The EDC: Black Spirituality and Networking in a PPS State

New Black Ethnographies

The EDC: Black Spirituality and Networking in a PPS State Georgia-Rae Lyken

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Introduction It is the year 2068, pollution on Earth is rising to dangerous levels. The effects of human production and climate change have taken a toll on the Earth, and its preservation is a matter of urgency for life on the planet. The state of Japan developed and implemented a system to help curb their pollution rates, and many countries followed suit. A panoptic system was put in place that enforced strict environmentally conscious laws on the country through a thorough surveillance system which awards people points for exceeding their waste limits for the month, their overuse of electricity/gas, the use of fossil fuels or improper waste disposal.

Points are accumulated quickly and can be very difficult to lose. Unsatisfactory point amounts can result in pricey fines, temporary or sometimes permanent loss of rights, or worse, sentencing to work in waste disposal plants. The Japanese government ran a year long test of this system in 2042, which resulted in record breaking lows of pollution and waste across the board. After Japan’s success with the system, a number of countries followed suit and adopted this system as well.

The U.S. government began implementing this system in 2049, and the results were amazing. But after the first 10 years, the pollution levels began to plateau, causing an intense pressure to be placed on its citizens to produce results.

The pollution problem, the environmental repercussions, and the consequential involvement of the government has resulted in tensions and controversy amongst many Americans. Such tensions have given rise to religious and political groups that promote ideals rooted in bigotry and oppression. Despite

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the rise of such bigoted religious groups there is also a positive shift in religious/spiritual organization. Many queer BIPOC have turned to their roots, creating contemporary/hybrid spiritualities that combine witchcraft, contemporary identity, and environmentalism. Using and returning to ideas of harnessing power through the earth and nature, and also returning energy back. These spiritual ideologies and beliefs are rooted in paganism, yoruba, new age spiritualism, and brujeria. Their churches/places of worship are often welcoming and diverse. The groups take initiatives to do environmental service, and often stem into collectives that represent poor poc families in court regarding PPS violations. These ‘churches’ or even collectives have spanned into a broad decentralized network that operates much like the Black Lives Matter movement. Many people theorize that the collectives have spawned from the BLM movement and the web like network draws inspiration from the hashtag. I propose to shadow and observe the Diasporic Environmentalist Collective (DEC as it is commonly referred to), based in Brooklyn. I hope to use my observations to understand and present the interconnectivity of these collectives, the far reaching capabilities of these groups, and the effects that they have on their communities and members.

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PPS Waste Technology With the development of the PPS, many new technologies have emerged. One of the biggest developments of this period was the creation of technological means for measuring and tracking waste. During the beginning of the 21st century many waste disposal tools already existed, however the development of the WPO and PPS helped drive those technological advancements further.

In 2052 the Uni Disposal became widely accessible; it is more commonly referred to as a UD. It is a waste receptacle that sorts, records and recycles waste.

By law every home is required to have one, and it must be registered under the name of the household head. Every annual period, the data from these trash receptacle is collected and used to determine tax breaks, points accrued if it applies, or fines that may need to be charged to each respective household. When analyzing this data family size, needs, and projected waste is considered in determining the outcome.consequences of how much waste is produced by the family. More expensive models of the Uni Disposal have quicker processing rates, and more features./capabilities in regards to recycling programs.

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Specs: -

Three compartments: 1. Recyclable Waste (Plastic, Glass, Aluminum) 2.

Compostable Waste (food paper, etc) 3. Non recyclable Waste

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Measures, and weighs waste based on category

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Newer models include a 3D printer that can reproduce new products based on the discretion of the owner using recycled waste.

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A customizable alert system that warns users of when they are close to their waste quotas

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All are enabled with a wireless/bluetooth connection in order to connect to government databases more quickly. However many apps and assistive technologies have been created to help people track their waste and cut down on waste in general.

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Consequence of Climate Change in NYC In the year 2068, much has changed in regards to the ecosystem of North America. Many people living on both the west and east coast have suffered at the hands of natural disasters and environmental shifts. From destructive fires and droughts in California, to floods and storms in Florida, the country as a whole is dealing with major shifts and tragedies.

For New York City specifically, flooding has been an issue. The melting of the arctic ice caps has lead to flooding issues for the coastal city, which has severely impaired the city’s infrastructure. Certain parts of Brooklyn and Queens are underwater, while the further above ground boroughs remain safe. Much of the city’s subway system has been flooded, and transportation to certain areas has become difficult in the city. However many black and brown residents have monopolized on the loss of transportation by creating their own forms of transport.

