“She had an inside and an outside now and suddenly she knew how not to mix them.” -Zora Neale Hurston There can be no liberation without a commitment to living. It’s Gemini season, and life (with all of its chaos and beauty) abounds! In today’s episode, We begin with a recognition that this tropical Gemini new moon brought some clarity with its heaviness. Then Brendane sits with Amber Starks, aka Melanin Mvskoke, to discuss a Black feminist spiritual-political commitment to living. This commitment includes celebration–Brendane turned 31 on Monday–and dedication to honoring oneself and one’s ancestral inheritances. As you listen, may you remember that your life is an ancestral inheritance. You were brought here for this moment, as you are, to live well. Self-compassion and self-forgiveness are essential to surrendering to life, as they allow us to find self-love in moments of imperfection. A recognition of one’s "inside and outside" is necessary to persist in times of chaos, famine, drought, and abundance. Who and what will you hold close as you fight, love, and rest for your life? Tune in now to hear more! Amber Starks (aka Melanin Mvskoke) is an Afro Indigenous (African-American and Native American) advocate, organizer, cultural critic, decolonial theorist, and budding abolitionist. She is an enrolled citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and is also of Shawnee, Yuchi, Quapaw, and Cherokee descent. Her passion is the intersection of Black and Native American identity. Her activism seeks to normalize, affirm, and uplift the multidimensional identities of Black and Native peoples through discourse and advocacy around anti-Blackness, abolishing blood quantum, Black liberation, and Indigenous sovereignty. She hopes to encourage Black and Indigenous peoples to prioritize one another and divest from compartmentalizing struggles. She ultimately believes the partnerships between Black and Indigenous peoples (and all POC) will aid in the dismantling of anti-blackness, white supremacy, and settler colonialism, globally. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science in General Science (emphasis in Biology and Anthropology) from the University of Oregon.Her pronouns are she/her. You can find Amber on Instagram and Twitter @MelaninMvskoke ! Find out more information about the podcast at blacklovedandfreepodcast.com. Donate to the podcast here.
