdifferent deities, different,
(40:54):
you know, just prayers.
You know there's a particulardiscipline that I have too of
like, uh, prayers, but alsothinking about prayers and not
just praying but actuallyputting it into action too.
Like I think that's the biggestthing, like I think that's part
of like abolition too, justlike all right, cool, like we
(41:14):
gotta organize and act and dothis together, not just like
preach it, and I think that'slike kind of like you know where
like I'm at in my spirituality,where it's just so like that's
that's the thing that I alwayshave to fall back on and it's a
reminder.
But yeah, that's, that's alittle bit my spiritual
(41:37):
background.
That's really helpful.
And when you think about thechurch, that's a little bit my
spiritual background.
Speaker 1 (41:40):
That's really helpful .
And when you think about thechurch, there's so much
inactivity and silence againstoppression that many churches,
their silence, is a stance right.
And how can we use ourspirituality, our religion, our
belief system as catalysts forchange right To mobilize us
(42:03):
towards action is extremelyimportant.
Does Ashley or Ale want to jumpin on the spirituality piece?
Speaker 2 (42:11):
maybe music as a form of spirituality or yeah, that's
really funny because I actuallydid not grow up religious at
all no one in my family was, soI didn't have really much of a
guiding light in any higher formor being outside of music.
(42:32):
So I was always that person thatwas like music's my, you know,
in the vein of Jimi Hendrix,music's my religion, you know,
in the vein of Jimi Hendrix,music's my religion.
But I will say that in thispractice of abolition and in
this practice of being incommunity with this team, it's
actually I've learned so muchand I'm understanding how they
intersect.
(42:54):
But I do also want to say rightin connecting the spirituality
piece, the music piece, the artpiece, the abolition piece and
and your question about the howart can heal us from
trauma-induced conditions, um,space is coming up a lot, and
especially hearing no way, alsojust naming the stardust element
(43:16):
.
Something I've always talkedabout with people is how you
look at space as a place being ahealing form for folks that are
trauma impacted, and you seethat directly in hip hop, right,
that there are so manyreferences to space and how
(43:36):
space became escapism and spacebecame a way of healing for
folks, and so I think it'sreally interesting to look at it
in that and connecting a lot ofabolition and Afrofuturism go
hand in hand right, and a lot ofwhat Noé is speaking to and a
lot of the spirituality, I thinkthat that is something that
kind of really intersects all ofthose areas, yeah.
Speaker 1 (44:01):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, music is so powerful.
I, way back probably 20 yearsago, was in the music industry
and so I used to create music.
I was an artist and at thattime it was hard for me to live
in the space of art, of musicand spirituality, and I felt a
(44:27):
call to ministry.
And so where I was in thestudio, you know, from sunup to
sundown, with artists doing whatartists do, with artists doing
what artists do, um and uh I, I,it felt like I was at a
crossroad and so I left hipmaking music, um, to go into
(44:49):
ordained ministry.
But some of the people who Imade made music with are very
successful now, um, who haveworked on the Renaissance album
and worked with Diddy and aremusic executives.
They are very successful, havewritten for shows like what was
the show Queens, I think aboutthe girls' hip hop group.
(45:12):
So I love music.
I mean, I love it.
It lives inside of me and it isa form of therapy for me and
very much a part of my spiritualsystem.
And we talk about Ifa and theOrishas Noe, the sound of the
drums right.
It connects us to our ancestors, it connects us to the divine,
(45:34):
it's the movement toward freedomthat we heard in the cotton
fields with the Patinjuba, andhow they use their body to
direct people toward freedom.
That music is liberation, it isspirituality and it is a portal
between us and the divine.
So thank you for sharing.
How about you, ale?
Speaker 3 (46:02):
I didn't grow up very religious in the sense of like
spirituality, but I grew up Iguess you would call it
culturally Catholic and I wasbaptized and all that stuff.
But I didn't grow up going tochurch or like being having to
read the Bible and study it, etcetera.
