TEDWomen 2017
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa: Black life at the intersection of birth and death
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"It is the artist's job to unearth stories that people try to bury with shovels of complacency and time," says poet and freedom fighter Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa. Performing her poem "The Joys of Motherhood," Katwiwa explores the experience of Black mothers in America and discusses the impact of the Movement for Black Lives -- because, she says, it's impossible to separate the two.
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa - Writer, youth worker, freedom fighter
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa is a storyteller, a truth-teller, a builder and breaker trying to figure out what it means to be human in a world that removes so much of our humanity in order to survive. Full bio
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa is a storyteller, a truth-teller, a builder and breaker trying to figure out what it means to be human in a world that removes so much of our humanity in order to survive. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
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My name is Mwende Katwiwa
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and I am a poet,
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a Pan-Africanist
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and a freedom fighter.
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I was 23 years old
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when I first heard
about Reproductive Justice.
about Reproductive Justice.
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I was working at Women with a Vision,
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where I learned that Reproductive Justice
was defined by Sister Song as:
was defined by Sister Song as:
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One: A woman's right to decide
if and when she will have a baby
if and when she will have a baby
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and the conditions
under which she will give birth.
under which she will give birth.
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Two: A woman's right
to decide if she will not have a baby
to decide if she will not have a baby
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and her options for preventing
or ending a pregnancy.
or ending a pregnancy.
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And three: A woman's right
to parent the children she already has
to parent the children she already has
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in safe and healthy environments
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without fear of violence
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from individuals or the government.
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I've always wanted to be a mother.
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Growing up, I heard
all about the joys of motherhood.
all about the joys of motherhood.
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I used to dream of watching my womb
weave wonder into this world.
weave wonder into this world.
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See, I knew I was young.
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But I figured,
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it couldn't hurt to start planning
for something so big, so early.
for something so big, so early.
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But now,
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I'm 26 years old.
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And I don't know if I have what it takes
to stomach motherhood in this country.
to stomach motherhood in this country.
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See, over the years, America
has taught me more about parenting
has taught me more about parenting
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than any book on the subject.
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It has taught me how some women
give birth to babies
give birth to babies
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and others to suspects.
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It has taught me
that this body will birth kin
that this body will birth kin
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who are more likely
to be held in prison cells
to be held in prison cells
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than to hold college degrees.
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There is something
about being Black in America
about being Black in America
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that has made motherhood seem
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complicated.
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Seem like,
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I don't know what to do
to raise my kids right
to raise my kids right
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and keep them alive.
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Do I tell my son not to steal
because it is wrong,
because it is wrong,
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or because they will use it
to justify his death?
to justify his death?
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Do I tell him
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that even if he pays
for his Skittles and sweet tea
for his Skittles and sweet tea
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there will still be those
who will watch him
who will watch him
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and see a criminal before child;
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who will call the police
and not wait for them to come.
and not wait for them to come.
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Do I even want the police to come?
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Too many Sean Bells go off in my head
when I consider calling 911.
when I consider calling 911.
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I will not take it for Oscar Grant-ed
that they will not come and kill my son.
that they will not come and kill my son.
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So, we may have gotten rid
of the nooses,
of the nooses,
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but I still consider it lynching
when they murder Black boys
when they murder Black boys
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and leave their bodies
for four hours in the sun.
for four hours in the sun.
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As a historical reminder
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that there is something
about being Black in America
about being Black in America
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that has made motherhood sound
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like mourning.
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Sound like one morning I could wake up
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and see my son as a repeat
of last week's story.
of last week's story.
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Sound like I could wake up and realize
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the death of my daughter
wouldn't even be newsworthy.
wouldn't even be newsworthy.
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So you can't tell me that Sandra Bland
is the only Black woman
is the only Black woman
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whose violence deserves
more than our silence.
more than our silence.
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What about our other
dark-skinned daughters in distress
dark-skinned daughters in distress
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whose deaths we have yet to remember?
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What about our children
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whose lives don't fit neatly
between the lives of your genders?
between the lives of your genders?
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See, apparently,
nothing is a great protector
nothing is a great protector
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if you come out of a body
that looks like this.
that looks like this.
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See, there is something
about being Black in America
about being Black in America
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that has made motherhood sound
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like something I'm not sure
I look forward to.
I look forward to.
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I've written too many poems
about dead Black children to be naïve
about dead Black children to be naïve
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about the fact that there could one day
be a poem written about my kids.
be a poem written about my kids.
