(June 2020) – This recording is pulled from the June 18, 2020 Campaign Kickoff event for Cynthia Mendes. Mendes is running for office in the 2020 elections for Senate District 18, East Providence, Riverside, and Pawtucket, RI.

I do not endorse political candidates, but I do support making room for the voices, talents, and leadership of women of color, and I do believe radical change needs to happen in as many spaces as possible. I also had some thoughts on community, leadership, joyfulness, Black Love, and resistance that I wanted to express. Mendes’ event, for me personally, and her campaign, in general, offers space for people desperately seeking out alternative solutions and next steps in the wake of continued violence against Black and Brown communities, and stubborn forms of oppression threatening lives everyday. It was inspiring to hear her message and to co-present with the other speakers and community members. #BlackLivesMatter #SayHerName

Reza Rites Poetry/Track Info:

  • Tree Roots
  • Raised on Subtle Forms of Black Consciousness
  • The Woman in Blue
  • Something About Erasure