Why You Need Joy in Times of Crisis | CC Dispatch #22

Welcome to Dispatch #22! In this issue, we want to share some important lessons from Black revolutionary leaders that are still relevant today. Let’s explore: what is Black August and how to participate, how to capture revolutionary joy in times of crisis, why we can’t handle big numbers, radical artists using quilts as their medium, and more! Let’s get into it.

Easy Actions to Take

Little (Movement) Wins

The Roots of Black August

Revealing History

Black August is an annual commemoration dedicated to Black political prisoners and freedom fighters in the United States and beyond. Black August originated in the California prison system in the 1970s to honor the deaths of Jonathan and George Jackson, two Black revolutionaries, who were murdered by the carceral system. While Black History Month tends to focus on achievements and progress, Black August is a time for remembrance and resistance, where the focus is on acknowledging the ongoing struggle for Black liberation and commemorating the leaders who have made it possible for us to survive and build in our present moment.

According to Doc Holiday, a fellow comrade to George Jackson, Black August “is the antithesis to “celebration” and empty “homage.” Black August attempts to place struggle and sacrifice on center stage. In this respect, Black August summons all progressive people who identify with the legacy of resistance to colonial oppression to actively participate in Black August.”

There are four tenants to observing Black August (for those who wish to):

1. A fast from sunrise to sunset and abstaining from all intoxicants in August
2. Limit media consumption to educational content only
3. Emphasize political and cultural studies, especially about African resistance
4. Wear a black armband on the left arm (inside or outside of clothing) in honor of those who have died in the liberation struggle

Scope insensitivity (also known as scope neglect) is a cognitive bias that states that our emotional responses are often not proportional to the scale of a problem. So the bigger a problem is doesn’t mean people will automatically care more. This is because our brains weren’t evolved to handle huge scales We’re pretty good at dealing with relatively small numbers, but it’s very difficult for humans to understand, or visualize, the difference between 1 million and 1 billion. That’s why it’s so difficult for many of us to truly grasp the vastness of space, the wealth of billionaires, or the tragedy in Palestine.

Psychologist Paul Slovic has conducted research on the phenomenon of mass numbing which is closely linked to scope insensitivity. Mass numbing occurs when individuals cannot properly conceptualize harms affecting a large number of people and give these harms less importance than the same harm occurring to one identifiable person.

We are in the midst of living through global crisis. There is genocide and famine in Palestine and Sudan. The far-right tightens its grip across the Western world. Youth are rising up across the Global South. And the climate crisis is quickly coming for us all. Feeling a bit of gloom and doom (and a whole lot of anger) right now is perfectly reasonable. In fact, it can sometimes feel wrong to feel anything else. We’ve certainly been there. Anger and grief can act as fuel that pushes us to take our first actions; it’s a fuel that burns hot and fast. But if we want to avoid burning out altogether, we have to have balance. We have to consciously choose joy.

This week we’d like to share the words of Le'Jai'La Troi, who powerfully writes about the role of joy in sustaining revolution and resistance. This is a lesson that indigenous and Black communities have taken to heart long ago, and one that we could always use a periodic reminder of. Joy is the yin to the yang of our fierce resistance. It is what allows us to imagine the future, reconnect with our selves and community, and refuel us to keep fighting. By consciously choosing joy and incorporating it into our daily practice, we can sustain our movement for the long term.

NOTE: Joy in a revolutionary context is not a solitary act. In an individualistic and consumerist society, the ideas of joy and self-care have been monetized and marketed back to us as products and services. Radical and revolutionary joy is a communal act that is fostered through relationships, small moments of gratitude, connection with nature, and more. Choosing joy doesn’t mean ignoring the problems of the world. It means refusing to let the horrors rob us of what makes life worth fighting for in the first place.

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation and that is an act of political warfare.”

–Audre Lorde

Artists Confronting Inequalities: Faith Ringgold

Faith Ringgold was an influential American artist, activist, and author best known for her narrative quilts which fused textile art, painting, and storytelling to bring Black history to life.

Born to a working-class fashion designer and storyteller and raised during the Harlem Renaissance, she was immersed in Black creative culture which shaped her lifelong commitment to social justice. Ringgold developed a multidisciplinary practice that explored themes of family, race, class, and gender. She first used paint to shine a light on racism in everyday life but evolved into narrative quilting in an effort to distance herself from Western European traditions and embrace her African-American heritage. Through her use of vibrant colors, patterns, and written word, she was able to more creatively and effectively share her stories with the world when publishers didn’t want to.

(Fun fact: quilting has radical roots as it was a popular way for women to send messages and record history in places where they were not allowed to participate in politics. Coded quilts were even used amongst slaves to communicate how to escape to freedom via the Underground Railroad)

In the 1970s, she protested major museums that excluded Black artists, demanding visibility in spaces that had long ignored them. Thanks to her advocacy, future generations of Black artists could get the recognition they deserved. She also authored and illustrated 17 children's books that approached complex issues of racism in straightforward and hopeful ways, continuing her mission of telling Black stories with depth and power. Through her life and work, Faith reminds us that adversity can often redirect us toward what is meant for us. We all have the power to find ways to share our lived experiences to inspire reflection, joy, and change in others as long as we use our skills creatively.

Learn More About Faith Ringgold

Resources & Tools

Please share these links with anyone that might find them helpful:

• ⛑ Don't Call the Police | A directory of local U.S. resources available as alternatives for calling the police or 911 when in a situation that requires de-escalation and/or intervention, and is best managed by a community-based crisis response provider. (Bookmark this if you live in or plan to visit the US!)
• 📓 How to Set Up a Neighborhood Lending Library | A helpful guide for anyone interested in setting up a community/neighborhood lending library. Originally created for residents in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but can be helpful to anyone!
• 🖥 Cryptpad | An open source office suite with end-to-end encryption that's a great alternative to Google's Office Suite.
• 📋 Palestine Support Masterlist | A helpful collection of resources for anyone looking for effective ways to support Palestinians and stay safe while doing so.
• 🖼 The Art of Activism Book | Buy it directly from the publisher O/R Books or on Bookshop. If you are unable to purchase, you can download the book for free on Anna’s Archive.
• 📱 StoryGraph | An Amazon-free alternative to Good Reads for tracking and discovering books with reading clubs, smart recommendations, content warnings, and much more.

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