TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES Transformative Spaces. As calls to return to normal abound, I am reminded that, under capitalism, the maintenance of “norms” is a fundamentally. “Together, we rise to deprive the monster of its simple story, and replace it with our own.”. Note: We encourage people to pair this content with hashtag #WeGrieveTogether and

whatever

ABOUT – TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES About. Unless otherwise indicated, all work featured on this site is generated by writer, social justice organizer and movement photographer Kelly Hayes. Kelly is a direct action trainer and a cofounder of The Chicago Light Brigade and the direct action collective Lifted Voices. ABOUT – TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES Mission Transformative Spaces is an abolitionist platform for frontline storytelling and movement-based analysis. Essays featured on TS also address issues of mental health, addiction and community safety. About the Author Unless otherwise indicated, all work featured on this site is generated by Kelly Hayes. Kelly is a queer Native writer, organizer and movement photographer. DEMANDS FROM GRASSROOTS ORGANIZERS CONCERNING COVID-19 Demands from Grassroots Organizers Concerning COVID-19. The Trump administration has botched its response to COVID-19. Due to incompetence and an unwillingness to acknowledge mistakes, the administration has worsened an already serious situation. COVID-19 is a deadly public health threat that must be taken seriously. THE MUTUAL AID MOURNING AND HEALING PROJECT The Mutual Aid Mourning and Healing Project is an effort to support people who are struggling with loss during this time of isolation. If you have lost a loved one during quarantine, and would like to hold an online service, we have clergy and other facilitators who are ready to

assist you.

LET THIS RADICALIZE YOU: A COVID MEMORIAL MIXTAPE Introduction by Kelly Hayes. This zine is composed of speeches that were contributed for “Let This Radicalize You: A COVID Memorial Mixtape,” an effort co-created by the Lifted Voices collective and artist Ric Wilson. As part of the National Week of Mourning for victims of the coronavirus, October 4-11, the Lifted Voices collective CHICAGO COVID-19 HARDSHIP AND HELP PAGE UPDATE: We have closed submissions to this fundraiser. For now, you can still choose a hardship and donate. We will be taking down the spreadsheet July 1, 2020. Many thanks to everyone who has donated. The Chicago COVID-19 Hardship and Help page was created by Chicago organizers Kelly Hayes and Delia Galindo to offer a ON ACTIVISM AND ORGANIZING: THERE IS A DISTINCTION Being an organizer usually means realizing that this work pays you back in the form of community, purpose and the hope of something better, and can often detract from everything else. It’s work that ought to be materially compensated, but most of the time, it is a calling, not a career. It ought to be praised and credited, but

usually isn’t.

HOW TO TALK ABOUT #NODAPL: A NATIVE PERSPECTIVE How To Talk About #NoDAPL: A Native Perspective. Water Protectors gather after a day of prayer and direct action. (Photo: Desiree Kane) This piece is very personal because, as an Indigenous woman, my analysis is very personal, as is the analysis that my friends on the frontlines have shared with me. We obviously can’t speak for

everyone

SATURDAY AFTERNOON THOUGHTS ON THE APOCALYPSE But as someone with a rich knowledge of history, Mariame knows that people have always needed joy amid struggle, and that human beings have always found ways to create moments of humor and happiness, even in the most terrible of circumstances. It is a human necessity. It is how we make struggle bearable. TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES Transformative Spaces. As calls to return to normal abound, I am reminded that, under capitalism, the maintenance of “norms” is a fundamentally. “Together, we rise to deprive the monster of its simple story, and replace it with our own.”. Note: We encourage people to pair this content with hashtag #WeGrieveTogether and

