POC ZINE PROJECT

Three-year anniversary statement

Imagine that your path to self actualization is like crossing a rushing, dangerous river — and the only way to get across is by accessing stepping stones in the water.

Now, pretend that each of those stones is a form of media you reference in your daily life. You will see that certain people are drawn to certain stones. Different variables create inequality, which informs progress (or lack of).

You’ll see how some people, particularly white people invested in keeping people of color from moving forward, prevent a lot of self actualizing from happening. You’ll see it in real time and in the history of this river (life).

POC Zine Project is about cultivating stepping stones — points of cultural reference — for people of color to utilize and draw strength & healing from on their path.

We are here to disrupt.

We’re connecting people to life lines.

We’re empowering people of color to create new maps for self actualization, while identifying existing ones.

We’re both educating and learning from allies, who evolve along with us.

From this paradigm, you will begin to understand why POCZP is an experiment in activism and community through materiality, and why we are committed to being a space of healing for people of color.

Through the duration of this project, we will change all the time, because our community is changing all the time. We are growing, learning, collaborating and thriving — all the time. We are constantly observing, assessing, reflecting, revising and evolving.

We both live inside academia and in direct opposition to it.

We embrace our existence as a blessed bundle of contradictions devoted to supporting self actualization and liberation for POC.

After three years at this, we are proud to declare it:

We are POC Zine Project and our mission is to make zines by people of color easy to find, distribute and share.

We are an experiment in activism and community through materiality, and function as an advocacy platform and incubator for liberation.

Thank you for your support.

———————————————————

ABOUT THE RACE RIOT! TOUR

POC Zine Project held its first Race Riot! Tour in 2012, producing 20 events in 14 cities, which included speaking engagements at six universities. Click here to view photos from the POC Zine Project: 2012 Race Riot! Tour tour finale at Death By Audio in Brooklyn and access all the tour stop recaps.

STAY INFORMED

We will be taking the Race Riot! Tour through 14 more cities in 2013. Stay tuned!

Facebook.com/POCZineProject

Twitter.com/poczineproject

poczineproject.tumblr.com

SUPPORT POC ZINE PROJECT

If everyone in our community gave $1, we would more than meet our fundraising goal for 2013. If you have it to spare, we appreciate your support. All funds go to our 2013 tour and the poverty zine series.

DONATE link via PayPal: http://bit.ly/SHdmyh

You can also send well-concealed cash or a check! Email daniela@dcapmedia.com for details or if you have questions.

Info about the poverty zine series: http://bit.ly/RLVTVt

<3,

POC Zine Project

amazing initiative. keep it up. reading these zines with outspoken poc voices have empowered me and given me even more motivation to write my stories and continue the discussions.” — Jane Porter, Zsa Zsa Zine

Community,

We get messages like these every day through Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook, and via email. Thank you for your support and positive thoughts. We are all creating culture together, and our own liberation.

Our vision for 2013 is to keep doing what we’re already doing: exploring the possibilities of activism and community through materiality — in spaces digital and physical.

There’s so much more to see and do. Let’s embrace our hopes and fears and make it happen … together.

xo Daniela Capistrano

Founder, POC Zine Project

ABOUT JANE PORTER

Jane, who contacted us through Facebook looking for physical copies of Race Riot #1 and #2 (we’re hooking them up!), is part of Zsa Zsa Zine, a queer feminist zine/comic library collective based in Amsterdam.

Zsa Zsa Zine is “a space for zinefreaks, comicfans, zinesters, artists, and every one else who loves comics, zines, coffee and cupcakes. You can watch, read, draw, write, paint, cut & paste, eat, drink, hang out ( or over) or even fall a sleep! We like to focus on (self identified) women, queers and feminist comic and zine artists but of course everyone interested is super welcome!”

Location: Fort van Sjakoo, Jodenbreestraat 24, centre of Amsterdam

Say Hi: zsazsazine@squat.net

—-

ABOUT POC ZINE PROJECT

POC Zine Project’s mission is to makes ALL zines by POC (People of Color) easy to find, distribute and share. We are an experiment in activism and community through materiality.

