Afro-Genderqueer at the Austin African American Book Festival Showcase

Here's the audio and transcript for Saturday's Austin African American Book Festival Showcase. I'm excited and, at least, less nervous than I was about tabling and talking about my books there. This is bigger than me, I have to remind myself. And there will be at least one other QTPOC writer and some 'allies' present. I won't be alone.

Here's the audio:
https://soundcloud.com/toi-s-1/aabookfestival2014audio

Transcript:

"Well, hello hello...

I'm Toi Scott, author of Notes from an Afro-Genderqueer 1 and 2 and Philosophactivism volume 1 and 2.

So, a little bit about the Afro-Genderqueer moniker...
Being black and queer are two defining identities that heavily influence my perspective. These identities affect how I move in this world. I struggle for visibility as Trans* and genderqueer or gender non-conforming in communities of color and as black in the LGBT/Queer community and as someone who is deeply spiritual and someone who connects with nature-based spirituality  and the spirituality of my ancestors. Essentially, every identity is the antithesis of who we've been socialized to believe should have value in this society.
I should not exist. People like me are not meant to survive. Using "Afro-Genderqueer" is my way of establishing visibility and asserting what I'm about. Who I am in these spaces and at the intersection of marginalized identities.

Though I write from a black, queer perspective- giving voice to those intersections- I also write across issues. Giving voice to common struggles like economic injustice, environmental injustice and racism, food injustice and apartheid, and the struggle to be heard and to be all of our identities- as Audre Lorde ( a black lesbian poet and author) wrote frequently about.

History is also very important in my work. In all my writings I focus on helping folks to see the history of our many struggles- the historical context. Especially institutional and structural racism and the way it affects many aspects of our lives from employment to access to food to clean air and water, healthcare and even our perceptions of Self and the many manifestations of internalized oppression (such as internalized racism, internalized sexism and internalized homophobia).

Solutions are extremely important. We can find a lot of what's wrong in this world- or with our communities in the media, online and in print. We don't need help determining our oppression or that we're oppressed- or what they call that 'foot on our neck', am I right?

We usually have an idea of who our oppressors are even if we don't understand the history (or have an analysis) behind why we're oppressed. Through my work I try not only to talk about the history of our oppression and why we are where we are now- but also to give people a sense of their power and help people to see that not only are we powerful inherently, but that there are ways to do something about the situation we're in.

Many times it starts with education and even skillsharing before action. Awareness and then organizing with folks who see a common problem. Hopefully, we're organizing toward the eradication of the actual root of that problem. We can pick leaves and branches all day long, but we have to get to the root of our crises. This is why organizing across issues is so important, though we may have different end goals- it's all about civil rights. Rights to access. Equity. The right to have our basic needs met. We all want to be happy and not suffer and struggle to survive. We all want to be heard and acknowledged and not just for our struggle.

Philosophactivism...
Being a philosophactivist is about looking at these issues, this oppression, with deep insight and then strategizing to do something about it- taking action.

The most important thing is this- I'm not the first to say any of this. I stand on the shoulders of many organizers and activists, foremothers, ancestors who didn't have these labels of 'organizer' and 'activist'. Ancestors who saw organizing, spirituality and art as one and the same. It's the same message- but just now embodied in this black, queer, anti-authoritarian...dapper...2014 package, if you will."

Putting Down the Master's Tools

It's been a minute since I've had time to actually put together the number of blog entries floating around in my head. I've been traveling off and on since October. I've kept one foot in Austin and the other in the southwest and west. It's been a tough winter in more ways than one but I feel like I've weathered the storm and have come out the other side if not unscathed, at least with a new found determination. Thanks to all the folks who have supported me in a myriad of ways these past few months and through 2013. Time to take 2014 by the horns.

In other news, your friendly, neighborhood afro-genderqueer has the honor of presenting/facilitating a workshop/skillshare at an LGBT confernce in Puerto Rico in March! It's titled, "Putting down the Master's Tools: Using your words,stories and Art to Queer Social Justice." I'll also be sitting on a panel on race, racialization and sexuality. 
*See more about University of Puerto Rico- Mayaguez's ¿Del otro la'o? Coloquio de sexualidades queerhere.

I actually just facilitated a workshop last weekend on Healing Ourselves from Internalized Oppression at allgo's annual retreat for QPOC organizers after going to a two week permaculture design training in Cali. 

What a year and we're only two months in.

I'm reaching out to folks since there's little to no funding for us presenters since it's a free conference.  I've got some writings and an online presentation to give you in exchange for your love offerings. 

The work I'm presenting is very important as it is designed to not only create dialogue but also to incite us to action toward ways that we can use our art and skills to heal ourselves and each other from both internal and external oppression (racism, homophobia,etc.)

Find out more about what I'm doing for the workshop on my gofundme page. I'm raising $500 to get to Puerto Rico here:
http://www.gofundme.com/Masterstools

If you can't contribute, please spread the word! 

New posts coming soon.

Toi

AGQ