Womxn Who Rock Reflection

Womxn Who Rock: Ofrendas For The Future, was an event that celebrated women, people of color, and the remembrance of those who have passed to bring honor, justice and love to the life that they lived. I cannot help but to connect this to the pain and mourning that our country is going through. I am still processing and trying to understand the realities of what our social systems allow. Oppression, targeting, demonizing and murder is a reality for the black and brown communities that are currently fighting the systems that allow these attacks to happen again and again. In the Ofrendas for the future, they talked about how when reflecting on people’s lives, there is a focus on their life. Honoring and remembering the memories and the love that that person had in the moments on this earth. The thousands of victims that are murdered by systems of policing in this country are seen as tombstones. They are just another face added to the long list of people who are born with a target on their back. Instead of viewing George Floyd as another black man who was murdered, there should be a larger remembrance of his life. The people he loved and the people who loved him. This would deviate from the story from being just another statistic, to humanize and create empathy for those who we have lost. 

I found power in the all femme presence in the Womxn Who Rock confrence. Everyone was there to support each other and lift each other up in a way where they could learn from each other and build off of each other. The mentioning of lifting women up reminded me of the lack of this women remembrance in the Black Lives Matter movement. When we consider intersectional identities, we can recognize that Black women are getting murdered at almost the same rate as Black men, except these cases are not broadcasted. These cases are hidden, and these women are forgotten. Charleen Lyles, was a Seattle resident who was shot and killed by police in her own home. In 2017, my high school (Garfield High School) stood up and protested against the murder of this Black woman who was in our own backyard. We centered the voices of her family members and the life she lived. Like panel members discussed in the conference. We decided to take an approach that celebrated her life and brought honor to her memories to be able to bring awareness to the harm and trauma that is done to our communities. 

Ofrendas Reflection

The event on Sunday is very amazing! I once thought the event is only an exhibition of alters and didn't expect the provocative speech from Ofelia Esparza. I was quite moved when she stressed the importance of remembering legends who pass away. Living in a busy life surrounding by work and errands, I often let my inheritance slip away. However, without connect to my ancestry and what I came from, I could feel a sense of lost in terms of my identity. And this event really show me how does an object (Alter) help us to remember our inner connection. When I was working on my Alter project, I regard my Alter as a one-time effort, mainly for the homework credit. However, since I decided to keep the altar, I was utterly surprised about how the presence of a ritualistic object had implicitly affected my life. I kept the altar in the corner of my living room and I see it every few hours. And it really helps me to keep inspired by my favourite drummer and keep moving forward. 

I also feel pity for how the musical innovation of the minority often gets neglected. And it saddens me to see such a phenomenon continuously occurring. I feel like without properly recognize the people who create musical innovation, the music industry will lose many talents and people might feel less motivated to pursue music. And that's also why I think having ritualistic objects altars is very important. At the end of the day, we don't have control of other's thought and how do they attribute the success of music. Thus, it's crucial for us to keep honouring the past legend and carry them forward. 

women who rock

Mia Gasero

The 10th anniversary of the Womxn Who Rock conference was very eye opening on the future of female artists and those of the past. Especially in a time where life is turning in so many directions and we need to be there for one another and come together to support Black Lives and understand that not all of us experience what others have. During the dance breaks, it was amazing to see the expression of another while we had a chance to take in the love from the community we were gathered in and reflect on what has been occurring. It was interesting to hear Rosanna Esparza Ahrens discuss the making of an altar and how they use organic materials to put it all together but with a sketch of it first. Also a quote that I remember is when Rosanna said along the lines of, “When your in presence of an altar, your presence of sacred space”. This is absolutely true that the altar is sacred space and we must respect what we are viewing and whose lives we are honoring! One more quote that resonated with me was one from Francisa Garcia when she stated, “It’s not about death it’s about how a person lived”. I believe that is correct as well because with an altar, we want to ensure that we are honoring life while we are showing our love to the family. An individual's life goes on forever and we can feel their spirit when we are in the presence of an altar. Lastly, it was moving to view everyone’s altar near the end and see how incredible each one was made and how much of their spirit was seen within.

