"it's a Vibe": Belonging, Healing, and Liberation in Community Spaces by Us and for Us
Sponsor
This work was supported by the Washington Education Association [Grant Office ID: A149257].
Published In
Equity & Excellence in Education
Document Type
Citation
Publication Date
10-9-2023
Abstract
Through conceptual framing of “a vibe” and abolitionist teaching, our study explored the self-determining work of Black and other People of the Global Majority (PGM) who have curated “by us, for us” (BUFU) community spaces of belonging, healing, and liberation. We asked where PGM community members were finding refuge and what healing and abolition-centered work looked like in BUFU spaces during a spring and summer of viral and violent attacks and disproportionate deaths of Black folks and other PGM. Through engagement with two Black-led organizations, a community survey, and interviews, we identified three interrelated themes that characterized these community spaces. First, the spaces had soulful vibes cultivated through food, music, artwork, and the PGM folks who frequented them. Second, they offered healing vibes that allowed participants to exhale and find refuge from white supremacy and surveillance. Lastly, they were spaces that embodied abolitionist vibes evident in knowledge sharing, freedom dreaming, and calls for collective action.
Rights
© 2023 University of Massachusetts Amherst College of Education
Locate the Document
DOI
10.1080/10665684.2023.2262477
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/41663
Citation Details
Washington, S. A., Mendoza Chui, K., Ramirez, J. I., & Germinaro, K. (2023). “It’s a Vibe”: Belonging, Healing, and Liberation in Community Spaces By Us and For Us. Equity & Excellence in Education, 1–16.