What I did grow up with was alot of family's from Guatemala
and um.
In Guatemala and in CentralAmerica during the, the civil
(46:24):
wars, the Catholic church was ahuge ally for um, the working
class and and the um, the peoplewho were uh being murdered and
and and um spoke out against uhmilitary dictatorships, spoke
out against genocide.
So my family grew up, I grew upwith a lot of folks who
(46:46):
practice that type ofCatholicism.
So people who were liberationtheologists, people who were
even in the 90s, were always onthe front lines of, of
resistance groups.
So I've always seen religion orspirituality, more importantly,
(47:06):
spirituality as a way that youcan connect a fight for
resistance and a fight for abetter and more just world and
spirituality going hand in hand.
Now, today, I practice a littlebit of everything.
I practice a little bit ofsyncretism.
(47:26):
I've been able to tap intoceremony with my indigenous
ancestors and often, because ofcolonialism.
It goes a little bit of ourpractice and a little bit of
Catholicism together and for methat's been really powerful and
it's been a really groundingsource and power in my life that
(47:50):
I didn't have before.
I think for me it's actuallyhelped me really tether my
purpose, really tether myself tonot just the earth and the land
that I'm on but also tether meto the relationships I have with
other people and I think thatultimately helps me build and
really nurture my abolitionistpractice.
Speaker 1 (48:13):
Thank you for sharing that.
I'm teaching a course calledAfrican Religions and Politics
for Abolitionist Futures andwe're looking at African
diasporic religions.
So we look at Yoruba, we lookat Candomblé, we look at Lukumi,
santaria and Voodoo and theroles of these religious
(48:33):
practices towards politicalresistance.
The role of Voodoo in theFrench Revolution, the role of
Candomblé and Tierras as formingcommunities of resistance that
centered women.
Candomblé is often viewed as areligious practice where women
are more susceptible todivination, and so there's a lot
(48:54):
of women leaders.
Um so, and when you mentionedsyncretism is is a term that
(49:28):
Albert Robito uses in slavereligion and the ways in which
African people are bringingtheir indigenous religions and
they're mapping it idea thatwe're bringing our religion, our
traditions, our culture topractice it in new ways,
subversively, in the new world,and so I really appreciate how
you're sharing, how you havethat continuity within your own
indigenous practices.
That is a bridge between youand your people.
So, ashley, perhaps you cananswer this next question but
how is Crenshaw Dairy Marttraining the next generation of
(49:49):
abolitionists?
Speaker 2 (49:51):
Yeah, absolutely.
We love a good training.
So one of the things that weare really proud of and also
going back to the idea of arthealing us from trauma induced
conditions, you know, reallydeeply believing that artists
(50:13):
need to be well resourced andthat, you know, a well-resourced
artist is an artist that cancreate the work that they were
intended to make.
And so one thing that welaunched last year is our
fellowship called the CrenshawDairy Mart Fellowship for
Abolition and the Advancement ofthe Creative Economy, and in
(50:36):
that fellowship we have, we havetailored it to be specific to
Black Inglewood based artists.
No-transcript.
Speaker 1 (50:53):
I'm so sorry, I deeply apologize.
It's okay, tell us again.
Let me go to another questionand then maybe, when they're
done, we'll come back to thefellowship one.
Okay, no-transcript.
Speaker 3 (51:41):
I mean I would say all of it, but yeah, I think I
think definitely the ending copsat traffic stops, I think is a
really um, uh, a big one, um,and I mean I think for me, we
often think that we cannot livein a world without prisons or
(52:04):
police, uh, that we need policefor these types of services,
when in reality we don't, andwe've only had them around for
in the in the history of likehuman kind and um, they, they
haven't been around for themajority of humankind.
So, and I think of paramedicsand the paramedic system, right,
(52:24):
like we didn't, we paramedics,police used to have that job.
