#15 Vocal about embracing identity politics

We’re starting fresh into 2020 and in this newest episode, we’re all about embracing identity politics. As women of color and black women, our identities are political whether we want it or not. Still, when we’re taking advocacy for our lives in our own hands, „identity politics“ is weaponized against us. Why tho is actually nobody coming up with „the harm of identity politics“ when a rich, straight, white cis-head elite is doing politics in their interest and their interest alone? Who is that afraid of identity politics and why? How do some want to try and prevent us from taking matters into our own hands and play by our own rules? Where does this kind of thinking (really) come from? How have we overcome it and practice to unapologetically and loudly be ourselves? All this and more in our newest episode! On our journey on decolonizing our minds, we have come to the conclusion that we find it reductive to celebrate „women only“ as those binaries are rooted in colonial thought - and as of now, start to celebrate the non-binary. We start with celebrating the Nigerian- non-binary trans author Akwaeke Emezi, author of the highly acclaimed novel „Freshwater“ and their newest book, the YA novel „Pet“ that is dealing with a world where adults deny that monsters still exist - because they can’t see them it’s an intriguing lesson on how the evil might not always look like you might expect it to and how dangerous it is to forget that monsters can make themselves appear neutral. Get your hands on this book and follow @azemezi on Twitter. Read about her impressive journey here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/oct/20/akwaeke-emezi-interview-freshwater In the light of the recent assault of Cláudia Simões by the Portuguese police, in front of her 8-year-old daughter - we celebrate Black Portuguese Women who have been denouncing police brutality against black bodies and institutional racism for years and who always find the strength to speak up and show up, as well as the ones who survive institutional violence and have to live with the trauma. Appreciation shout out to: -Beatriz Gomes Dias- politician, professor and activist of Djass, association of people of African descent ( read about their work against racism in Portugal: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44965631) -Carla Fernandes from Afrolis. The portugese-speaking lovers can check out her work here: https://radioafrolis.com/sobre/ (for the German-speaking community, an article about Carla Fernanden amazing work: https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/das-afrikanische-lissabon-5-5-radio-fuer-mehr-afrika-in.795.de.html?dram:article_id=418751) -Ana Fernandes from Plataforma negra -Francisca Van Dunem - Ministry of justice - read and watch her story here: http://africaneuropeanarratives.eu/en/testimonies/conversation-with-francisca-van-dunen In this article, the violent assault against Cláudia Simões is described in detail. Trigger warning: assault/ violent racism/police brutality: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1219651207465250817.html