Tell us more about Garden of Vitality. What inspired you to create this project?                            

 

I wanted to showcase the depth, beauty, and expertise of Black and LGBTQ+ people who have been impacted by the various systems. Growing up, I can’t remember ever being introduced to Black and LGBTQ people in a positive way, especially not anyone in care. Vitality is defined as one’s capacity to live, grow, and develop. We each have to find a way to practice this for ourselves.I intend to create a place for people to learn from and engage with Black and LGBTQ+ people. I hope that each entry in the garden offers inspiration to someone in need. 

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What other projects are you working on right now? How do they relate to the Garden?             

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Garden of Vitality will be an on-going project. My personal goal is to add 100 entries from Black and LGBTQ+ people before the end of 2021! This year I will be focusing on photography, creative writing, and creating content for Unplaceable the podcast launching Fall 2021. 

 

How did you come to know the people you’ve included in the Garden?                                                 

 

I met most of these amazing people through advocacy, internships on capitol hill, foster youth shadow day at the white house, presenting at national conferences, serving on national advisory board, and so on. There are people in the gallery whom I have not had the pleasure of working with or meeting beyond the virtual space. We have been in similar circles and I have always admired how they show up authentically, in all their power.

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You’ve asked each person in the Garden what makes them powerful. What makes you power                                                                                                                                                                                          

 

My voice, my creativity, my capacity to love, and my Black joy are what make me powerful.

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You’ve also asked each person in the Garden to offer a message for current, former, and future Black and LGBTQ+ young people impacted by the family regulation system. What’s your message?                                                                                                                                                                      

 

You are abundant, you deserve to love and be loved unconditionally, and never give up on things that matter to you. Sometimes it easy to feel alone, especially growing up Black and LGBTQ+ within more rural communities. Please know that there are so many people rooting for you, ready to show up for you and demand the affirmations and opportunities you deserve. Being authentic and true to who you are is an act of liberation. 

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What do you wish people knew about the family regulation system as it currently exists?      

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There is a lack of accountability when harm occurs and this has a lasting impact on young people. The system can be very violent especially toward Black openly queer and trans people. Often times young people aren’t getting the supports they need because of personal bias from their supportive adults. The system as it currently exists is not fit to raise, nurture, and protect Black queer and trans communities. This system funnels Black and LGBTQ+  children back into poverty, into prisons, into sex trafficking, into homelessness yet so many people fail to acknowledge their role in these pipelines. 

 

There is a lack of urgency to improve the outcomes of Black and LGBTQ+ youth and I believe that stems from the white supremacy deeply embedded within policies and practices of the family regulation system. 

 

Young people and their families should be given more opportunities to share how this unjust system has impacted their life. We must acknowledge the hard truth of these realities, we can no longer shy away from the conversation because it’s uncomfortable or makes you individually feel bad. Imagine how it feels to experience  the racism, the discrimination and violence and then have your feelings minimized, weaponized, or ignored. 

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What is your vision of abolition as it relates to family regulation?                                                          

 

My vision is that young people will receive the supports they need to thrive physically, mentally, spiritually, and economically, with no conditions attached. Instead of removal families and young people can be offered services from community that will focus on strengthening relationships with the family of origin. 

 

Young people will be engaged authentically, they are provided education about their identity and  on how to maintain their emotional health. Supportive adults actively seek out new opportunities that center their passions, goals, and connect them to community and culture. 

 

Success for young all young people does not look the same. College isn't an option for everyone. My vision is that we will do more to educate folx on opportunities that exist rather than subjecting them to another traumatizing institution. 

 

My vision is that this system will cease to exist, the money used to fund these pipelines to oppression will be rerouted to community resources supporting the health and well being of all young people and their families.

 

This Q&A was completed in advance of the Columbia Center for Contemporary Critical Thought's 2021 event, Abolition Democracy 10/13: Abolish Family Policing. 

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