whatever

ABOUT – TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES About. Unless otherwise indicated, all work featured on this site is generated by writer, social justice organizer and movement photographer Kelly Hayes. Kelly is a direct action trainer and a cofounder of The Chicago Light Brigade and the direct action collective Lifted Voices. ABOUT – TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES Mission Transformative Spaces is an abolitionist platform for frontline storytelling and movement-based analysis. Essays featured on TS also address issues of mental health, addiction and community safety. About the Author Unless otherwise indicated, all work featured on this site is generated by Kelly Hayes. Kelly is a queer Native writer, organizer and movement photographer. DEMANDS FROM GRASSROOTS ORGANIZERS CONCERNING COVID-19 Demands from Grassroots Organizers Concerning COVID-19. The Trump administration has botched its response to COVID-19. Due to incompetence and an unwillingness to acknowledge mistakes, the administration has worsened an already serious situation. COVID-19 is a deadly public health threat that must be taken seriously. THE MUTUAL AID MOURNING AND HEALING PROJECT The Mutual Aid Mourning and Healing Project is an effort to support people who are struggling with loss during this time of isolation. If you have lost a loved one during quarantine, and would like to hold an online service, we have clergy and other facilitators who are ready to

assist you.

LET THIS RADICALIZE YOU: A COVID MEMORIAL MIXTAPE Introduction by Kelly Hayes. This zine is composed of speeches that were contributed for “Let This Radicalize You: A COVID Memorial Mixtape,” an effort co-created by the Lifted Voices collective and artist Ric Wilson. As part of the National Week of Mourning for victims of the coronavirus, October 4-11, the Lifted Voices collective CHICAGO COVID-19 HARDSHIP AND HELP PAGE UPDATE: We have closed submissions to this fundraiser. For now, you can still choose a hardship and donate. We will be taking down the spreadsheet July 1, 2020. Many thanks to everyone who has donated. The Chicago COVID-19 Hardship and Help page was created by Chicago organizers Kelly Hayes and Delia Galindo to offer a ON ACTIVISM AND ORGANIZING: THERE IS A DISTINCTION Being an organizer usually means realizing that this work pays you back in the form of community, purpose and the hope of something better, and can often detract from everything else. It’s work that ought to be materially compensated, but most of the time, it is a calling, not a career. It ought to be praised and credited, but

usually isn’t.

HOW TO TALK ABOUT #NODAPL: A NATIVE PERSPECTIVE How To Talk About #NoDAPL: A Native Perspective. Water Protectors gather after a day of prayer and direct action. (Photo: Desiree Kane) This piece is very personal because, as an Indigenous woman, my analysis is very personal, as is the analysis that my friends on the frontlines have shared with me. We obviously can’t speak for

everyone

SATURDAY AFTERNOON THOUGHTS ON THE APOCALYPSE But as someone with a rich knowledge of history, Mariame knows that people have always needed joy amid struggle, and that human beings have always found ways to create moments of humor and happiness, even in the most terrible of circumstances. It is a human necessity. It is how we make struggle bearable. ABOUT – TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES Unless otherwise indicated, all work featured on this site is generated by writer, social justice organizer and movement photographer Kelly Hayes. Kelly is a direct action trainer and a cofounder of The Chicago Light Brigade and the direct action collective Lifted Voices. She is also a contributing writer at Truthout. Kelly's photography is featured in the "Freedom HOW TO STOP MANSPLAINING AND WHITESPLAINING YOUR WAY Pretty much everyone living in the margins knows what it's like to have their oppression and lived experiences explained to them by people who have never lived in struggle. For women of color, like myself, "splaining" is just another annoying aspect of the uneven social terrain we’ve always had to navigate. But in social justice SATURDAY AFTERNOON THOUGHTS ON THE APOCALYPSE But as someone with a rich knowledge of history, Mariame knows that people have always needed joy amid struggle, and that human beings have always found ways to create moments of humor and happiness, even in the most terrible of circumstances. It is a human necessity. It is how we make struggle bearable. TRANSFORMATION, REPARATIONS, AND RADICAL EDUCATION Last weekend, We Charge Genocide and The Chicago Light Brigade hosted the first weekend-long training installment of The Radical Education Project. The idea behind the effort is simple: young activists should to be given the tools they need to be tactical educators in their communities. From screen printing to prop making and action planning,

a

DEAR GARRY MCCARTHY… Today, Chicago's top cop announced the commencement of his "listening tour" - a project inspired by events in Ferguson and Baltimore, that will involve McCarthy and his rank and file "asking what they are doing wrong, and what they can do better." The idea of Chicago's chronically abusive and largely inept police organizing an effort ON GETTING OUR SHIT TOGETHER: A LETTER TO THE LEFT So many people and groups have been disempowered by the clubhouse politics of leftist movement spaces. And liberals, you all are some of the worst movement critics of all. Harping about “purity politics” when yours is just another form of “purity.”. If yesterday didn’t teach you to stop busting out your critiques of antifa, BLM HOW CHICAGOANS CAN SUPPORT REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE RIGHT NOW The Illinois Choice Action Team (ICAT) is a committed group of volunteers who work for pro-choice candidates during election cycles, provide reproductive rights education, monitor state legislation related to reproductive rights, and provide escorts at various Illinois clinics that offer abortion care. You can support their work

here.

