Have you heard about Tamùkke Feminists?
They are an intersectional feminist collective that centers community care, women’s rights and gender justice in Guyana.
I had the opportunity to join one of Tamukke’s discussions, ‘Under the Benab’ a while back. It was just a couple of members with some blankets and snacks talking in the park.
It had been a while since I’ve put on my critical thinking cap when it comes to feminist-centered issues, and boy, did I have some thinking to do.
We got conversation prompts like how to be an ally to marginalized groups like the disabled community and even probed our personal ills with being a woman. I think my response to the prompt ‘what would I do differently if there were no limits’ was ‘burn all my bras’. A statement I stand by.
#freethetitties2023
I even raised the question to the group, “If you could choose to not be a woman, would you?” I loved that the majority said they wouldn’t change. For all the muck that women go through just for simply existing, there’s so much beauty in it too. I love how we shift like moon phases and seasons; how women are catalysts for change. I am a proud agent of chaos and I wouldn’t choose otherwise for the world.
Listening to everyone sharing their thoughts reminded me why I started this blog. My biggest takeaway from this was the importance of community. You underestimate how much a simple head nod of agreement can mean when you’ve been holding back on sharing bits of yourself and what lives in your heart.
And as much as we all say we don’t care what people have to say about us, fact is, it does matter. You spend most of your life around people. Whether they’re quality or trash, if they’re around you enough they will influence the kind of person you end up being.
As a woman, I want to be in community with women: women who speak life into me, who pray over me, who raise the bar and celebrate their sisters when they raise the bar too. Sisterhood is a sacred love language. These kinds of women are a blessing and a half.
The affirmation I got from this collective was a much needed jolt in the right direction to reassess my role in shaping this community. You could have all the good intentions in the world but if you don’t know how to spend your energy, your impact won’t be what it needs to be. You might even make things worse.
I may not kumbaya with every woman in the world – cause Jah knows some crasses lurk in dark places – but the world is too big and ever growing to push down on another woman. Even crasses. So I’m going back to the drawing board.
Shout out to Tamukke for being a safe space. This won’t be the last time I mention them so be sure to check them out and get some inspiration on how you can make changes where you are.
