blooming community zine!

TheMSPAPoCC'sdigitalzineBloomingCommunityisacollection ofresourcesforstudentorganizersofcolortouseasthey decompressfromabusyschoolyear.

Itcentersreflection,rest,andvisioninginitscollectionoffilms, movies,andactivitiesforstudentstopartakeineitherindividually orasagroup.Weencouragereaderstosharethisresourcewith theirfriendsandcommunitiesandtothinkabouthowcare&rest mayserveasforcesofradicalcommunitybuilding.Weurgeyouto takeyourtimewiththisguide thumbthroughitinyourfree timeandturntoitwhenuneedagoodbookorasillymovie.And whenyou’reready,perhapspickupapenorapencilandanswer thefollowingquestion:Whatdorest&caremeantoyou?Lingerin youranswerforabit.

TheMichiganStudentPowerAlliancePeopleofColorCaucusisa hybridvirtual/in-personspacefororganizersofcoloracrossthestateof Michigan.Eachmonth,wefacilitategatheringsoncollective strategizing,visioning,healing,rest,collaboration,andknowledge sharingaspracticesofliberation.Ourguidingtextsandmaterialsaimto identifyinterlockingsystemsofoppression,prioritizerestorativework formarginalizedpeople,andsolidifypointsofunityamongnon-white peoplewithinawhitesupremacistsociety.Wearemindfulofthe disproportionatelaborplaceduponorganizersandstudentsofcolorin justicework,andarededicatedtocreatinganurturingspaceinwhich participantsmayconnect,rejuvenate,andbuildconsciousnesstogether.

WeareaRadicalBlackandBrown,QueerandTransAffirming,AntiColonialcollectiveofstudentsandyoungpeopleorganizedforPoCby PoC.Throughpracticesofrest,reflection,anddialogue,weare dedicatedtocreatinganaccessibleorganizingspacededicatedtothe cultivationofnon-hierarchicalfellowshipthatupliftsandempowersits participantstopartakeinradicalself-careandtransformation.We unabashedlyrejectsubscriptiontoanyandallformsofoppression, whetherconsciousorunconscious.Asaresult,wearecommittedto examiningandholdingoneanotheraccountableforinternalizedand intersectingoppressions.ThePoCCaucusprioritizesrestorativework formarginalizedpeoplebydevelopingaspacethatexplicitlyaimstobe life-givingratherthandrainingtothosewhoengagewithit,andasks organizersofcolorwhattheirneedsanddreamsarewithinandforthe space.ThePoCCaucusactivelyrespondstothecontinuouslyshifting needsanddreamsofitsparticipantsandtheorganizersofcolor,which inturnformthefunctionofthegroup.

LandAcknowledgement

Webeginthiszinebyacknowledgingtheoriginsofthestateinwhich organize,Michigan,asthetraditionalandcontemporaryhometo the AnishinaabepeopleoftheThreeFiresConfederacy—theOdawa (Ottawa),theOjibwe(Chippewa),andthePotawatomi(Bodewadmi)— andtheWyandotte(Wyandot).Wewouldliketoupliftthatthislandwas obtainedthroughunconscionablemeans.Thisharmwascreatedinlarge partbymajoreducationalinstitutionssuchastheUniversityofMichigan, MichiganStateUniversity,GrandValleyStateUniversityandmanyothers whocontinuetoperpetuateharmagainstIndigenouscommunitiesand createdalegacyofmockery,erasure,andviolenceagainstindigenous peopleandindigenouslandthatisstillongoingtoday.

If you are not in the state of Michigan,weencourageyou to look into the history of your Native community by scanningtheQRCode

Further,weinviteeachofyoutoconsideryourrelationshiptotheland currentlyresideonandyourunderstandingofthehistoryassociatedwith it.Werecognizethatlandacknowledgmentshaveoftenbeenco-optedand institutionalizedbymajoreducationalinstitutionsinplaceofa meaningfulpracticeofdecolonizationthatcentersIndigenousvoicesand theneedforlandback.Weaslthatyouconsiderhowthismaybe perpetuatedinyourownorganizingspacesandcontinuetakethetimeto reflectonthisasyoumoveforwardinyourwork.

Movies&TVshowsmadebyandfeaturingbyPoCcreativesandartists!

AnaspiringBlacklesbian filmmakerresearchesan obscure1940sblack actressbilledasthe WatermelonWoman.

Followingtheexploitsof fourIndigenous teenagersinrural Oklahomawhosteal,rob, andsaveinordertogetto theexotic,mysterious andfarawaylandof CaliforniainthisHulu series

Amerie,alongwithher newsfriendsQuinniand Darren,mustnavigate love,sexandheartbreak

atHartleyHigh;TVseries setinAustralia

Ashy,straight-AChineseAmericanstudenthelps theschooljockwooagirl whom,secretly,theyare bothcrushingon.They findthemselves connectingandlearn aboutthenatureoflove

Whenayoungartistis forcedtojoinherhigh schooltrackteam,she usesitasachancetoget closertohercrush But shefindsherselffalling forafriendand discoveringwhatreal lovefeelslike

Agroupofdedicated, passionateteachersare determinedtohelptheir studentssucceedinlifein aPhiladelphiapublic school