Much like the dollar vans of Flatbush in Brooklyn, dollar boats were created to help get residences in water-locked neighborhoods to their destinations. For 3 dollars the boats will take you from the eastern ocean facing coast of queens to the edge of brooklyn then to what was the lower east side of Manhattan. The boats depending on size can usually carry around 8 to 15 passengers. These dollar boats have been vital in the maintenance of the city and its rhythm, and thus city officials turn a blind eye to the useful means of transport. They were first created after a major hurricane (Hurricane Matthew) flooded many water level parts of brooklyn and queens, much like hurricane Sandy back in the 2010’s. The boats served as a

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means for rescuing people and getting first responders to the flooded areas.

Regulations and propositions for boat docks, and waterways within in the city are being discussed as it seems the new form of city transport is not going away anytime soon. As water levels remained the same after Hurricane Matthew, the dollar boats remained, and are now a necessary part of the machine that is NYC.

First Impressions Field Notes

June 6th, 2068

[DEC HQ. Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn, New York]

As I walk up to the front of the brownstone that houses the DEC’s operations, the very block it sit ons tells me a lot already. The Brooklyn street its on is busy and lively. People sit and talk in chairs outside with music blasting loudly from adjacent speakers. Older BIPOC people sit in the chairs and are surrounded by younger brown bodies that are standing and mingling with one another. The socializing is only paused when a younger person will ask the older people if they need a drink or plate refreshed. Children play on the street in front of the building as the only traffic on these roads are easy to spot sanitation trucks or the occasional first

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responder vehicle. As I approach and near closer to the center of the commotion, the smell of multiple distinctive cuisines blends together and wafts around my face.

I walk through the waist high metal gate, and I am greeted by the people sitting outside the building. After brief but friendly introductions I am directed to a door at the bottom of a small staircase. The door is propped open, and as I enter the smell of food becomes stronger. A steep wooden staircase sits before me and leads up to a second floor. I am then approached by someone who introduces themselves as Arjana, and asks for my pronouns after sharing their own. Arjana is dressed in a two piece blue linen set. The pants and top are flowy and appear to be light an airy- appropriate for the NYC summer heat. Her hair is completely shaved down to a light stubble, and her neck, fingers, and ears are adorned with jewelry composed of wrapped crystals and shells. She sported a septum piercing and a series of small studs dot the curves of her ears. Arjana is currently one of the head organizers in the DEC and a queer black woman. She has agreed to be my liason in my observations and study of the EDC. After gently requesting that I remove my shoes by the door, she beckons me into the open living space. Arjana proceeds to excuse herself briefly, and headed up the staircase I saw upon entry. I take this moment to observe the space and its contents.

On one side of the room is a long wooden table, and on top sits a buffet of dishes hailing from a multitude of countries. Upon further inspection none of the food contains meat and is purported as vegan by a little sign in front of the table.

On the other side of the room is a set of what appears to be plush and worn

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furniture. Two love seats and a couch circle each other, on top of colorful rugs.

Behind the furniture is a line of bookshelves that span almost the entirety of the wall. The bookshelves contain what seems to be a unending collection of works on environmentalism, technology, race, gender, sociology, activism, crystals, yoruba, gardening, cooking, and more. Where the bookshelves are not covering the wall works of art are displayed on the brick surface. As I observe the nook of sorts Arjana returns with a copper bowl in hand, and asks if I am comfortable being saged before she shows me the rest of their HQ. I agree, and she retrieves a smudge stick from the bowl. After lighting the sage with a lighter from her pocket she faces me and closes her eyes with breathing in deeply. Arjana then proceeds to trace my silhouette with the smudge stick, trailing the thick fragrant smoke along the edges of my body. I hear her mutter positive affirmations under her breath as she covers me with smoke back to front. Once she finishes saging me, she places the sage in a bowl on what appears to be small altar allowing the smudge stick to quietly extinguish itself.

Arjana then leads me deeper into the building, and up a staircase at the back of the common area. As we head up the first flight of stairs Arjana begins to explain the arrangement of the 3 story brownstone, “On the second floor here, we have mostly office and learning spaces. This first room here is a meditation room. We use this space to host a plethora of spiritual healing activities. We conduct yoga classes, guided group meditations, healing circles, and whatever other classes members request to teach/host.” She flicks on the light and holds open the door

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for me to peer inside. The room has two large windows on one end looking down onto the back garden. The wooden floor is covered by a large colorful carpet, and a black board.

“So is anyone allowed to conduct and attend classes in this space? Are the classes free?” I ask.

“Yes almost everything we offer here is open to anyone who wishes to attend. The classes we host are donation based, so the policy is to give what you can. It seems like an iffy operation, but somehow we always make ends meet. Of course we have some major contributors who help with a large chunk of our expenses.”

