Who is R.E.S.I.S.T.?
R.E.S.I.S.T (Rebuilding Economic Sustainability In Solidarity Together) is an organization that brings housing, healing and resources to previously incarcerated Black Womxn.
About the Campaign:
“From the decades of abuse at the hands of the Carceral state, the quality of Black Womxn’s lives are reduced to the bare minimum. When we are thrown in cages that are not adequate enough for a dog, it not only dehumanizes, it also takes a huge toll on our mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being. Most don’t know how challenging it is to merely survive after a person has a felony on their record. Then add Black on top of that. Then add Womxn. I could add more descriptors, but I’ll stop there. To make matters worse, when we are released from these horrific conditions, we are dropped in the middle of nowhere. Left to end up in homeless shelters, after losing everything we own, and then treated as if we are threats rather than people who need help.
We warmly invite you to join the R.E.S.I.S.T. campaign, a vision led by formerly incarcerated Black womxn who include caregivers, sex workers, and mothers to hold, nurture, and heal themselves and our sisters in experience/struggle.
This campaign is centered on providing the resources, healing, tools and build a place where these words can thrive and live. In today’s world, there are a lot of social ills. For people who have been impacted by a lack of resources, care, access and community, it is often harder and inaccessible to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.
R.E.S.I.S.T. will be a place of pause and breath, nourishment and growth; wholly different than the cold and violent systems of a racist government so many of us have been trapped in.
We are raising support so we can do the careful work to ethically find and steward Indigenous land and build a green, sustainable nest to house our return to cooperation and community. We are done hoping for lucky and love is how we R.E.S.I.S.T.” - Lisa Carlton (R.E.S.I.S.T. Organizer)
How does this relate?
R.E.S.I.S.T. is a campaign that I feel strongly about and the message I hope to hold throughout the Twerkshop events.
As a white woman teaching Twerkshops, it’s important for me to recognize the original roots of the “Twerk” techniques ~ Mapouka dance from West African culture. As a white woman profiting from Twerkshops, it’s extra important to acknowledge the disparities between race when it comes to sexual expression through dance.
As you dance and connect to your body, heal trauma and breathe into your power ~ it ripples out to every single human that does not have access to freedom.
You’re not just showing up for you.
15% of all Sacred Twerkshops profits are donated to R.E.S.I.S.T. in an effort to bring wealth back to the BIPOC community.If you feel called to further support R.E.S.I.S.T. please donate to their campaign.