adrienne maree brown is an author and activist known for her influential concepts of pleasure activism and emergent strategy. In this engaging conversation, she discusses the importance of radical imagination and how it fosters joy and transformative change amidst life's challenges. She explores how nature offers lessons for community building and activism, emphasizing adaptable, interconnected approaches. Additionally, she critiques punitive justice systems, advocating for healing-centered solutions, ultimately highlighting the synergy between creativity, social justice, and personal empowerment.
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Creating a New World
Adrienne Marie Brown's parents, in an interracial marriage in the 1970s, created their own world.
Their spiritual practices emphasized gratitude, compassion, and curiosity.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Embracing Identity
Brown's grandfather initially rejected her queer identity, mirroring his reaction to her parents' interracial marriage.
He eventually embraced her, recognizing their shared spiritual core beyond labels.
insights INSIGHT
Finding Representation
Octavia Butler's science fiction offered Brown protagonists who resembled her, opening up new possibilities.
Butler's solution-oriented, practical approach resonated with Brown's desire for change.
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In 'Pleasure Activism,' Adrienne Maree Brown challenges traditional notions of activism by arguing that pleasure and joy are central to social justice and personal liberation. The book draws on Black feminist traditions and includes essays, reflections, and contributions from various feminist thinkers such as Audre Lorde, Octavia Butler, and Sonya Renee Taylor. It covers a wide range of topics including sex work, climate change, race, gender, and the politics of pleasure. Brown advocates for a mindset shift in activism, suggesting that feeling good is not frivolous but essential for collective liberation and personal fulfillment[3][4][5].
We Will Not Cancel Us
And Other Dreams of Transformative Justice
Malkia Devich Cyril
adrienne maree brown
Loving Corrections
adrienne maree brown
Adrienne Maree Brown's "Loving Corrections" offers a framework for navigating conflict and fostering transformative change within communities. The book emphasizes the importance of love and accountability in addressing systemic issues and promoting healing. Brown draws on her experience as a facilitator and activist to provide practical strategies for navigating difficult conversations and building stronger relationships. The book explores the concept of 'emergent strategy,' a flexible and adaptable approach to social change that emphasizes collaboration and collective action. It encourages readers to embrace vulnerability and engage in honest dialogue to create more just and equitable societies.
Parable of the Sower
Octavia Butler
Published in 1993, 'Parable of the Sower' is a dark and vivid portrayal of a future where global climate change and economic crises have led to social chaos. The story is told through the diary entries of Lauren Olamina, a 15-year-old Black girl living in a gated community near Los Angeles. Lauren suffers from hyperempathy, a condition that makes her feel the pain and pleasure of others. As her community is destroyed by external threats, Lauren embarks on a perilous journey north, developing a new faith called Earthseed along the way. Earthseed's central doctrine is that 'God is Change' and cannot be resisted, but can be influenced. The novel explores themes of survival, faith, family, hope, and community in a world torn apart by environmental devastation, economic collapse, and violence.
The Uses of the Erotic
The Erotic as Power
Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde's "The Uses of the Erotic" is a powerful essay exploring the erotic as a source of power and creativity. Lorde argues that the erotic is not merely sexual but encompasses a range of experiences that connect us to our deepest selves and our creative potential. She challenges the societal suppression of the erotic, particularly for women and people of color, and emphasizes its importance in fostering self-knowledge and social change. The essay's central theme is the reclamation of the erotic as a vital force for personal and political transformation. Lorde's work has had a profound impact on feminist and queer theory, inspiring generations to embrace their sensuality and power.
Octavia's Brood
Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements
Je Nie Fleming
Walidah Imarisha
adrienne maree brown
Octavia's Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements, co-edited by Adrienne Maree Brown and Walidah Imarisha, is a collection of speculative fiction stories that explore themes of social justice and liberation. The stories envision alternative futures and challenge dominant narratives, offering powerful insights into the struggles and triumphs of marginalized communities. The anthology features diverse voices and perspectives, reflecting the richness and complexity of social justice movements. It serves as a powerful tool for imagining and creating a more just and equitable world. The book's speculative fiction approach allows readers to engage with complex social issues in a creative and thought-provoking way. It inspires readers to envision and work towards a better future.
We Do This Till We Free Us
We Do This Till We Free Us
Miriam Kaba
Maroons
adrienne maree brown
The wonderful civil rights elder Vincent Harding liked to look around the world for what he called "live human signposts" — human beings who embody ways of seeing and becoming and who point the way forward to the world we want to inhabit. And adrienne maree brown, who has inspired worlds of social creativity with her notions of "pleasure activism" and "emergent strategy," is surely one of these.
We're listening with new ears as she brings together so many of the threads that have recurred in this season of On Being: on looking the harsh complexity of this world full in the face while dancing with joy as life force and fuel, and on keeping clear eyes on the reasons for ecological despair while giving oneself over to a loving apprenticeship with the natural world as teacher and guide. A love of visionary science fiction also finds a robust place in her work and this conversation. She altogether shines a light on an emerging ecosystem in our world over and against the drumbeat of what is fractured and breaking — the cultivation of old and new ways of seeing, towards a transformative wholeness of living.
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