Womxn Who Rock: Ofrendas for the Future Reflection

I really enjoyed attending the Womxn Who Rock: Ofrendas for the Future event on Saturday, May 30th. Listening to all of these women discuss how they honor their passed loved ones with Ofrendas and what it meant for them in the past, the present and now going into the future was inspiring to say the least. Being able to look through the Ofrendas for the Future collective Ofrenda, and seeing what not only my classmates have done, but other people in the community was incredible and I look forward to participating in next year’s event as well.

Something I found fascinating was when Omitosin (Omi) King was discussing the transition that our loved ones who have passed, go through to transition from the human realm to the spirit realm was eye-opening. She said that it takes about a year’s cycle for them to transition from the human realm to be with their ancestors/into the spirit realm. And our Altars filled with Offerings are meant to guide them and to help them on their journey. We are helping their humanness merge with their soul, their spirit in order for them to be at peace. When researching Ofrendas for my own offering, I hadn’t come across this information and I have a deep respect for those who work to share the significance, symbolism, and personal meaning that Ofrendas and Altars have. Not only were the Altars that we saw during the event beautiful and incredible to see, but the way they were explained by Rosanna Esparaza Ahrens and her mother and how they work to honor their passed loved ones, I can’t explain how incredible it was to listen to their words. 

Something else I really appreciated seeing today was Lulu Carpenter's backdrop that read, “Worthy of Healing”. I think that especially in today’s world, and what is going on right now, it is extremely important to see and listen to those words. The words reflected the words said, where the importance of community was strongly backed and advocated for. In lieu of what is happening in our country and the protests that are going on around the world, I know that I am hurting, and other members of the Black Community are hurting over the deaths of our people. What is incredible so see is the response that not only his, and the other deaths of Black men and women at the hands of the police and at the hands of the system. We won't change, and we will only be able to fully heal when systemic racism is no more.