Anti-Racist Blogging
Hi friends!
Thanks for joining me. I’ve never thought of myself as a blogger, and yet here I am. I launched this site on April 30th, 2021, and the next day I asked my instagram followers if I wrote a blog, would they read it. So many people said yes! I was astounded by the response. I am definitely still getting used to the idea that people want to hear/read what I have to say. After I got that encouragement, I set up a blog page on my website and started researching blogging tips. However, I quickly realized that most of the suggestions went against my way of being because they were based on a capitalist mindset and system of production. As such, I decided to scrap all that and take a few weeks to decide how I want to put words out onto the internet.
In addition to identifying some topics I am considering writing about related to anti-colonialism/anti-racism, art, community, and counselling/mental wellness, I determined some ways I am incorporating anti-capitalism and anti-racism into my practice of blogging:
Taking my time. One of the main tips I saw was to make a schedule, such as one blog post per week, and stick to it. While I think it can be helpful to create habits to maintain motivation and momentum, I decided that I want to write when I want to write and not force myself to abide by a metric of productivity that leaves me with feelings of stress and urgency. Although I will aim to post semi-regularly (e.g., once or twice a month), I prioritize my rest and well-being.
Cultivating a space of learning. I find there is a lot of pressure to ensure (near) perfection before publishing, but I want to move away from that. I am continually learning, I will make mistakes, I don’t know about so much, and I am open to growth. This means there’s a good chance I will change my mind, contradict myself, and/or have blank spots. I invite you to learn alongside me too!
Creating community and collectivity. I want this blog to be a collective space that belongs to community. Thus, while I will be the main author, I will keep comments open for discussions and invite others to (co-)write for the blog too. This does not mean the space is a free for all because we are in relationship with one another (see also point below). Further, I do encourage you to share your ideas in the comment section and reach out if you’d like to (co-)write a post.
Upholding a consent-based culture. To me, consent culture is when I do not assume or coerce access to you and you do not assume or coerce access to me. As such, although the website will be available 24/7, I am not. I will try my best to monitor comments and emails, but this also goes back to the first point of taking my time and protecting my energy. Similarly, for my part, I will include content notes and this is a purely opt-in system for you. Some people recommended gathering emails by offering a “free” resource for subscriptions, but I reject this strategy. I don’t want to force my way into your inbox or onto your screens, so click here if you want to subscribe. Please, I want you to take care of yourself and honour your capacity.
Working to ensure accessibility. I endeavour to keep this blog as structurally, financially, and linguistically accessible as possible. This means I aim to keep the text readable and include alt text/captions for images and I will never use a paywall to access content. While I do not expect pay for the contents of this blog, if you gain something from it and have the means, you are welcome to contact me about e-transferring a bit of funds, which I will share with co-authors. Furthermore, although I only know English, I will try to maintain understandable language for most English readers.
Recognizing my own humanity. While this point is infused in all the others, I also wanted to speak to it more specifically. I am a person with fluctuating capacities and certain positionalities. I am a chronically ill, queer, and nonbinary person of colour who is also a survivor. At the same time, I also hold immense settler, educational, thin, citizenship, light skin, and housing privilege. I hold these social locations, my canto/toisan ancestry, and all the complexities of them with dignity, humility, and the knowledge that they impact everything I do. I don’t claim any objectivity with anything I write or say, and sometimes it might get messy, but that’s okay.
Honouring the land and its ancestral caretakers. I reside on lək̓ʷəŋən Homelands, right on the Salish Sea and home to garry oak meadows and friendly cedar trees. Through colonization, the rightful stewards were divided into the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations. Indigenous sovereignty, locally and internationally, is at the foundation of everything I do. I believe in justice and liberation for all, and that means giving the land and water back and walking on this earth in a good way. I am still figuring out how a blog fits into this beyond anti-colonial discussions to more concrete ways. I am looking forward to figuring it out together.
This list is a start, and I (or you) will possibly come up with additional points. For now, I think this is a pretty good beginning. Thank you so much for being here.
Warmly,
Macayla :)
Kwetlal / camas on lək̓ʷəŋən Territory.
This Indigenous plant is currently in bloom! For thousands of years, local Nations, including the lək̓ʷəŋən Peoples, cultivated and harvested kwetlal / camas and ate the nutritious bulb that grows underground. Please be careful not to tread on these significant plants. Learn more about kwetlal here.
lək̓ʷəŋən is pronounced le-kwung-en.
