Vibe Check Come Out Loud featuring adrienne maree brown
Nov 14, 2025
In this engaging talk, adrienne maree brown, a writer and activist known for her work on emergent strategy and social justice, explores profound themes surrounding darkness and light in our lives. She distinguishes between creative and destructive darkness and critiques cultural fears shaped by colonialism. adrienne emphasizes the importance of community care, indigenous wisdom, and finding hope amid societal decline. She also provides practical steps for individual roles in change, encouraging listeners to embrace compassion and hidden acts of care for collective growth.
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Darkness Is Multifaceted Not Monolithic
- adrienne maree brown argues darkness contains many kinds of meaning, from birthing and erotic darkness to ignorant, destructive darkness.
- She separates mysterious dark matter from harmful 'black hole' energies that consume attention and agency.
Control Your Attention Deliberately
- Do take agency over your attention and avoid obsessing over destructive figures or forces like a 'black hole' that will consume you.
- Shift focus to protecting yourself and building what sustains your community instead.
Fear Of Mystery Stems From Control
- adrienne locates fear of darkness in the ‘white imagination’ that demands control, categorization, and dismissal of mystery.
- She contrasts indigenous systems that make room for shadow roles with Western refusal to respectfully engage darker energies.