REMEMBER, GOP HEALTH CARE BILLS ARE LIKE ZOMBIES, THEY Atena Danner, the mother of a disabled child, speaks out against Trumpcare and performs live in Chicago. (Photo: Kelly Hayes) As the Senate’s “Better Care Reconciliation Act” finally came undone on Monday, another scheme to undermine health care access was hastily embraced by both Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump. ON SEX WORK & SURVIVAL: WHY WE MUST STAND WITH ALISHA Like all criminalized people, Alisha is more than a mugshot. (Photo: Sherri Chatman) This guest post from Support Ho(s)e, a coalition of Chicago sex workers and advocates, explains why those of us who believe in the rights of sex workers and the sanctity of self-defense must stand with Alisha Walker, a young woman who has been criminalized for taking a life in defense of her own. NO WELCOME MAT FOR FASCISM: STOP WHINING ABOUT TRUMP’S A protester holds up a sign at Friday’s Trump rally in Chicago. (Photo: Aaron Cynic) So Donald Trump discovered that he wasn’t

welcome in Chicago,

TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES Transformative Spaces. “Together, we rise to deprive the monster of its simple story, and replace it with our own.”. Note: We encourage people to pair this content with hashtag #WeGrieveTogether and whatever hashtag related to Trump’s actions is trending. We’re Here to Help The Mutual Aid Mourning and Healing Project is an effort

to

ABOUT – TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES Mission Transformative Spaces is an abolitionist platform for frontline storytelling and movement-based analysis. Essays featured on TS also address issues of mental health, addiction and community safety. About the Author Unless otherwise indicated, all work featured on this site is generated by Kelly Hayes. Kelly is a queer Native writer, organizer and movement photographer. DEMANDS FROM GRASSROOTS ORGANIZERS CONCERNING COVID-19 Demands from Grassroots Organizers Concerning COVID-19. The Trump administration has botched its response to COVID-19. Due to incompetence and an unwillingness to acknowledge mistakes, the administration has worsened an already serious situation. COVID-19 is a deadly public health threat that must be taken seriously. CONTACT – TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES Poems for People Who Aren’t Ready To Move On. Let This Radicalize You: A COVID Memorial Mixtape. Join Us in Challenging Trump’s Fascism (An Organizing Kit) The Mutual Aid Mourning and Healing Project. Chicago COVID-19 Hardship and Help Page. THE MUTUAL AID MOURNING AND HEALING PROJECT The Mutual Aid Mourning and Healing Project is an effort to support people who are struggling with loss during this time of isolation. If you have lost a loved one during quarantine, and would like to hold an online service, we have clergy and other facilitators who are ready to

assist you.

COME HELL AND HIGH WATER, WE WON’T SURRENDER HOPE Even when we fail, if people know that we care, and that we are fighting for them, that is an end in itself. When we embody and prefigure what we think the world ought to be, that’s worth something, even when our movements fall apart and the state falls down on us like a hammer. Come hell and high water, we are worth fighting

for.