She then shows me the rest of the second floor. There is an open office space that has environmentalism posters, and three desks with computers and an assortment of papers strewn across the surfaces. At one of the desks sits Devon, another organizer of DEC. I ask him what he is doing, and he tells me he is working on a case for a family and trying to bring down their PPS fines. As we leave the second floor and head back downstairs I notice a second staircase leading up to a third floor. I make another note to ask Arjana about this floor later.

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We head back downstairs and pass the cozy common area we began in and entered a connected dining area and kitchen. The dining room table is covered in a white lacy table cloth and atop sits a variety of dried herbs, oils, crystals, and a large white marble mortar.

I ask Arjana about the table, and she explains that when it isn’t being used for their nightly group dinners, the table is where they hold small weekly classes on

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holistic healing. She goes on to say that the classes are especially beneficial to those who would rather avoid pharmaceutical solutions or expensive trips to the doctor for minor ailments. Once we finished discussing the table and classes, she points to a door on a wall to the right of the kitchen and says its the bathroom if I need to use it. As we leave the kitchen I notice a UD unplugged in the corner of the kitchen.

I make a note to ask Arjana about her opinions on this technology during our interview. We head further back into the building through a small hallway, to the left is a at the end of the hallway is a door leading down to the basement, and at the very end is a screen door that leads to a garden in the back. We head out into the garden, and take a seat at an outdoor table. The garden is abundant in plant life, featuring herbs, vegetables, a strawberry bush, and more. Clothes hang from lines in rows, billowing in the gentle summer breeze. After getting comfortable and setting up my recorder and computer, we begin our interview.

I​ nterview INTERVIEWER​: Hi Arjana, thank you for sitting down with me. The first thing I’d like to ask you is what does DEC mean to you?

ARJANA​: Of course! I’m happy to create a clear understanding of what our organization is. MAny people have misconceptions about what happens here, they believe we are a cult that dabbles in the occult. [ARJANA Laughs] Bars! But no- seriously, if we are a cult then I have no problem declaring myself a member. To me

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DEC is responsibility and accountability for oneself and in turn those around them.

We try to create a space here in which brown and black bodies can feel safe, spiritually, emotionally and physically. Our goal is to empower people as much as we can and hope that that empowerment trickles down through them to their families, friends, coworkers, communities, cities, states, and countries. The idea is to save the world, but to start with yourself first.

INTERVIEWER​: Right. So what are some ways specifically that DEC works towards that goal of trickle down empowerment?

ARJANA​: It’s hard to answer that concisely just because I feel we do so much. I think the better question would be what d ​ on’t​ we do? DEC does it’s best to be a positive resource for our community. We hold classes and workshops on a variety of useful topics including spiritualism, meditation, community organization, environmentalism, activism, feminism, queer theory, even knitting [ARJANA laughs].

We have members come into to teach on their free time from all walks of life.

Scientists, teachers, lawyers, healers. We connect people with legal representation for matters of injustice or PPS court battles. We hold fundraisers and auctions for local schools. We provide housing for displaced people on the third floor here. We do nightly dinners that are open to those who sign up at the beginning of the week- no payment required.

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INTERVIEWER​: While this all sounds amazing- I am curious as to how DEC is able to afford to provide all of these resources.

ARJANA​: The emphasis on network and community means that most of the resources we provide are provided by the DEC community and for the DEC community. There’s very little difference between our beneficiaries and our organizers. We all gain in this space.Crowdfunding is one of our major sources of money, but volunteers, and some major contributors we have are vital to our operation. We’re like real time NPR. Privatizing our source of money defeats the purpose of our collective and the for the people by the people vibe we want to have. We have our difficult periods financially, but we’re still here.

INTERVIEWER​: How long has DEC been in effect? What is your connection to this organization?

ARJANA​: DEC has been operating since the 2000’s technically, and I’ve been involved my whole life. This brownstone belonged to my grandmother. She was a constant advocate for community organization and service, and she made a point to make our home a welcoming space to host all kinds of connections and interactions. She wanted this to be a safe space for the community, and create a sense of family within our neighborhood. I grew up doing this kind of work, spiritually and physically. After the PPS was introduced to the U.S. and so many bigoted groups strengthened, my mother and I felt that the space my grandmother built needed to

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be as organized and involved as those hate groups. So technically the DEC has been officially operating for the last 11 years.

Spirituality and Environmentalism In spiritual practices like Yoruba, Brujeria, and Paganism, a connection to the Earth and nature is vital. Within DEC a major emphasis is placed upon that connection and is integrated into much of the work they do. They encourage mindfulness and educated spirituality. By cultivating a sense of being deserving in those who use the organization, they promote an idea of sustainability that is integrated into personal well being. They believe that regardless of faith, a good mentality is one that views the world as one’s own to love, care for, and improve. The concepts of the individual drawing power from the whole works hand in hand with a perspective of environmentalism and sustainable practices.

