What Womxn of Color Organizing Has Taught Me​

By Sienna Kaske

*An incomplete list of some of the things that I have learned through my positions on and off campus*

1. Self-love practices are absolutely necessary to do while engaging with equity work

2. Rest...really rest. Don’t rest to get back to your projects, but rest for yourself

3. You gotta share the vision in your brain! Really communicate what you envision

4. Redefine how you view success for yourself. Are you placing expectations you have on yourself on others?

5. You need to find people outside your organization you trust

6. Build a community of folks that’ll question you, push back on your ideas, and check you when needed

7. W.A.I.T.

a.Why are you talking girl? We know you the shit, step back once in awhile

8. Remember that everything that you do is for the future and the present and built off of the past womxn of color organizers

9. Constantly be in acknowledgement of privilege and settler-colonial habits and make space to unlearn those habits and make space and center queer and Black and Indigenous voices

10. The institution or system you’re working within will never love you

11. Make time for yourself (this is so important)

12. Always consult...always consult

13. You gotta be able to adapt to everything and go with the flow

14. You. Are. Doing. Enough.

15. Say No or delegate

16. You won’t be able to do any of the amazing things you hope to do if you don’t nourish yourself! Remember to eat!

17. Start peeling off the mask you appear to wear so well (I’m struggling with this)

18. Write down your thoughts! You are a historian!!

19. Get multiple mentors with similar identities to you

20. Building community is a radical act