Police used to have to have torespond to medical emergencies
and then one day somebodydecided they envisioned
something different, somethingthat actually served their
communities, and I think thiswas in Pittsburgh, and now we
(52:48):
can't even imagine a cop goingto a medical emergency.
That's what we have paramedicsfor.
They think that that's.
For me, that's a clear exampleof how we can be creative, have
different systems, havedifferent services and why
(53:09):
police don't need to be attraffic stops.
Speaker 1 (53:13):
Yes, Agreed, right, that, um one, we don't need
policing, right, policingdoesn't make us any safer.
Um, and we have seen that inFerguson, here in LA, um, in St
Louis.
Right, we have with BreonnaTaylor and Mike Brown and others
(53:33):
, uh, with Kenan Anderson, right, that that policing does not
keep us any safer.
In fact, black and Brown bodiesare dying disproportionately
because of the police and theways in which we are constructed
as criminal a priori, likebefore any data, any experience
and so forth.
So you're absolutely right.
(53:54):
And what does it look like toreimagine community-led
approaches to community safetyor to public safety?
And that is, ensuring that thepolice aren't the first
responders to a medical crisisor to a health crisis, but that
medical professionals are.
And there are cities who aremoving toward that direction.
(54:18):
But we could see that policingdoesn't make us safer.
So, yes, absolutely, we want toend policing, and certainly at
traffic stops.
So I want to go back to circle,back to the question.
Ashley, perhaps you could sharewith us or start us off in how
we're thinking about the ways inwhich Crenshaw Dairy Mart is
(54:38):
training the next generation ofabolitionists.
Speaker 2 (54:41):
Yes, thank you so much for bearing with me.
So we are so honored andexcited that we can offer our
fellowship program, which againis the Crenshaw Dairy Mart
Fellowship for Abolition and theAdvancement of the Creative
Economy, and that fellowship isintended specifically for Black
(55:03):
Inglewood-based artists.
One thing that we haven'tmentioned yet but feels
incredibly important to mentionis that, as we are guests in the
city of Inglewood, it feelsreally important that we are
constantly contributing to theeconomy in Inglewood, and
specifically the creativeeconomy.
So what that looks like for usis, if we have an event in our
(55:23):
space, we're generally hiring anInglewood-based event planner
or using Inglewood-based vendors, right, and so you know, having
Inglewood-based landscaperslike anytime that we can
contribute to the local economy,we do, and this fellowship is
just a very important way for usto give back to artists that
(55:43):
are from Inglewood.
And so this fellowship wasreally it was kind of birthed
out of a MFA program thatPatrice started at Prescott
College a couple years ago, inwhich all of our co-founders and
studio mates were faculty andthen realized that we could be
utilizing that same curriculumand approach in our Crenshaw
(56:05):
Dairy Mart space and tying iteven closer to abolition.
And what does it look like,right to train the next
iteration of abolitionists andartists?
And what's really important forus is what we are providing to
our fellows.
So we provide $100,000unrestricted funds, we provide
health insurance, we've provideda chance for them to work with
(56:25):
local youth in an apprenticeshipformat and we really want to
have them think about andprototype, like what is the
abolitionist imagination?
You know, what kind of artworkcan we be making in this context
?
What kind of artwork are wemaking if all of our needs are
met right?
It's really difficult for Blackartists specifically to access
(56:46):
some of these larger fellowshipprograms, right?
Or to receive differentopportunities to make art
without having to constantlythink about where their next
rent payment's going to comefrom or how to, you know,
financially be well-resourced ina way to make art.
So you know we want to be ableto provide these opportunities
and, you know, also bringing injoy too, right.
(57:07):
Like what does it look like tomake Black art in a space of joy
?
And you know you haven't beento the Dairy Mart yet yet, but
you will and it is an extremelyjoyous place.
Like joy is something that isreally important.
Speaker 1 (57:17):
I try so hard to get there for the north star, oh
well, we'll set up time.
So hard to get there for thenorth star exhibit, yeah well
we'll get you there and you'll,and you'll just see.