Community Work and Activism Even more so than the push for spiritual awareness, DEC places community work at the top of it’s priorities and message. Above all the organization is rooted in servicing the community they occupy and providing tools for others to do the same within their own.

After school classes, housing for the displaced, legal representation and education, and community service are just a few ways DEC contributes to its surroundings. They organized bringing a monthly farmers market to the neighborhood, they offer gardening workshops, and classes on tricks for sustainability and cutting down on waste without cutting down on one’s quality of life. The group advocates for the planting of more trees and the creations of more community gardens and parks in underserved neighborhoods. Most notably though is their role in contributing to multiple movements and fights for justice within and without the black community.

Network

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DEC represents a small chapter in a diverse network of black collectives. These networks closely resemble historically black greek organizations, such as the AKA’s. Alpha Kappa Alpha, is a black female sorority with ideals and beliefs centered around personal excellence and community work. The network of such sororities is mirrored in contemporary black collectives such as DEC. An interconnectivity is encouraged, however the power system and hierarchy is much more decentralized and democratic. Influence is based on action and contribution, and even then such influence is regularly used towards the benefit of the whole. Another good comparison is the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

The hashtag and the movement it represents is headed by what appears to be a plethora of activists who mobilize and organize in the name of social justice. In fact much of the interconnectivity, methods, and ideas of DEC stem from the BLM movement. There is no head that one can cut off to defeat this beast. It isn’t found in the buildings that house these collectives, but instead in the beliefs and actions of those who share their common goals and beliefs. Small choices and people who represent a larger, hive minded beast.

Beneficiaries The groups that seem to benefit the most from this organization include black and brown working class families, at risk youth, immigrants, QBIPOC, and brown and black elderly people.

Take Away DEC represents a mentality and sense of community that should be supported in all spaces and spheres. The organizations ideals, and actions not only seem to enrich the communities but also enrich their members. The group, I believe, has effectively created not only a safe space, but a proactive one. It revolutionizes the trend of clicktivism and challenges it with a call to action and responsibility. Responsibility for one’s personally wellbeing and that of those around them.

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Bibliography Online Resources: Malbroux, Luna. “Why More Young Black People Are Trading in Church for African Spirituality.” ​Splinter News​. December 18th, 2017, https://splinternews.com/why-more-young-black-people-are-trading-in-church-for-a-18213 16608 Rich, Nathaniel. “Losing Earth: The DEcade We Almost Stopped Climate Change.” New York Times Magazine. August 1st, 2018. Web. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/08/01/magazine/climate-change-losing-earth.ht ml

Annotations: Masenya, Madipoane. “​A literary figure or patriarchal reality? Reflections on

The ‘ēšet hayil in light of depictions of womanhood from selected Yorùbá and Sotho proverbs.” V ​ erbum et Ecclesia 39(1), ​a1861. https://doi.org/10.4102/ve.v39i1.1861 This text discusses the perceptions of gender and gender roles through the context of Yoruba practices. The text speaks to how within the Yoruba practice views on gender are more contemporary than one may think. Women and the concept of femininity does not hold the same connotations that it does in judeo christian beliefs or in some oppressive cultural spheres. Women are seen as providers, and industrious organizers of the community.

Spencer, Jon Michael. “The Black Church and the Harlem Renaissance.” African American Review (AAR​), 2017 Winter; 50 (4): pp. 949-956.

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In this text the author reflects on the role of the Black church in the development of the Harlem Renaissance. They mention the way that despite a general narrative of the ‘new negro’ being atheist or lacking in spirituality, the strength of the black church in the community was persistent. The community service work of the church helped with the remnants of the Great Depression, and also unified and inspired. It served as a space of connection and support, which was highly beneficial to the black community as a whole during the cultural renaissance.

TInsley, Omise’eke Natasha. “Ezili’s Mirrors: Imagining Black Queer Genders.” ​Duke University Press​. London, 2018. Print.

In this literary work, the author discusses spiritualism and connections with perceptions of gender. Concepts I specifically used from this text include the concepts in Yoruba of women supporting communities. The text speaks to the gender roles within Yoruba and the resilience and power that is attributed to women.

Pickerill, Jenny. “Black and green: the future of Indigenous–environmentalist relations in Australia.” ​Environmental Politics​, 27:6, 1122-1145, DOI: 10.1080/09644016.2018.1466464 This text speaks about the tensions between environmentalists and indigenous peoples. It brings light to the tensions between these two groups and the reasons for them. Often times indigenous people are displaced to accommodate national parks and environmentalists projects. The piece reflects on the ethnography the author performed and discusses ways in which environmentalism and the preservation of indigenous spaces can coexist.

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