Protest Magazine

Hello Friends, Comrades, and otherwise Beautiful Humans, This is the beginning of a series of Blog Posts giving you all the details about how things went, how they are going, and our intentions for the Communication Issue.

It felt natural to slip into a conversation about communication for our second run. We created Protest Magazine to celebrate culture and honor micro-level acts of resistance. But, acts of resistance mean very little without language, which provides nuance, historical context, and deeper meaning.

Language and the art of communication are continually unfolding and shapeshifting. It's a fluid medium, especially when considering its existence within culture, space, and time. 

Latest Wins

We asked women of color to submit work exploring various forms of communication- language, education, self-expression, cultural identity, beauty. If you've been following along already, you know that the call for submissions has ended.

We heard from dozens of creative women and we’re excited to move on to the next phase in bringing the Communication issue to life. Meaning,

We’ve connected with contributors for issue two’s content

We’re raising money to compensate artists and writers

We’re entering the mag’s design and production stage

If you’re new to Protest, we’re an indy magazine celebrating the subtle and big ways we advocate for ourselves and others. We're submission-based and led by Black, Indigenous, Women of Color; we come together to tell history through creative work, to share cultural commentary, and to resist oppressive structures woven into our lives.

So, if you feel you know someone who matches our energy, point them to our submission page! We're all about creating year-round opportunities to collaborate with writers and artists. 

Forever Yours,  

Protest Magazine

SUPPORT PROTEST MAGAZINE

Protest is an indy mag; we rely on the support of fellow community members to sustain. That is people like you-- family, friends, colleagues, kindred spirits, and passersby who simply want to help. You can help support Protest by making a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor, Fractured Atlas. Rest easy knowing that your contribution will land right into the hands of our artists and writers.

Donations to Protest Magazine will support the collective work needed to publish these experiences in the Communication Issue.

to gatekeep this language.

Outside of the US, African descendants of slaves say excluding them from learning Tut is erasure, insensitive, and denies history. Even though the transatlantic slave trade brought them elsewhere, they have a right to learn this language. Physical location does not erase the psychological and spiritual connection to the enslaved people who reached American soil.

The discourse surrounding Tut centers on secrecy and gatekeeping. Some believe that since Tut was secretly created by enslaved Africans and spoken by Afro-Americans as a coded cultural tradition years after slavery, it should not leave the community. That it should only be spoken and learned by African-American descendants of slaves. They believe that with so much African-American culture co-opted by people outside of the diaspora, it is understandable and encouraged

A Coded Language

My push-pull relationship with social media felt worthwhile when I watched dozens of African-Americans on TikTok talk about Tut. On 18th century plantations, enslaved Africans created a language called Tut, or Tutnese. They did this in secret, of course. The language helped enslaved people learn to read and write. It was a means for organizing without the physical and symbolic heavy hand of white plantation owners.

Tut is now considered a dead language, but African Americans are experiencing ancestral memories. They are remembering Tut again. They're learning Tut for no other reason than to take pride in their heritage and gently remind themselves of their history. The language's revival triggered loooong discourse sessions that asked who the language belonged to and if one group could own a dialect.

A Cultural Connection

History lessons I received skipped the part about ethnic diversity among African slaves. I only stumbled across articles describing the various languages spoken on plantations in my late twenties. The reading felt like a wake-up call; I mean, of course, there would be a colorful array of dialects spoken on the plantation. Enslaved people were from all over West Africa- present-day Senegal, Mali, Congo. They needed to become bilingual and trilingual to survive the plantation, more specifically, to connect with one another.

I remember seeing snapshots of Tut and Gullah Geechee speakers on TV and in movies when I was a kid. I would hear family members passively mention these African-American languages in conversation. They spoke about the dialects as if they weren't aspects of our culture we could actively embrace, but something that was quite literally dead. As if too much time had passed and it was too late to rekindle the relationship between our bodies and language. As if the descendants of its creators weren't living and breathing despite all efforts to bury them. 

I don't know if anyone can legally declare ownership of Tut, but the historical and cultural relevance within the African American experience is unquestionable. A beautiful example of language serving as a reflection of the people who constructed it.

I like to think about what African-Americans are saying through the act of seeking Tut teachers in 2021. It created a bond during the transatlantic slave trade and has circled around to work its magic again. Shouldn't we dissect the diaspora's desire to revive the language the way we've examined the possibility of ownership? 