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But I do not want to be a mother
who gave birth to poems.
who gave birth to poems.
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I do not want a stanza for a son
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nor a line for a little girl
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nor a footnote for a child
who doesn't fit into this world.
who doesn't fit into this world.
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No.
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I do not want children
who will live forever
who will live forever
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in the pages of poetry,
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yet can't seem to outlive
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me.
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(Applause)
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I was invited to the TEDWomen conference
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to perform a poem.
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But for me, poetry is not
about art and performance.
about art and performance.
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It is a form of protest.
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Yesterday,
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during rehearsal,
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I was told that there had been
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two to three recent TED Talks
about Black Lives Matter.
about Black Lives Matter.
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That maybe I should cut down my TED Talk
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so it could "just" be
about Reproductive Justice.
about Reproductive Justice.
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But that poem and this talk
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is fundamentally about
my inability to separate the two.
my inability to separate the two.
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I was 21 years old --
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(Applause)
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I was 21 years old
when Trayvon Martin was murdered.
when Trayvon Martin was murdered.
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Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Black boy,
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a Black child,
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reminded me
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reminded us
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how little this nation
actually values Black life.
actually values Black life.
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The hashtag #BlackLivesMatter
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became the most recognized call
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for Black people and our children
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to live in safe environments
and healthy communities
and healthy communities
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without fear
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from violence from individuals
or the state or government.
or the state or government.
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Months later,
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when George Zimmerman
was not held responsible
was not held responsible
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for murdering Trayvon Martin,
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I heard Sybrina Fulton,
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Trayvon Martin's mother, speak.
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Her testimony so deeply impacted me
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that I found myself constantly asking,
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what would it mean to mother
in the United Stated of America
in the United Stated of America
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in this skin?
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What does motherhood really mean,
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when for so many who look like me
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it is synonymous with mourning?
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Without realizing it,
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I had begun to link
the Reproductive Justice framework
the Reproductive Justice framework
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and the Movement for Black Lives.
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As I learned more
about Reproductive Justice
about Reproductive Justice
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at Women With A Vision,
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and as I continued to be active
in the Movement for Black Lives,
in the Movement for Black Lives,
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I found myself wanting others
to see and feel these similarities.
to see and feel these similarities.
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I found myself asking:
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Whose job is it in times like this
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to connect ideas realities and people?
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I want to dedicate this talk and that poem
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to Constance Malcolm.
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She is the mother of Ramarley Graham
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who was another Black child
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who was murdered before their time.
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She reminded me once over dinner,
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as I was struggling to write that poem,
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that it is the artist's job
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to unearth stories that people try to bury
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with shovels of complacency and time.
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Recently,
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Toni Morrison wrote,
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"In times of dread,
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artists must never choose
to remain silent.
to remain silent.
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There is no time for self-pity,
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no room for fear."
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Yesterday, during rehearsal,
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when I was told that I should
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"maybe cut the Black Lives Matter
portion from my talk,"
portion from my talk,"
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I found myself fearful for a moment.
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Fearful that again
our stories were being denied
our stories were being denied
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the very stages
they deserve to be told on.
they deserve to be told on.
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And then I remembered
the words I had just spoken.
the words I had just spoken.
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"In times of dread,
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artists must never choose
to remain silent.
to remain silent.
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There is no time for self-pity.
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(Applause)
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There is no time for self-pity.
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And no room for fear."
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And I have made my choice.
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And I am always choosing.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa - Writer, youth worker, freedom fighterMwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa is a storyteller, a truth-teller, a builder and breaker trying to figure out what it means to be human in a world that removes so much of our humanity in order to survive.
Why you should listen
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa is a Kenyan Queer Womyn speaker and performer. Katwiwa is an award-winning, internationally touring poet, author, host, youth worker, social-justice speaker, teaching artist and workshop leader who has spent her life at the intersection of arts, education and activism. Her work in Reproductive Justice, the Movement for Black Lives, LGBTQ+ advocacy and poetry have been featured on Upworthy, OkayAfrica, the New York Times, For Harriet, Everyday Feminism and more.
As a writer, Katwiwa has always centered storytelling as an avenue to create change and believes in "speaking things into existence." Her work is heavily influenced by her heritage and her pan-African upbringing, and centers "the other" and "the in between," places she has often found herself occupying as a black, queer immigrant and emigrant. Her experience of the power of words and stories to impact the lives of those sharing and receiving has pushed her to share and teach the craft as a tool of resistance and advocacy.
Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa | Speaker | TED.com