Ofrendas for the Future Reflection

This event was amazing! I was hesitant going into it because of the recent events regarding the murdering of multiple black people and the state of our nation with the prevalence of Covid-19. It turned out to be the moment of healing I was desperately in need for.

The focus on remembering and honoring the dead through ofrendas hit close to home with the many deaths occurring lately. It helped me to realize the significance of an archive and how it isn't just a tool of historical recollection, but a process of healing and reclaiming space -- both for the deceased and the creator.

I was enchanted by the way Rosanna and her mom talked about the altars they created and the power these pieces held for their family and their culture. Altars are a sacred space meant to honor the dead, but through their creations I was able to see the art and beauty behind it all.

A question that really stood out to me during the event was: do I consider my altar to be a work of activism? This really opened my eyes to the possibilities of art and the potential we all have to express our passions, whether they be political or not, through creations and the acknowledgment of the work those before us produced.

What does institutional healing look like compared to individual healing? This question is very relevant to our current state in my opinion. One person may seek ease of mind through peaceful protests or artistry of another form. Someone else may choose to riot and destroy buildings or attempt to completely dismantle our societal system. It is not our job to decide how someone approaches their trauma.

The words of the panelists inspired me and pushed me to be more intentional about my awareness of cultural histories and the difference between honoring/appreciating a practice and appropriating it. I have so much more knowledge and appreciation for Ofrendas and my eyes have been opened to the breadth of healing that can be achieved through art, music, dance, etc.

Women Who Rock Reflection

Due to the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, I was not fully present for this ofrenda. I was thinking about and honoring the resilient practices of Black leaders before me that contributed to freedom for all minorities. I was and am still thinking about the family members of Arbery, Taylor, and Floyd that are grieving lives that should still exist today. I really appreciate that we took a moment to recognize what is going on during this current political state. The panelists created a safe space for all of us to mourn and express our humanity. This conference inspired me to continue my work in advocacy so I can learn how to show up as a better ally for Black life. In reflecting on the resilience work and activism shown in this conference, I am furthering my role as an ally and future educator for the Black and Brown community. Our professors in AFRAM 337 have consistently shown up to do anti-racism work within their field and it truly empowers me to the same within my future career.

Women Who Rock Reflection

Gary Tran

I wasn’t able to go to the event due to work but I was able to watch some of the event footage posted at 10:33 PM by Professor Pallan, I’m currently still trying to finish the event, so this blog will be my reflection for what I have watched so far by midnight. With the recent deaths of many of jazz pioneers and musicians that have passed away from COVID-19 or natural deaths, the focus on remembering and honoring the dead by using offrendas made me feel a certain way. When I thought about my offrenda project, it really made me think how music would be today without the influence of Jimi Hendrix, the guitarist I have chosen for my project. He has influenced so many guitarists, influenced guitarists that influenced others, even more, taking guitar playing to the next level and influencing me to learn guitar. The event so far has made me feel the need to be more aware of the histories of music and honoring musicians that have passed away.

Women Who Rock Ofrendas for the Future Reflection

This event was really beautiful and inspiring. Especially in such a difficult and emotional time of isolation and the fight for equality across the country, it was really nice to see an event that reminds us there is hope and that we can still come together, even if virtually, to remember and to move forward. Getting to see Ofelia Esparza's work was absolutely amazing - all of her altars were beautifully and intricately done, and there was so much thoughtful detail in each piece of the ofrendas. Getting to see ofrendas like these on a large scale was definitely really inspiring and served as a really good reminder of the importance and power of remembrance. I didn't know too much about ofrendas before this class, and it was interesting to learn about how they take grief and turn it into a piece of art that celebrates and looks upon grief in a more positive way rather than in a more grim way. The event also celebrated diversity in culture in general, and helped to show that cultures other than your own are just as important and should also be acknowledged and honored. Looking outside your own small bubble and educating yourself about the world and others is vital to being a part of today's globalized world, and the event help show us that we are all human, we all have something important to bring to the table, and we all deserve recognition. It was also really great to get to see everyone's contributions and ofrendas for the communal altar and get to see the hard work, dedication, and creativity everyone put into their offerings. The event as a whole really helped show how powerful remembering and resilience are, and how they will continue on even in the face of hardship.