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imperfectactivista

@imperfectactivista

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Not a main character | Advocate for militant care | The work happens offline | DMs are a blackhole

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Back with some #practicalandtactical guidance for building new worlds - today focused on how to support your homeless neighbors.
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Building relationships with your neighbors (housed and unhoused) and extending networks of community care is abolitionist praxis. My own offline work over the last several years has been heavily focused on supporting unhoused NYCers. While I have numerous lessons to share from these experiences, the most important advice I can give is: RESPECT THE AUTONOMY, AGENCY, AND DIGNITY OF YOUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS. Listen directly to their experiences and needs. Take their word for it (not what non profits or pop culture or housed activists like me might say). Resists any urge to judge, moralize, or infantilize.
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If you’ve never slept on the streets, you will never know the calculus of everyday decisions that your homeless neighbors are making. As @brightblackhoney points out “beggars are the best choosers.” You need not understand someone’s choices to understand that those choices are theirs to make.
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Move with respect and most everything else will follow..
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SEEK THE SOURCES: Slides 1-4 comes from @stopthesweepsdc and video is by @brightblackhoney (do follow both directly and support their work). @stopthesweepsdc has several campaigns that need support. You can show your gratitude to @brightblackhoney on Venmo @ jamilla-Camille and Cashapp $Jamilla8 Remaining slides are excerpts from a Jan 2025 but again please prioritize listening to people with embodied experiences- some of those I cite in piece include @thhheohenderson @itscourtdourt and @stinkylilfriend Full essay (see imperfectactivista.substack.com) includes links and addl credits.
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#homelessness #communitycare #collectiveliberation #mutualaid

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