Sister Song: Site Visit #2
"I'm tired of surviving, I want to start thriving,"
That was just one of the beautiful quotes that was said around me during the Summit.
Yup, i'm back in Atlanta having my second site visit with Sister Song and the RJ movement, surrounded by beautiful, intelligent, motivated, black women and gender non conforming individuals.
Wednesday
Wednesday was the Southern RJ Roundtable. This gathering was of all of our souther RJ organizations that work closely with Sister Song. So in the Mother House we had representatives from: Sister Love, Sister Reach, Women With a Mission, Women Engaged, Feminist Center, etc.
During this full day meeting I was able to see how these Southern organizations work together and here updates on things they had accomplished within the past year. People also discussed the struggles they have been facing and the opposition they've been facing. A common thread amongst all of the activists was exhaustion. They all were tired and it was visible in their voices, posture, and expression.
This gathering gave me a better idea of how to best design the logo for #TrustBlackWomen. Showing the Sister Song team my designs I was able to get really good feedback in terms of look and feel of the logo. Below are my beginning sketches and wireframes.
Thursday
Thursday, thursday, thursday. This was a pretty exhausting day, mentally and emotionally. This convening happened at the Hyatt Regency hotel where RJ organizations from all over country came to attend this RJ Leadership Summit. Just to see more faces of color and different RJ organizations was very uplifting and eye opening in realizing that this is a MOVEMENT.
Being in this space only solidified for me the direction that this logo and website are going towards. A bold, unapologetic statement. That's what this logo will represent. This day I intentionally placed myself amongst conversation and discussion on topics on the national impact of RJ work within different spaces. Spaces meaning within the: political, economic, social, technological realms of life. Where / how do we see RJ in those spaces? I hoped that by hearing this discussion would provide me a sense of color and texture that best represents this work. Words produce colors, so I tried to gather those colors from the words of these motivated, passionate individuals.
Technically, I was able to talk with the wonderful Leah, Sister Song Staff, about how to create the website for #trustblackwomen and we came to an easy solution. Since their current Sister Song website was made through Squarespace, I can then use their account and platform to build out the TBW website.
Friday
Recap, reflection, and implementation. That's how the Friday session was spent. Putting our ideas, thoughts, and plans into action. I was relieved to witness a time and space for this, because Thursdays session was a lot mentally and I left it feeling as though no concrete decision was made. But luckily, they left that last part of this summit to begin the baby steps for various initiatives within the Movement.
Now as I sit here reflecting on the past couple of days, I don't know when i'll ever be in a space like that again. But I do know how blessed I am to have been within it. When you're part of a movement, and when I say a part I mean giving your life, time, energy to a movement, it's exhausting. These individuals within the RJ movement did not come to this work because of their resume, their life experiences is what brought them here. When you enter a line of work due to a personal connection with the work than you put that much more mental and emotional will power into it. I have the uttermost respect for these individuals within the RJ movement.