1 TheWatermelonWoman(1996)

2 TheHalfofIt(2020)

6 AbbotElementary(2021)

4 Crush(2022)

5 HeartbreakHigh(2022)

3 ReservationDogs(2021)

Recommendedbyourstaff,fellows,andalumni

"BeNotAfraidofLoveisastunningcollectionofinterconnectedessays andaffirmationsthatfollowMimiZhu’sjourneytowardembodyingand re-learningloveafteraviolentrelationship

Intheirearlytwenties,queerChinese-AustralianwriterandartistMimi Zhuwasasurvivorofintimate-partnerabuse Thisleftthembroken,in searchofwaystohealandfindloveagain Theyfoundthatinwords In sharingtheirownintimateencounterswithoppression,healing,joyand community,Mimiinvitesreadersallovertheworldtoreflectdeeplyon theirownexperiences,withtheintentionofactingasaguidetoundoing thehurtoruncertaintywithinthem "

"Ablazinglyoriginaldebutnoveltoldbyachorusofunforgettable voices,BrownGirlsillustratesacollectiveportraitofchildhood, adulthood,andbeyond,andisastrikingexplorationoffemale friendship,apowerfuldepictionofwomenofcolorattemptingtoforge theirplaceintheworldtoday Forevenastheconflictingdesiresof ambitionandloyalty,freedomandcommitment,adventureandstability riskdividingthem,itistooneanother andtoQueens thatthegirls ultimatelyreturn"

1 BeNotAfraidofLovewrittenbyMimiZhu

2 BrownGirlswrittenbyDaphnePalasiAndreades

Esquivel

Asumptuousfeastofanovel,LikeWaterforChocolaterelatesthebizarrehistory oftheall-femaleDeLaGarzafamily Tita,theyoungestdaughterofthehouse,has beenforbiddentomarry,condemnedbyMexicantraditiontolookafterher motheruntilshedies ButTitafallsinlovewithPedro,andheisseducedbythe magicalfoodshecooks.Indesperation,PedromarrieshersisterRosaurasothat hecanstayclosetoher,sothatTitaandPedroareforcedtocircleeachotherin unconsummatedpassion.Onlyafreakishchainoftragedies,badluck,andfate finallyreunitethemagainstalltheodds.

Seventeen-year-oldLilyHucan’trememberexactlywhenthequestiontookroot,but theanswerwasinfullbloomthemomentsheandKathleenMillerwalkedunderthe flashingneonsignofalesbianbarcalledtheTelegraphClub

Americain1954isnotasafeplacefortwogirlstofallinlove,especiallynotin Chinatown Red-Scareparanoiathreatenseveryone,includingChineseAmericanslike Lily Withdeportationloomingoverherfather despitehishard-woncitizenship Lily andKathriskeverythingtolettheirloveseethelightofday

""Theword'love'ismostoftendefinedasanoun,yetwewouldalllovebetterifweused itasaverb,"writesbellhooksasshecomesoutfightingandonfireinAllAboutLove Here,athermostprovocativeandintenselypersonal,renownedscholar,culturalcritic andfeministbellhooksoffersaproactivenewethicforasocietybereftwith lovelessness--notthelackofromance,butthelackofcare,compassion,andunity Peoplearedivided,shedeclares,bysociety'sfailuretoprovideamodelforlearningto love"

1 LikeWaterforChocolatewrittenbyLaura

2 LastNightattheTelegraphClubwrittenbyMalindaLo

2 AllAboutLovebybellhooks

Thisactivityisinspiredbyanexcerptfrom"Evidence"byAlexisPauline Gumbs,inOctavia'sBrood:ScienceFictionStoriesfromSocialJustice Movements,editedbyWalidahImarishiandadrennemareebrown(AK Press,2015), Readthroughtheexcerptbelow...

Afterreadingtheexcerpt,takesomet

Whatfeelingsdoestheexceprtevoke mindwander?

Findapenorpencilandasheetofpaper.Thisisanotejustforyou.

Itcanbeasformalormessyasyouwouldlike.Itcanbe handwritten,typed,ormaybeevendrawn.

Imagineyouarelivinginapost-capitalistsociety...Writealove lettertoyourself.ThiscanbefromthesameperspectiveasAlexis writingtotheirpastself oritcouldbefromtheperspectiveof thepresentlookingtowardsapost-capitalistfuture.

Whatistheworldyouwanttolivein?

Howcanwemaketheseemin

Whatisyourvisionforthefut

Writeavisionforyourself...

JournalingPrompts

Feelfreetoaddressasmuchoraslittleofeachprompt.Ifyou aren’tfeelinganyoftheprompts,thatisperfectlyokay!Do whatfeelsbestforyou.

did you begin this semester/late summer & fall? This could be in relationtoyourphysicallocationbutalsomentally,physically,and even emotionally. What are some instances in which you wish had done something differently? This can be as an organizer, a friend, etc. How have you reflected on these instances? Where have you seen yourself grow? What have been some of your proudest moments?Writesomeaffirmationsforyourcommunity.

Section 3: What are you currently putting your energy into? This could be in relation to academics, organizing, hobbies, or whatever comes to mind. What do you hope to invest more energy into?

Are/have there been any barriers or obstacles that have made it moredifficulttodosointhepast?Whatareyoulookingforwardto inthecomingyear?Writesomegoodwishesforyourcommunity.