Speaker 2 (57:28):
You know it's a really magical physical space
and you know we want to knowwhat kind of art is the result
of that.
So that's really important tous.
And you know the folks that arein this inaugural cohort are
all artists that have beenreally instrumental to the
growth of Crenshaw Dairy Mart.
Noe mentioned Oto already.
(57:49):
Oto Abazi-Attah created theSaint Nip mural that we have
dedicated to Nipsey Hussle,which is what most people have
seen of the Crenshaw Dairy Mart.
Oto was the first artist,inglewood-based artist, to come
into the space and bless thespace with the co-founders.
Juice Wood is a fellow who,juice, was one of the organizers
(58:09):
for the Inglewood CommunityFridge and really has that
amazing kind of mutual aidapproach to the artwork that
Juice makes and that felt reallyimportant to invest in.
And Autumn Breon-Williams, whois a local curator, artist,
former NASA engineer, going backto space, right.
But you know also anotherInglewood-based artist that
(58:30):
again blessed the space, youknow, before we even opened to
the public, and so you know thisis something that we intend to
offer every other year.
I get biannual and biennialconfused.
So every other year we'll beoffering this Englewood-based
artist and you know it's achance for them to connect with
our co-founders.
(58:50):
You know they have a lot ofreadings around abolition.
They sit in a lot of differentcurriculum with different art
instructors, but we also bringin folks that teach them about
taxes as an artist.
They'll meet with an art lawyer.
You know like we really want tomake sure that they are
well-rounded as an artist butalso able to go out in the world
and proudly say like I'm anabolitionist and my art is an
(59:11):
abolitionist aesthetic, and thisis how this intersects.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (59:28):
That sounds amazing.
It sounds incredible and I'mimpressed that you all are able
to find the funding to supportthese ideas, so that you're not
functioning from a scarcitymodel right but you're able to
ideate and thrive and empowerothers, which is amazing.
We're doing something similarat Abolition Sanctuary.
We have our STAR fellows, whoare summer fellows, who are
student-trained ambassador,abolitionist research interns,
(59:52):
star S-T-A-A-R research interns,star S-T-A-A-R, and we hosted
three interns this past summerin the areas of media, public
policy and law.
One student was an incoming lawstudent at USC, and our
organization focuses on thecriminalization of impoverished
Black motherhood, and so they doresearch projects around poor
(01:00:14):
Black mothers from those threedifferent lens, and then they
produced a community assetmapping resource book for the
city of Los Angeles and SouthernCalifornia.
So we're doing somethingsimilar there.
And then we also we're creatingthis technology that I'll share
more with you about, and I thinkit would be great if Crenshaw
(01:00:36):
Dairy Mart was affiliates, andit's a way to.
It's a coalition tool where youcan do e-commerce.
So if artists want to selltheir art from this site, if you
want it to put together a book,you can publish it on Amazon
and get proceeds from it.
So it's kind of a coalitionbuilding mutual aid technology
(01:01:00):
that invites everyone on to.
They can take trainings, theycan learn, they can sell, they
can connect with other people byaffinity.
So there could be a groupcalled Art and Abolition where
other people, like-minded people, connect, similar to the way
Facebook functions.
But we're really excited aboutthat and that will launch in
(01:01:22):
June, so we'll tell you moreabout it.
So, as we are concluding thiswonderful interview, wondering
if you can tell me you mentionedart as joy.
What brings you joy?
What are some of the thingsthat you do to find joy amidst
the trauma-induced aspects ofinterlocking systems of
(01:01:46):
oppression in prisons andpolicing?
What brings you joy?
And I think that that should beeasy because you've said so
much already.
So if it was one word, whatwould it be?
Speaker 3 (01:02:05):
I can start, yeah.
If it's one word it would bethe sun.
Speaker 4 (01:02:15):
Yeah, I'm with you, ale I'm just thinking nature,
nature Ashley communitycommunity.
Speaker 1 (01:02:27):
Alright, now, this next, this next segment is rapid
questions.