ABOUT THE RACE RIOT! TOUR

POC Zine Project held it’s first-ever Race Riot! Tour, producing 20 events in 14 cities, which included speaking engagements at six universities. Our time at the University of Maryland was part of the tour. Click here to view photos from the POC Zine Project: 2012 Race Riot! Tour tour finale at Death By Audio in Brooklyn and access all the tour stop recaps.

STAY INFORMED

We will be taking the Race Riot! tour through 14 more cities in 2013. Stay tuned!

Facebook.com/POCZineProject

Twitter.com/poczineproject

poczineproject.tumblr.com

SUPPORT POC ZINE PROJECT

DONATE link via PayPal: http://bit.ly/SHdmyh

You can also send well-concealed cash or a check! Email daniela@dcapmedia.com for details or if you have questions.

Info about the poverty zine series: http://bit.ly/RLVTVt

Happy New Year!

Love,

POC Zine Project

posted 31 December, 2012
by poczineproject
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Race Riot! Tour Recap: Bloomington! @ Rachael’s Cafe on Oct 2, 2012

It began to rain during our drive through Indiana. The van grew quiet as Mariam expertly navigated all the blocked roads. It felt like we were meant to stay for a while, or at least being encouraged to enjoy the scenery for just a little longer.

Living in the moment.

We watched the fields of corn, stoic cows and farm equipment fly by in a series of colorful blurs as we raced to make our event at Rachael’s Cafe in Bloomington, IN, organized by Sparky Taylor.

After a series of detours, we made it several minutes late to Rachael’s Cafe, where a sizable crowd already congregated with their coffee and lively chatter.

Doing our thing with very little time to prepare is something we are now experts at. We hooked up our projector, set up the Race Riot! mall and got things started.

First up was Bella, a guest reader who is a writer from Bloomington. I don’t have a picture of her, sorry!

After that, Osa read from her new Shotgun Seamstress compilation book, out now on Mend My Dress Press.

- The photo above this caption is by L. Garrett. Thanks!

Osa in motion

Anna Vo went next:

- The photo above this caption is by L. Garrett.

Part of the audience last night at Rachael’s Cafe. It was packed!

Mariam Bastani holds (l to r) Slander, Shotgun Seamstress and Fix My Head

Mimi Thi Nguyen listens intently to Anna Vo during her reading. Osa, behind her, does the same.

Mariam tests the audience’s racist symbols knowledge.

Osa and Anna watch Mariam in action.

Mariam calls out white supremacy in her on point, in-your-face style:

- The photo above this caption is by L. Garrett.

Mimi breaks it down.

- The photo above this caption is by L. Garrett.

Daniela shares examples of how poc and allies can collaborate in small but significant ways to create change.

- The photo above this caption is by L. Garrett.

Cristy was the last reader for the night.

- The photo above this caption is by L. Garrett.

Eric, of the Liberation Frequency Media Collective based out of Louisville, Kentucky, is presently on a filming tour and will be in NYC very soon. Here he is with Mimi:

Sparky Taylor shows Mimi her cat tattoo. Thanks for being such a great host and organizer, Sparky! <3

Race Riot! attendees at Rachael’s Cafe discuss collaborating after the show.

Tonight we have a show at Skylab Gallery in Columbus, OH! In addition to our multimedia readings, there will be music by Nerve Wracking and collage style experimental shorts by Alexis McCrimmon.

If you’re in the area, come through and please help us signal boost. <3 Thanks fam.

1) We’re doing a zine about this tour, so if you were part of any of the events, let us know if you want to contribute.

2) We’re doing a national conference in 2014.

3) We love you.

ABOUT POC ZINE PROJECT

POC Zine Project’s mission is to make zines by people of color easy to find, distribute and share - community and activism through materiality. We are touring through 12 cities from Sept 24 - Oct 7.

STAY INFORMED

poczineproject.tumblr.com

facebook.com/poczineproject

twitter.com/poczineproject

All tour dates: http://bit.ly/PeEgaR

TOUR RECAPS ARCHIVE

Oct 7: Death By Audio - Brooklyn

Oct 6: University of Maryland + Brickhaus - College Park and Baltimore

Oct 5: St. Stephen & the Incarnation Episcopal Church - Washington, D.C.

Oct 4: University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh

Oct 3: Skylab - Columbus

Oct 2: Rachael’s Cafe - Bloomington