Our vision of Freedom Dreaming: A Call to Imagine envisions a world without racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, classism, etc. We recognize the impact that these multiple and intersecting structures of oppression can negatively have on individuals lives. We believe in elevating the voices of those from marginalized communities who experience oppression in order to call attention these inequalities. We hope to inspire individuals to take action against these injustices by recognizing them to move towards a more just and free society.
History
The seeds for this project were planted over a year ago when the Downtown Brooklyn Arts Management Fellows attended the Brooklyn Conference at the Brooklyn Museum. There guest speaker Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, spoke about her practice of “freedom dreaming”. This concept, originally put forth by professor Robin Kelly, calls us to envision not what we are fighting against, but what we are fighting for.
In exploration of distinguished U.S. History Professor Robin D.G. Kelley’s concept of Freedom Dreaming, the Downtown Brooklyn Arts Management Fellows programmed a community workshop as a manifestation of their own Freedom Dreams as a cohort of women of color working towards equity in non-profit arts management. Freedom Dreaming is a tool that invites us to create the world we dream of by, first, visualizing the future we want to live in, and second, determining the actions that will lead us there.
As the dreams of freedom continue this digital campaign builds on the community program that came before. Visitors to this site are encouraged to create, reflect, and engage with fellow dreamers in a supportive and creative environment. This site will engage with the concept of Freedom Dreaming from multiple angles, including visual art, sound, and personal reflection to demonstrate the numerous ways in which one can Freedom Dream. Our goal is for all users to leave with at least one personal and communal Freedom Dream as well as connections, resources, and action steps to move their dreams forward.
Principles
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Freedom Dreaming means actively uplifting the intricately connected and complex lives and stories of Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian/Pacific Islander, Latin/os/as/x, Arab, Middle Eastern and Multi-ethnic people
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Freedom dreaming is about affirming and respecting all levels of ability, gender identity, sexuality, age, stages of healing, and socio-economic class
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Freedom Dreaming is about connecting people and communities to create shared visions with one another
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Freedom Dreaming means acknowledging and harnessing your own intrinsic power and expertise
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Freedom Dreaming is about listening deeply while unlearning harmful ideologies and ideas
These principles were created by the Downtown Brooklyn Arts Management Fellows as a result of collective discussions as well as input from the larger DBAMF community.