ON ACTIVISM AND ORGANIZING: THERE IS A DISTINCTION Being an organizer usually means realizing that this work pays you back in the form of community, purpose and the hope of something better, and can often detract from everything else. It’s work that ought to be materially compensated, but most of the time, it is a calling, not a career. It ought to be praised and credited, but

usually isn’t.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON THOUGHTS ON THE APOCALYPSE But as someone with a rich knowledge of history, Mariame knows that people have always needed joy amid struggle, and that human beings have always found ways to create moments of humor and happiness, even in the most terrible of circumstances. It is a human necessity. It is how we make struggle bearable. HOW TO TALK ABOUT #NODAPL: A NATIVE PERSPECTIVE How To Talk About #NoDAPL: A Native Perspective. Water Protectors gather after a day of prayer and direct action. (Photo: Desiree Kane) This piece is very personal because, as an Indigenous woman, my analysis is very personal, as is the analysis that my friends on the frontlines have shared with me. We obviously can’t speak for

everyone

THE FIGHT IS WHERE LOVE IS: SAYING GOODBYE TO LISA LEGGIO Lisa and her son walk along Lake Michigan in the summer of 2014. When something’s weighing on me, words are my steam valve, my shelter, my hiding place, and sometimes, my weapons — whatever’s called for, there’s a good chance I can bend and twist some words around and feel that I’ve at least expressed myself. Words have failed me lately, mostly because I want to speak to how TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES Transformative Spaces. “Together, we rise to deprive the monster of its simple story, and replace it with our own.”. Note: We encourage people to pair this content with hashtag #WeGrieveTogether and whatever hashtag related to Trump’s actions is trending. We’re Here to Help The Mutual Aid Mourning and Healing Project is an effort

to

ABOUT – TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES Mission Transformative Spaces is an abolitionist platform for frontline storytelling and movement-based analysis. Essays featured on TS also address issues of mental health, addiction and community safety. About the Author Unless otherwise indicated, all work featured on this site is generated by Kelly Hayes. Kelly is a queer Native writer, organizer and movement photographer. DEMANDS FROM GRASSROOTS ORGANIZERS CONCERNING COVID-19 Demands from Grassroots Organizers Concerning COVID-19. The Trump administration has botched its response to COVID-19. Due to incompetence and an unwillingness to acknowledge mistakes, the administration has worsened an already serious situation. COVID-19 is a deadly public health threat that must be taken seriously. CONTACT – TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES Poems for People Who Aren’t Ready To Move On. Let This Radicalize You: A COVID Memorial Mixtape. Join Us in Challenging Trump’s Fascism (An Organizing Kit) The Mutual Aid Mourning and Healing Project. Chicago COVID-19 Hardship and Help Page. THE MUTUAL AID MOURNING AND HEALING PROJECT The Mutual Aid Mourning and Healing Project is an effort to support people who are struggling with loss during this time of isolation. If you have lost a loved one during quarantine, and would like to hold an online service, we have clergy and other facilitators who are ready to

assist you.

COME HELL AND HIGH WATER, WE WON’T SURRENDER HOPE Even when we fail, if people know that we care, and that we are fighting for them, that is an end in itself. When we embody and prefigure what we think the world ought to be, that’s worth something, even when our movements fall apart and the state falls down on us like a hammer. Come hell and high water, we are worth fighting

for.

ON ACTIVISM AND ORGANIZING: THERE IS A DISTINCTION Being an organizer usually means realizing that this work pays you back in the form of community, purpose and the hope of something better, and can often detract from everything else. It’s work that ought to be materially compensated, but most of the time, it is a calling, not a career. It ought to be praised and credited, but

usually isn’t.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON THOUGHTS ON THE APOCALYPSE But as someone with a rich knowledge of history, Mariame knows that people have always needed joy amid struggle, and that human beings have always found ways to create moments of humor and happiness, even in the most terrible of circumstances. It is a human necessity. It is how we make struggle bearable. HOW TO TALK ABOUT #NODAPL: A NATIVE PERSPECTIVE How To Talk About #NoDAPL: A Native Perspective. Water Protectors gather after a day of prayer and direct action. (Photo: Desiree Kane) This piece is very personal because, as an Indigenous woman, my analysis is very personal, as is the analysis that my friends on the frontlines have shared with me. We obviously can’t speak for

