Now I see why reading was illegal for black people during slavery. I discover that I think in words. The more words I know, the more things I can think about. My vocab and thoughts grow together like the stem and petals of a flower. Reading was illegal because if you limit someone's vocab, you limit their thoughts. They can't even think of freedom because they don't have the language to.

M. K. Asante

Categorized in : Thinking Reading Flower

The artivist (artist +activist) uses her artistic talents to fight and struggle against injustice and oppression – by any medium necessary. The artivist merges commitment to freedom and justice with the pen, the lens, the brush, the voice, the body, and the imagination. The artivist knows that to make an observation is to have an obligation.

fighting struggle commitment

Love is learning the song in someone's heart and singing it to th... by M. K. Asante

Love is learning the song in someone's heart and singing it to them when they forget.

heart song love-is

I write-down to speak-up. by M. K. Asante

I write-down to speak-up.

speak literature writing

Philly is a state of mind I’m always in. The city is truly a character in its own right, and it’s served me well because the people I was exposed to gave me that cultural rootedness.

cities character people

When you make an observation, you have an obligation. by M. K. Asante

When you make an observation, you have an obligation.

observation obligation

They can’t even think of freedom because they don’t have the lang... by M. K. Asante

They can’t even think of freedom because they don’t have the language to.

language thinking