We could benefit from shifting our focus to Tut's origin and purpose: Creating a vocabulary to reflect shared experiences and an intellectual defense tool against oppressive power structures. In short, a means for the community to communicate in terms we can all understand and feel.

+Resources

The Gullah Language of African America, a story. (2021, August 26). African American Registry. https://aaregistry.org/story/gullah-language-thrives-into-21st-century/

The 1619 Project (Published 2019). (2021). Nikole Hannah-Jones. PDF Here

The Communication Issue: Writers & Artists Wanted

Protest’s second issue concentrates on communication, expression, and education. We’re looking for written and visual work created by BIWOC to make the Communication Issue whole. 

The craft of communication shapeshifts and transforms based on the artist. Most of us are well-versed with piecing together words to communicate, but speech is only one way to convey a message. We also 'speak' through appearances, physical movements, and sign languages. We converse through prayer, music, and art, too. Our bodies tell stories. Animals talk; nature communicates. 

We are perpetual participants of conversation; we use our abilities to share information, for advocacy, for love, for disruption. Communication exists with the premise that our message will reach something or someone else; it's a tool meant to strengthen or disrupt connections.

We’ve listed some areas we’ll touch on in issue two, but we encourage you to submit work that reflects your personal interpretation on the topic of Communication:

-African American Vernacular English

-Prayer and otherworldly communication

-Self-advocacy and mental health

-Cultural clothing and other aesthetics

-Modern tribalism and social networks

-Multilingualism and cultural identity

-Grassroots journalism and social media

SUBMIT YOUR WORK HERE

Artists and writers may submit up to five written pieces or art pieces. 1500-word maximum per written piece.

Values

We encourage marginalized women to submit their thoughts in the form of essays, poetry, and articles for a possible collab with Protest.

We’ll accept art, illustration, and photography submissions, too. Basically, tell us your story the best way you know how. This space is carved out for the up and coming and those just getting started alike. We don’t believe in free labor, artists and writers will be paid for their work.

Resistance Oracle Reading: Wealth, Power, & the Breakthrough from the Sacred Symbols Oracle deck.

Deep in our subconscious memories, in our DNA, are records and receipts of ancestral plight and triumphs. Now is the time to remember them. There is an abundance of resources floating within our veins, flourishing in our hair, embedded in our skin. We are walking history lessons, symbols of survival, the links of solidarity.

We give birth to the youth, and we bless them with hope. We share with them our power, the way our mothers and fathers shared with us, and their elders shared with them. Our lives depend on the continuance of this tradition.

We've broken in and through, we slip through cracks. We scream from mountain tops and the corners of our blocks, so we are seen and heard. We can be as mad as we want to be. We can be as volatile as we wish to be. The process of revolutionary change need not be pretty.

We don't give a damn if our voices crack, we just need our community members to hear the call: "There is power here, and I'm sharing it with you!" A tradition of individual empowerment supporting the uprising of many.

George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery’s lives were stolen by racist, immoral pawns of an unjust and corrupt nation. They are the latest fatalities to spark acts of protest and resistance throughout the country. The community has been moved to organize-- we want justice for the three victims, and all systems of oppression are dismantled forever. 

Let us fight forever for social justice and equity. Occasional bouts of fatigue and hopelessness should be expected. Still, the silver lining is that there are many ways to uphold the resistance to oppression. Just find your place and a style that works for you. Oh, and educate, don’t ever think of yourself as an expert. You are always in training.

Direct and Indirect Action

Donate to the George Floyd Memorial Fund - The fund will cover funeral and buried services, court expenses, counseling, lodging, and a portion will go to the Estate of George Floyd to care for his children.

Donate to the official Ahmaud Arbery GoFundMe - Money will go to the family and be used to cover the cost of court proceedings aimed at getting justice Ahmaud.

Sign the petition to help bring justice for Breonna Taylor. The petition calls for officers involved in her murder be charged for murder, compensate her family for pain and suffering, and for the Kentucky governor to speak up for Breonna Taylor.

The BLM Support & Resource List - This Google Doc was created by BLM organizers to aid protesters and those affected by police brutality. Here you can donate money, time, and resources, and find resources to educate yourself on racism, contact officials, sign petitions, and more.