everyone

THE FIGHT IS WHERE LOVE IS: SAYING GOODBYE TO LISA LEGGIO Lisa and her son walk along Lake Michigan in the summer of 2014. When something’s weighing on me, words are my steam valve, my shelter, my hiding place, and sometimes, my weapons — whatever’s called for, there’s a good chance I can bend and twist some words around and feel that I’ve at least expressed myself. Words have failed me lately, mostly because I want to speak to how ABOUT – TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES About. Unless otherwise indicated, all work featured on this site is generated by writer, social justice organizer and movement photographer Kelly Hayes. Kelly is a direct action trainer and a cofounder of The Chicago Light Brigade and the direct action collective Lifted Voices. JOIN US IN CHALLENGING TRUMP’S FASCISM (AN ORGANIZING KIT Note: We encourage people to pair this content with hashtag #WeGrieveTogether and whatever hashtag related to Trump’s actions is trending at any given time (unless that hashtag is ableist or otherwise offtensive). Trump has doubled down on his “law and order” narrative because his campaign has no alternative, coherent reelection strategy. LET THIS RADICALIZE YOU: A COVID MEMORIAL MIXTAPE Introduction by Kelly Hayes. This zine is composed of speeches that were contributed for “Let This Radicalize You: A COVID Memorial Mixtape,” an effort co-created by the Lifted Voices collective and artist Ric Wilson. As part of the National Week of Mourning for victims of the coronavirus, October 4-11, the Lifted Voices collective MMIW – TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES Recent Posts. Let This Radicalize You: A COVID Memorial Mixtape; Join Us in Challenging Trump’s Fascism (An Organizing Kit) The Mutual Aid Mourning and Healing Project

#CHI2BALTIMORE

Posts about #Chi2Baltimore written by KELLY HAYES. As protests continued in Baltimore on Tuesday, hundreds of Chicagoans rallied and marched in solidarity with those who’ve taken to AUTHORING THE MEANING OF OUR LIVES This image, created by artist Vicko Alvarez, is taken from a drawing of myself and others who participated in a protest blockade in 2015. The artwork was created by Vicko for BGD’s “The Solidarity Struggle: How People of Color Succeed and Fail THE FIGHT IS WHERE LOVE IS: SAYING GOODBYE TO LISA LEGGIO Lisa and her son walk along Lake Michigan in the summer of 2014. When something’s weighing on me, words are my steam valve, my shelter, my hiding place, and sometimes, my weapons — whatever’s called for, there’s a good chance I can bend and twist some words around and feel that I’ve at least expressed myself. Words have failed me lately, mostly because I want to speak to how WHY IT’S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE TO JOE MOORE Once upon a time, they called Joe Moore a maverick. In a City Council full of yes-men, he tangled with Mayor Richard M. Daley, and the progressive voters of Chicago’s 49th Ward felt well served. But when Rahm Emanuel became mayor of Chicago, something changed. That first year, as activists like me chased down aldermen A PEP TALK AT THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION The shoreline of a campsite in Standing Rock, just before winter set in. (Photo: Johnny Dangers) What does it mean to stand at the precipice of human failure — a failure so profound that it threatens to both tear humanity into oblivion, and drag all life on earth down

with us?

HOW CHICAGOANS CAN SUPPORT REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE RIGHT NOW The Illinois Choice Action Team (ICAT) is a committed group of volunteers who work for pro-choice candidates during election cycles, provide reproductive rights education, monitor state legislation related to reproductive rights, and provide escorts at various Illinois clinics that offer abortion care. You can support their work

here.

TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES Transformative Spaces. “Together, we rise to deprive the monster of its simple story, and replace it with our own.”. Note: We encourage people to pair this content with hashtag #WeGrieveTogether and whatever hashtag related to Trump’s actions is trending. We’re Here to Help The Mutual Aid Mourning and Healing Project is an effort

to

ABOUT – TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES Mission Transformative Spaces is an abolitionist platform for frontline storytelling and movement-based analysis. Essays featured on TS also address issues of mental health, addiction and community safety. About the Author Unless otherwise indicated, all work featured on this site is generated by Kelly Hayes. Kelly is a queer Native writer, organizer and movement photographer. DEMANDS FROM GRASSROOTS ORGANIZERS CONCERNING COVID-19 Demands from Grassroots Organizers Concerning COVID-19. The Trump administration has botched its response to COVID-19. Due to incompetence and an unwillingness to acknowledge mistakes, the administration has worsened an already serious situation. COVID-19 is a deadly public health threat that must be taken seriously. CONTACT – TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES Poems for People Who Aren’t Ready To Move On. Let This Radicalize You: A COVID Memorial Mixtape. Join Us in Challenging Trump’s Fascism (An Organizing Kit) The Mutual Aid Mourning and Healing Project. Chicago COVID-19 Hardship and Help Page. THE MUTUAL AID MOURNING AND HEALING PROJECT The Mutual Aid Mourning and Healing Project is an effort to support people who are struggling with loss during this time of isolation. If you have lost a loved one during quarantine, and would like to hold an online service, we have clergy and other facilitators who are ready to

assist you.

