Womxn Who Rock: Ofrendas For the Future Reflection

Name: Allison Bennett

In light of the recent murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, today’s (un)conference gave me hope for a better future by reminding me that I am surrounded by a community of empowered womxn who are actively using their agency and creativity to further social justice aims. While I learned something from every speaker during this event, the presentation by Dona Ofelia Esparza and her daughter Rosanna Esparza Ahrens especially struck a chord with me. I loved seeing images of the carefully-crafted altars curated by the mother-daughter duo and hearing the stories behind each of them, such as the altar dedicated to “defenders of mother earth”. Also, I thought that these womxn added a much-needed level of depth to my understanding of the meaning of the ofrenda and the altar. For example, Dona Ofelia Esparza once described the ofrenda as a “portal to all of the people that we love; a portal of healing”. Along similar lines, the two repeatedly emphasized that in creating the altars, they are seeking to celebrate life, not how a person died. I thought this was incredibly important, since I think a common misconception is that Dia de los Muertos and the traditions surrounding it are intended to celebrate death. Clearly, this is not at all the case. I also thought it was powerful when Dona Ofelia Esparza described the altar as a “call to action”. This helped me see that the altar is not just about passively viewing; rather, it is about actively engaging, inspiring the living to enact change while continuing to honor and remember those that have passed away. In addition to these two speakers, I thought it was inspiring to see womxn from such diverse backgrounds come together to discuss their ideas, united by shared desires of a more just future. Finally, I enjoyed the unveiling of the community altar and scrolling through everyone’s work. I could see the passion, time, energy, and care that every ofrenda and altar creator put into their pieces, and that was a beautiful and moving experience. Overall, I am very grateful to have been a part of this!