On March 25 at 6 p.m., ETSU’s Civility Week hosted #BlackLivesMatter co-creator Alicia Garza to speak on her career and book entitled “The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart.”
Garza is also the co-creator of the Black Lives Matter Global Network, founder of Black Futures Lab for political empowerment of Black communities and the co-founder of Supermajority, which organizes women. She is also the strategy and partnerships director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance.
The webinar hosted around 50 participants including faculty and students.
The discussion was moderated by Joy Fulkerson, director of ETSU Leadership and Civic Engagement, and ranged from Garza’s book to her attitudes towards the political climate of America. The discussion was followed by a Q&A session and meet and greet, in which participants asked about mentorship, being a supportive ally, how to handle differences in opinion and intersectionality.
Garza’s book, “The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart,” goes beyond being a “how-to” for activism; it serves as a driver of reflection. She asks her audience to consider how power can be restructured to benefit society rather than simply shifting who has power.
“I really wanted to make the point that the whole purpose of building movements is to put more power into the hands of more people,” said Garza.
The book includes Garza’s formative experiences, including a biography of her mother and the lessons she has learned from her career and frustrations.
“What I would add to my mom’s teachings is that we should be able to do more than survive,” said Garza. “We should actually have lives that we can look forward to thriving.”
Garza also touched on how underrepresented communities deal with rage. For her, Garza turns her anger into something, allowing it space to be creative rather than destructive.
Although being a published author is rewarding, Garza commented on the painful process of writing and how she felt there was no light at the end of the tunnel, but she encourages other activists to write for reflection.
Fulkerson expressed that hosting conversations like these is her obligation as a faculty member. In accordance with ETSU’s values of dignity, respect and inclusivity, all voices deserve to be heard.
“The beauty of the space is to bring diverse voices to the table and to expose people to people, places, ideas, things different from what they may know,” said Fulkerson.
For more information on Garza, listen to her podcast “Lady Don’t Take No” or visit aliciagarza.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.