COME HELL AND HIGH WATER, WE WON’T SURRENDER HOPE Even when we fail, if people know that we care, and that we are fighting for them, that is an end in itself. When we embody and prefigure what we think the world ought to be, that’s worth something, even when our movements fall apart and the state falls down on us like a hammer. Come hell and high water, we are worth fighting

for.

ON ACTIVISM AND ORGANIZING: THERE IS A DISTINCTION Being an organizer usually means realizing that this work pays you back in the form of community, purpose and the hope of something better, and can often detract from everything else. It’s work that ought to be materially compensated, but most of the time, it is a calling, not a career. It ought to be praised and credited, but

usually isn’t.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON THOUGHTS ON THE APOCALYPSE But as someone with a rich knowledge of history, Mariame knows that people have always needed joy amid struggle, and that human beings have always found ways to create moments of humor and happiness, even in the most terrible of circumstances. It is a human necessity. It is how we make struggle bearable. HOW TO TALK ABOUT #NODAPL: A NATIVE PERSPECTIVE How To Talk About #NoDAPL: A Native Perspective. Water Protectors gather after a day of prayer and direct action. (Photo: Desiree Kane) This piece is very personal because, as an Indigenous woman, my analysis is very personal, as is the analysis that my friends on the frontlines have shared with me. We obviously can’t speak for

everyone

THE FIGHT IS WHERE LOVE IS: SAYING GOODBYE TO LISA LEGGIO Lisa and her son walk along Lake Michigan in the summer of 2014. When something’s weighing on me, words are my steam valve, my shelter, my hiding place, and sometimes, my weapons — whatever’s called for, there’s a good chance I can bend and twist some words around and feel that I’ve at least expressed myself. Words have failed me lately, mostly because I want to speak to how TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES Transformative Spaces. “Together, we rise to deprive the monster of its simple story, and replace it with our own.”. Note: We encourage people to pair this content with hashtag #WeGrieveTogether and whatever hashtag related to Trump’s actions is trending. We’re Here to Help The Mutual Aid Mourning and Healing Project is an effort

to

ABOUT – TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES Mission Transformative Spaces is an abolitionist platform for frontline storytelling and movement-based analysis. Essays featured on TS also address issues of mental health, addiction and community safety. About the Author Unless otherwise indicated, all work featured on this site is generated by Kelly Hayes. Kelly is a queer Native writer, organizer and movement photographer. DEMANDS FROM GRASSROOTS ORGANIZERS CONCERNING COVID-19 Demands from Grassroots Organizers Concerning COVID-19. The Trump administration has botched its response to COVID-19. Due to incompetence and an unwillingness to acknowledge mistakes, the administration has worsened an already serious situation. COVID-19 is a deadly public health threat that must be taken seriously. CONTACT – TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES Poems for People Who Aren’t Ready To Move On. Let This Radicalize You: A COVID Memorial Mixtape. Join Us in Challenging Trump’s Fascism (An Organizing Kit) The Mutual Aid Mourning and Healing Project. Chicago COVID-19 Hardship and Help Page. THE MUTUAL AID MOURNING AND HEALING PROJECT The Mutual Aid Mourning and Healing Project is an effort to support people who are struggling with loss during this time of isolation. If you have lost a loved one during quarantine, and would like to hold an online service, we have clergy and other facilitators who are ready to

assist you.

COME HELL AND HIGH WATER, WE WON’T SURRENDER HOPE Even when we fail, if people know that we care, and that we are fighting for them, that is an end in itself. When we embody and prefigure what we think the world ought to be, that’s worth something, even when our movements fall apart and the state falls down on us like a hammer. Come hell and high water, we are worth fighting

for.

