Let’s Shape-shift

Who said that the hood had to be dangerous? There were times when Black and Brown congregation was affiliated with joy, food, and belonging – not violence. Now replaced by the common understanding that Black and Brown geographies are inherently plighted, these communities are deprived of the resources they need to truly thrive, perpetuating the dangerous cycle of scarcity. This lecture uses narratives of poverty-induced gun violence, poetry, data, and solutions-based theorizing to imagine and realize communities where gun violence does not exist.

Like many, Eva Maria was told by the likes of educators and others that her success has been in spite of her background. Through a lens of decolonization and ancestral perseverance, she discovered that her ability to cultivate is a direct result of her upbringing and community. Since this discovery, Eva Maria’s impact has reached new heights. This lecture and seminar-style talk, brought together through media, poetry, and song, seeks to help others come to embrace their adversity in order to create new pathways of possibility, justice, and oasis. This is an especially powerful experience for students, entrepreneurs, and women from disenfranchised backgrounds.

Spiritual connectivity can free humanity from the rampant effects of colonialism and white supremacy. Spirituality as in one’s sense of self, purpose, and faith. The most marginalized suffer from a lack of safety, security, resources and empowerment, causing a negative impact on the spirit. Enactors of this hate, violence, greed, and oppression also suffer from a disconnection that keeps communities in dissonance and apartheid. This lecture explores the role of spiritual connection and faith in the decolonial journey, as well as the effects of prioritizing spiritual wellness in liberatory praxis. Although not required, this lecture can be amended to appeal directly to those of Christian faith.