So you told us about joy, butwhat comes to mind when I say
these words, what thoughts doyou have?
Ideasas, feelings, images andhope.
So we, we had joy.
The other is art and resistance.
So one word will start withAshley will go in no way, and
then Ali, art and resistance.
Speaker 4 (01:02:49):
Cactus.
Speaker 1 (01:02:53):
Cactus Graffiti, graffiti, sculptures.
Cactus, graffiti, graffiti,sculptures, sculptures.
All right, how about abolitionapril?
What comes to mind?
Celebration?
Speaker 2 (01:03:10):
hugs, hugs hugs community.
Speaker 1 (01:03:18):
What comes to mind?
Speaker 3 (01:03:20):
fruitfulness hugs, hugs, dancing dancing.
Speaker 1 (01:03:29):
And the final word abolitionist futures free.
Lots of celebration.
Abolitionist futures free.
Lots of celebration, lots ofcelebration yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:03:44):
I see stars stars.
Speaker 1 (01:03:50):
And this final question please tell us what's
next for Crenshaw Dairy Mart andhow can we support you all?
Speaker 2 (01:03:57):
Yes.
So what's next for CrenshawDairy Mart?
We are we're fully fledged inthis fellowship right now.
The three fellows will behaving exhibitions in August and
September of this year, sothat'll be a chance for the
community to come through andsee what they're working on.
We should have additionalpublic programming around that
(01:04:21):
same time in August andSeptember.
Right now, Noe and Patrice havea show at the Charlie James
Gallery in Chinatown calledFreedom Portals.
We would love for folks to gothrough and support our
co-founders.
It is on view until April 15th.
This Sunday, April 8th, theywill be doing a walkthrough and
(01:04:42):
a talk and, yeah, you can findus on Instagram at Crenshaw
Dairy Mart Support looks liketelling folks about us, looks
like coming to visit.
Looks like donating to us so wecan keep investing in our
communities.
Speaker 1 (01:04:58):
Yeah Well, thank you so much.
I appreciate each of you Ashley, the executive director, la,
the programs and operationsspecialist, and Noe, one of the
co-founders for joining us.
We are excited to have CrenshawDairy Mart to celebrate
(01:05:20):
Abolition April with us, andespecially during this week of
Art and Resistance.
We wish you all the best and ifthere's anything that Abolition
Sanctuary can do to support you, please count us in.
Thank you so much, thank you Dr.
Natia.
Speaker 3 (01:05:33):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (01:05:34):
Thank you, dr McKeer.
Abolition is my religion.
Before we conclude this episode, let me affirm what we believe.
We believe in a God of theoppressed.
We believe that Black womenshare divinity with God Hagar,
harriet, sojourner, carol andcountless others who make a way
(01:05:55):
out of no way.
We believe in Black women asworthy, a source of salvation
and whose moral agency to make away out of no way demonstrates
the cardinal virtues ofcompassion, care, creativity,
courage and community over andagainst condemnation and
criminality.
We believe in a brownPalestinian Jew, the black
(01:06:18):
Messiah Jesus, who was profiled,policed and persecuted by the
state on trumped-up charges.
We believe that Jesus died acriminal but did not wake up one
.
He transcended criminality onthe cross, but no one ever needs
to die for us to be saved.
We believe in spirit asadvocate who draws the least of
(01:06:38):
these femme, women, men, girls,boys and gender non-conforming
people together in a belovedcommunity.
We believe in a resurrectionhope that calls us into right
relationship and to restore thehuman dignity of individuals who
are criminalized, caged andcast out.
We affirm discipleship as acall to advance a faith-based
(01:07:00):
abolitionist movement, to createspiritual, legal and economic
sanctuaries, to transform socialstructures where the last
become first and the captivesare set free.
We are abolitionist sanctuariesleading a coalition to repair,
restore and rebuild a more justand equitable society of
(01:07:25):
communal thriving.
Thank you.
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