[Image: A flyer with the top of it saying "Whose Lives Matter?" Below that are five images of black women who suffered at the hands of state violence, from left to right they are Mya Hall, Aiyana Stanley- Jones, Tanisha Anderson, CeCe McDonald, and Rekia Boyd. Below that the words "BlackWomxnLivesMatter!" Below that on the left is a paragraph that says "Join us for a memorial to honor the lives of Mya Hall Rekia Boyd and other Black Queer/Trans/Womxn harmed by state violence. We'll share Poetry, Stories of Black Excellence and Resistance. Family Friendly & Wheelchair Accessible. Bus routes: 4,7,8,14,48" Across from that on the right is a paragraph that says "Thursday May 21st 6-8:30pm MLK Jr Memorial Park 2200 MLK Way S"]
Date: May 21, 2015
Time: 6:00pm
Loction: MLK Memorial Park
(2200 Martin Luther King Jr Way S, Seattle, WA 98144)
Facebook Event Page
Organized by: Black Womxn Matter Memorial Organizing Committee
Time: 6:00pm
Loction: MLK Memorial Park
(2200 Martin Luther King Jr Way S, Seattle, WA 98144)
Facebook Event Page
Organized by: Black Womxn Matter Memorial Organizing Committee
The following words are from the Black Womxn Matter Organizing Committee
In early May 2015, a group of cisgender and transgender Black womxn who live, work, play and struggle in Seattle decided to create an accessible space for mourning state violence and police brutality against our own. While it is our duty to fight for all Black lives, we envision a movement that prioritizes Black womxn and girls alongside Black men and boys. Our bodies are tired and our trauma is fresh; therefore, we propose convening a memorial honoring the lives of Black womxn impacted by and lost to state violence, an event free from competing with opportunistic white voices, harming our bodies and minds or risking arrest in the streets. Our #BlackWomxnMatter memorial is a part of a national day of action to end state violence against Black womxn and girls. We will lift up the names and stories of womxn erased by patriarchy and respectability politics like Mya Hall, a transgender sex worker killed by police in Baltimore just a few weeks before the murder of Freddie Gray. We will also express our solidarity with Black womxn survivors of state violence in our own backyard and beyond, such as Miyekko "Koko" Durden-Bosley, whose eye socket was broken by a Seattle police officer last year. We hope the memorial serves as a space for not only grieving, but also community-building so we can begin the crucial work of transforming and dismantling institutions that make Seattle unsafe and unwelcoming for all Black womxn. | Details: At the memorial, mourning and celebration will coincide in the form of stories, poetry, song and live music by Black womxn for Black womxn. Black men, non-Black POC and white allies may attend, but Black womxn will be centered in this space. Attendees are welcome to bring items for an altar dedicated to Black women’s lives lost to state violence. We are accepting donations to cover the costs of sound and materials -- please message us if you would like to contribute. Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, 2200 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S, Seattle, WA 98144 (between South Walker and South Bayview Streets) Bus routes: 4, 7, 8, 14, 48 Accessibility: The park is wheelchair accessible. Although it is an outdoor space, we ask that attendees limit scents as much as possible. Performers: Aimée-Josiane INGABIRE JusMoni Justin Rodriguez Infinity Thomas More to be announced |