ON ACTIVISM AND ORGANIZING: THERE IS A DISTINCTION Being an organizer usually means realizing that this work pays you back in the form of community, purpose and the hope of something better, and can often detract from everything else. It’s work that ought to be materially compensated, but most of the time, it is a calling, not a career. It ought to be praised and credited, but

usually isn’t.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON THOUGHTS ON THE APOCALYPSE But as someone with a rich knowledge of history, Mariame knows that people have always needed joy amid struggle, and that human beings have always found ways to create moments of humor and happiness, even in the most terrible of circumstances. It is a human necessity. It is how we make struggle bearable. HOW TO TALK ABOUT #NODAPL: A NATIVE PERSPECTIVE How To Talk About #NoDAPL: A Native Perspective. Water Protectors gather after a day of prayer and direct action. (Photo: Desiree Kane) This piece is very personal because, as an Indigenous woman, my analysis is very personal, as is the analysis that my friends on the frontlines have shared with me. We obviously can’t speak for

everyone

THE FIGHT IS WHERE LOVE IS: SAYING GOODBYE TO LISA LEGGIO Lisa and her son walk along Lake Michigan in the summer of 2014. When something’s weighing on me, words are my steam valve, my shelter, my hiding place, and sometimes, my weapons — whatever’s called for, there’s a good chance I can bend and twist some words around and feel that I’ve at least expressed myself. Words have failed me lately, mostly because I want to speak to how ABOUT – TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES About. Unless otherwise indicated, all work featured on this site is generated by writer, social justice organizer and movement photographer Kelly Hayes. Kelly is a direct action trainer and a cofounder of The Chicago Light Brigade and the direct action collective Lifted Voices. JOIN US IN CHALLENGING TRUMP’S FASCISM (AN ORGANIZING KIT Note: We encourage people to pair this content with hashtag #WeGrieveTogether and whatever hashtag related to Trump’s actions is trending at any given time (unless that hashtag is ableist or otherwise offtensive). Trump has doubled down on his “law and order” narrative because his campaign has no alternative, coherent reelection strategy. LET THIS RADICALIZE YOU: A COVID MEMORIAL MIXTAPE Introduction by Kelly Hayes. This zine is composed of speeches that were contributed for “Let This Radicalize You: A COVID Memorial Mixtape,” an effort co-created by the Lifted Voices collective and artist Ric Wilson. As part of the National Week of Mourning for victims of the coronavirus, October 4-11, the Lifted Voices collective MMIW – TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES Recent Posts. Let This Radicalize You: A COVID Memorial Mixtape; Join Us in Challenging Trump’s Fascism (An Organizing Kit) The Mutual Aid Mourning and Healing Project

#CHI2BALTIMORE

Posts about #Chi2Baltimore written by KELLY HAYES. As protests continued in Baltimore on Tuesday, hundreds of Chicagoans rallied and marched in solidarity with those who’ve taken to AUTHORING THE MEANING OF OUR LIVES This image, created by artist Vicko Alvarez, is taken from a drawing of myself and others who participated in a protest blockade in 2015. The artwork was created by Vicko for BGD’s “The Solidarity Struggle: How People of Color Succeed and Fail THE FIGHT IS WHERE LOVE IS: SAYING GOODBYE TO LISA LEGGIO Lisa and her son walk along Lake Michigan in the summer of 2014. When something’s weighing on me, words are my steam valve, my shelter, my hiding place, and sometimes, my weapons — whatever’s called for, there’s a good chance I can bend and twist some words around and feel that I’ve at least expressed myself. Words have failed me lately, mostly because I want to speak to how WHY IT’S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE TO JOE MOORE Once upon a time, they called Joe Moore a maverick. In a City Council full of yes-men, he tangled with Mayor Richard M. Daley, and the progressive voters of Chicago’s 49th Ward felt well served. But when Rahm Emanuel became mayor of Chicago, something changed. That first year, as activists like me chased down aldermen A PEP TALK AT THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION The shoreline of a campsite in Standing Rock, just before winter set in. (Photo: Johnny Dangers) What does it mean to stand at the precipice of human failure — a failure so profound that it threatens to both tear humanity into oblivion, and drag all life on earth down

with us?

