“I've been Black, Muslim, queer, and gender diverse my whole life, so, if I let fear stop me, I wouldn't be here.” These are the words of Oklahoma State Representative Mauree Turner, who knows all too well what it means to live at the intersection of multiple marginalized identities, yet Turner insists upon liberation, freedom, and the right to exist.

At the Center for Nonviolence, we meet people at the intersections, because we, too, exist and live there. We are Black, Brown, Queer, and Immigrant. We are the descendants of Afrikans, stolen from the Motherland and brought to America under the yoke of colonization, and we are the descendants of those who came to America seeking asylum, freedom, and a better way of life.

For many of us who live at the intersections, freedom comes late. It came late for enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas who were denied their liberation until June 19th, 1865, and it came late for queer communities who, until the early 70s, were forced to live their lives in darkness and shadows.

In June, we celebrate Pride and commemorate the struggle for freedom and liberation. We take joy in the power and beauty represented in the prisms of the Rainbow flag, and we marvel at the strength and determination of Black Americans who survived colonization. Let us all honor, today and every day, those who live at the intersections – those who, like Rep. Mauree Turner, insist upon their right to exist.

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We are so grateful for the support we received on April 21st during the Give Greater Allen County day of giving.

Together we raised $2,460!

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