Compiled by shah noor in collaboration with Marwa Eltahir

OVERVIEW

What is the New Paradigm?

Shaunga Tagore, a queer, non-binary theater artist, writer, speaker informs us that: “The time of relating to one another via cultures of supremacy and extraction is over. A growing number of us are being called into our ancestral purpose. We are here to act as doulas: to assist the dying of the old world paradigm, and co-birth a new world order built on the right relationship. In this special corner of the sky, stories are our specialty. In the spirit of invention and remembering, we share our commitment and contribution to birthing a collective new paradigm.”

This syllabus is designed to initiate and inspire the building of new paradigms. We believe that co-creating imaginative futures is an act of “homecoming” that begins within the Self, grows outward to community, and becomes a collective process of world design.

We are inspired by abolitionist movements, queer studies, feminist theory, and decolonial praxis. We have learned from public intellectuals, activists, artists, and spiritual leaders. Below you will find just some of these inspirations in the form of books, articles, essays, multimedia, films, poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and works of spiritual wisdom.

GOALS

We hope that readers of this syllabus will:

  1. Gain a sense of self-awareness, through reflection towards our own healing
  2. Develop a sense of interconnectedness through community storytelling and sharing
  3. Tap into our lineages, ancestry, and genealogy to begin to craft our own legacies
  4. Build a liberatory practice to express our radical Black imaginations in shared space
  5. Be inspired to create artistic practices, digital tools, and liberatory spaces of homecoming

THEMES

Gathering Self

We recognize that our most authentic selves live inside our bodies, minds, and souls. This syllabus will offer resources for self reflection, awareness, and embodiment. We invite you to learn about yourself, your needs, and your desires. Self determination, agency, and integrating our identities is the first step in revolutionary homemaking.

Community Care

We believe that community, connection, and care are essential to building a sustainable and intentional new world. Our individual liberation is strengthened and determined by our ability to lean into mutual and interdependent communities of care. We hope this syllabus will empower you to find your people and build shared goals. Then, we will see liberation is within reach.

World-Making

We know, in the words of Fannie Lou Hamer, “None of us are free until we are all free.” Crafting new paradigms will require an informed understanding of indigenous knowledge, access to ancestral wisdom, and deep connection to the land. We intend for this syllabus to serve as the genesis for renewed commitments to placemaking, legacy building, and imaginative, creative futures grounded in sacred notions of home.

READING LIST

<aside> 🌐 Module I: Gathering Self

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