The Mobile Justice App - Report violence and injustice directly to the ACLU through their Mobile Justice app. You can send reports of violence and injustice directly through the app to 19 state divisions ACLU. The app includes a video recording feature, has a platform for written reports, and does offer the option to report any event anonymously. ,

Donate to the Northstar Health Collective - The collective includes physicians, nurses, healers, herbalists, and doulas. They provide assistance at protests and are also longterm community organizers who advocate for affordable housing, environmental justice, women’s health, and human rights. They accept donations in the form of money, supplies, and your time.

Read Riot Medicine by Hakan Geijer - Available and free, this book outlines what it means to be a street medic. From the text, “Riot Medicine is the practice of medicine in an adversarial environment. It exists outside of formal and State sanctioned medical services. Practitioners of riot medicine go by many names (riot medics, street medics, demonstration medics, action medical), but at the end of the day, their goals are the same. They take to the streets as part of the diverse system of mutual aid that allows individuals to engage in protest.”

Resistance Oracle Reading: Wealth, Power, & the Breakthrough from the Sacred Symbols Oracle deck.

Deep in our subconscious memories, in our DNA, are records and receipts of ancestral plight and triumphs. Now is the time to remember them. There is an abundance of resources floating within our veins, flourishing in our hair, embedded in our skin. We are walking history lessons, symbols of survival, the links of solidarity.

We give birth to the youth, and we bless them with hope. We share with them our power, the way our mothers and fathers shared with us, and their elders shared with them. Our lives depend on the continuance of this tradition.

We've broken in and through, we slip through cracks. We scream from mountain tops and the corners of our blocks, so we are seen and heard. We can be as mad as we want to be. We can be as volatile as we wish to be. The process of revolutionary change need not be pretty.

We don't give a damn if our voices crack, we just need our community members to hear the call: "There is power here, and I'm sharing it with you!" A tradition of individual empowerment supporting the uprising of many.

George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery’s lives were stolen by racist, immoral pawns of an unjust and corrupt nation. They are the latest fatalities to spark acts of protest and resistance throughout the country. The community has been moved to organize-- we want justice for the three victims, and all systems of oppression are dismantled forever. 

Let us fight forever for social justice and equity. Occasional bouts of fatigue and hopelessness should be expected. Still, the silver lining is that there are many ways to uphold the resistance to oppression. Just find your place and a style that works for you. Oh, and educate, don’t ever think of yourself as an expert. You are always in training.

Direct and Indirect Action

Donate to the George Floyd Memorial Fund - The fund will cover funeral and buried services, court expenses, counseling, lodging, and a portion will go to the Estate of George Floyd to care for his children.

Donate to the official Ahmaud Arbery GoFundMe - Money will go to the family and be used to cover the cost of court proceedings aimed at getting justice Ahmaud.

Sign the petition to help bring justice for Breonna Taylor. The petition calls for officers involved in her murder be charged for murder, compensate her family for pain and suffering, and for the Kentucky governor to speak up for Breonna Taylor.

The BLM Support & Resource List - This Google Doc was created by BLM organizers to aid protesters and those affected by police brutality. Here you can donate money, time, and resources, and find resources to educate yourself on racism, contact officials, sign petitions, and more.

The Mobile Justice App - Report violence and injustice directly to the ACLU through their Mobile Justice app. You can send reports of violence and injustice directly through the app to 19 state divisions ACLU. The app includes a video recording feature, has a platform for written reports, and does offer the option to report any event anonymously. ,

Donate to the Northstar Health Collective - The collective includes physicians, nurses, healers, herbalists, and doulas. They provide assistance at protests and are also longterm community organizers who advocate for affordable housing, environmental justice, women’s health, and human rights. They accept donations in the form of money, supplies, and your time.

Read Riot Medicine by Hakan Geijer - Available and free, this book outlines what it means to be a street medic. From the text, “Riot Medicine is the practice of medicine in an adversarial environment. It exists outside of formal and State sanctioned medical services. Practitioners of riot medicine go by many names (riot medics, street medics, demonstration medics, action medical), but at the end of the day, their goals are the same. They take to the streets as part of the diverse system of mutual aid that allows individuals to engage in protest.”