HOW CHICAGOANS CAN SUPPORT REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE RIGHT NOW The Illinois Choice Action Team (ICAT) is a committed group of volunteers who work for pro-choice candidates during election cycles, provide reproductive rights education, monitor state legislation related to reproductive rights, and provide escorts at various Illinois clinics that offer abortion care. You can support their work

here.

Skip to content

TRANSFORMATIVE SPACES On creating liberation spaces and lifting up voices for change.

Menu

* Home

* About

* Contact

POEMS FOR PEOPLE WHO AREN’T READY TO MOVE ON As calls to return to normal abound, I am reminded that, under capitalism, the maintenance of “norms” is a fundamentally… LET THIS RADICALIZE YOU: A COVID MEMORIAL MIXTAPE “Together, we rise to deprive the monster of its simple story, and replace it with our own.” JOIN US IN CHALLENGING TRUMP’S FASCISM (AN ORGANIZING KIT) Note: We encourage people to pair this content with hashtag #WeGrieveTogether and whatever hashtag related to Trump’s actions is

trending…

THE MUTUAL AID MOURNING AND HEALING PROJECT We’re Here to Help The Mutual Aid Mourning and Healing Project is an effort to support people who are struggling… CHICAGO COVID-19 HARDSHIP AND HELP PAGE UPDATE: We have closed submissions to this fundraiser. For now, you can still choose a hardship and donate. We will… DEMANDS FROM GRASSROOTS ORGANIZERS CONCERNING COVID-19 We hope this list of demands will serve as a tool for organizers and activists who are crafting their own responses to COVID-19. THE PEOPLE’S REMOVAL TRIAL FOLLOWUP MATERIALS We want to thank everyone who came out today for The People’s Removal Trial of Donald Trump. We promised you… COME HELL AND HIGH WATER, WE WON’T SURRENDER HOPE In the new decade, I am determined to grow the things I want to share. LET’S GET SOME MIGRANTS FOLKS OUT OF DETENTION TODAY We are raising money to bail imprisoned migrants out of detention. Join us. SATURDAY AFTERNOON THOUGHTS ON THE APOCALYPSE I have always been in love with possibility, and I remain so.

Older posts

POSTS NAVIGATION

Older posts

Search for:

RECENT POSTS

* Poems for People Who Aren’t Ready To Move On * Let This Radicalize You: A COVID Memorial Mixtape * Join Us in Challenging Trump’s Fascism (An Organizing Kit) * The Mutual Aid Mourning and Healing Project * Chicago COVID-19 Hardship and Help Page

RECENT COMMENTS

Poems for People Who… on The Mutual Aid Mourning and He… Chicago joins ‘week… on The Mutual Aid Mourning and He… Chicago joins ‘week… on The Mutual Aid Mourning and He… Saturday Afternoon T… on Saturday Afternoon Thoughts on…

“Birthday of a…

on Saturday Afternoon Thoughts on…

ARCHIVES

* May 2021

* October 2020

* September 2020

* April 2020

* March 2020

* February 2020

* December 2019

* July 2019

* June 2019

* May 2019

* March 2019

* February 2019

* January 2019

* December 2018

* March 2018

* September 2017

* August 2017

* July 2017

* June 2017

* March 2017

* February 2017

* January 2017

* December 2016

* November 2016

* October 2016

* September 2016

* August 2016

* July 2016

* June 2016

* May 2016

* April 2016

* March 2016

* February 2016

* January 2016

* November 2015

* October 2015

* September 2015

* August 2015

* July 2015

* June 2015

* May 2015

* April 2015

* March 2015

* February 2015

* January 2015

* December 2014

CATEGORIES

* Uncategorized

META

* Register

* Log in

* Entries feed

* Comments feed

* WordPress.com

Blog at WordPress.com.

Write a Comment...

Email (Required) Name (Required) Website

Loading Comments...

Comment

×

* FollowFollowing

* Transformative Spaces

*

Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.

*

* Transformative Spaces

* Customize

* FollowFollowing

* Sign up

* Log in

* Report this content * Manage subscriptions

* Collapse this bar