A Black Family Liberates
Donation protected
Our family is releasing another relationship that has tied us to the systemic violence we have resisted. We are wild, children of the vortex of allowing, free people that are now submitting to a pivot in our concept of house and home.
As of March 12-13, 2020 it was made clear that our house is not our own. From July-October 2019, in the midst of getting married- our unit at our housing coop was having issues with mold and debris from renovations on another unit and water damage in our unit from a leaking roof that had gone unchecked since at least 2017. We wrote emails, filed work requests and was in constant contact with the management and board of the coop, finally in November we began to withhold condo fees.
We each experienced the unmistakable symptoms of upper respiratory infections which only subsided as we did aggressive treatments using both plant medicine and pharmaceuticals. (We left our house for a month to celebrate our union in October 2019, bringing 30 members of our family to our Joshua Tree site of what will be a retreat space centering queer artists of color.)
The board of our coop has conspired with their lawyer (Baritz legal firm of Philadelphia) to create a pathway for them to evict us. We have had important mail go missing for our court filings and most recently, in the midst of this public health crisis the board of the FRIENDS NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING COOPERATIVE made a unanimous decision to eject us from our home. We were given less than 24 hrs notice to prepare to leave.
We want to note that we do not owe the coop any monies. We were up to date at the time of our eviction and they owe us money for the balance of our prorated fees for March. We have worked very hard to provide for our family through our social enterprises, and included being owners at FNHC among practices that we felt were smart investments. We have been in meditation with the truth that successful cooperative business absolutely relies on values that supersede money and generosity that cannot be quantified. This moment is affirming and drawing us more fully into this reality.
Because home is where the heart is, we, recognising the actual economies and ecologies where we want to spend our currency (cash, labor, intellect) considered retracing our migration for answers. We are studying those pathways that our ancestors sojourned, ones that we have individually traveled and those which we have journeyed together. Philadelphia to Puerto Rico has been one such route.
Our family will move to Puerto Rico, where we will build home with our sister’s land as we prepare and gather resources to cultivate our own place in California. Many are asking if we want to fight. The answer is NO. We do not want to invest our resources, including our precious time into a place where there has been no care or consideration for our well-being (the physical conditions are reflective of ongoing social/emotional disrespect). We want to invest in our families’ land and manifest the life that is truest to our authentic selves.
We are aiming to raise $15,000 to jump start this move at a time when both of our income, as pay to play, contractual and direct service workers, is at a complete hault. We have both given endless hours toward community based, centered and serving work and are asking for care and monetary support as we are acknowledging our very deep need.
While we absolutely need time to regroup and tend to our family’s care, we anticipate being able to host brigades again this summer once we are set up. For many that have followed our work, they know that we are endowed with the gift of holding space for other beings to explore wellness and ritual. We’ll be back to that ASAP.
Below is a rough budget. It has helped us to feel ready to ask for support. We are accustomed to presenting budgets for the many projects that we have each had funded through the non-profits we once worked for. We are humbled that at this time folks are responding to the needs of people that are typically the healers, the teachers, the organisers.
A. $3,500 to ship our 7 passenger van to Puerto Rico. (we got a discount because our organisation spent all of 2018 doing brigades to rebuild sustainable food projects across the island)
B. $2,500 as a travel budget to purchase plane tickets and checked baggage for 3 children 2 adults to travel back and forth for the next 3 months (two children will remain in public school in Philadelphia, one will continue to home school).
C. $5,000 Housing and utilities
D. $2,000 Furniture
E. $2,000 Food and medicine
We are asking for one more thing as you share our appeal or contribute. If you are able and willing, please place your hands over your heart and belly. Take a deep breath in and exhale. And if you are able and willing, please say:
Universe, I know that there is a lot of what we do not want happening in the world right now. And, I commit myself to speaking more life into everything that I am wanting more of. Thank you for the opportunity to share with this family. I wish, with my contribution, that this family grows fully into their potential. I hope they continue to be a beacon of possibility for all who meet them. Please Universe, allow these words to reverberate through me to them. May our energetic agreement be unbroken, may many more families be held and provided for in this circle.
Thank you.
Bless you.
Love,
Us
As of March 12-13, 2020 it was made clear that our house is not our own. From July-October 2019, in the midst of getting married- our unit at our housing coop was having issues with mold and debris from renovations on another unit and water damage in our unit from a leaking roof that had gone unchecked since at least 2017. We wrote emails, filed work requests and was in constant contact with the management and board of the coop, finally in November we began to withhold condo fees.
We each experienced the unmistakable symptoms of upper respiratory infections which only subsided as we did aggressive treatments using both plant medicine and pharmaceuticals. (We left our house for a month to celebrate our union in October 2019, bringing 30 members of our family to our Joshua Tree site of what will be a retreat space centering queer artists of color.)
The board of our coop has conspired with their lawyer (Baritz legal firm of Philadelphia) to create a pathway for them to evict us. We have had important mail go missing for our court filings and most recently, in the midst of this public health crisis the board of the FRIENDS NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING COOPERATIVE made a unanimous decision to eject us from our home. We were given less than 24 hrs notice to prepare to leave.
We want to note that we do not owe the coop any monies. We were up to date at the time of our eviction and they owe us money for the balance of our prorated fees for March. We have worked very hard to provide for our family through our social enterprises, and included being owners at FNHC among practices that we felt were smart investments. We have been in meditation with the truth that successful cooperative business absolutely relies on values that supersede money and generosity that cannot be quantified. This moment is affirming and drawing us more fully into this reality.
Because home is where the heart is, we, recognising the actual economies and ecologies where we want to spend our currency (cash, labor, intellect) considered retracing our migration for answers. We are studying those pathways that our ancestors sojourned, ones that we have individually traveled and those which we have journeyed together. Philadelphia to Puerto Rico has been one such route.
Our family will move to Puerto Rico, where we will build home with our sister’s land as we prepare and gather resources to cultivate our own place in California. Many are asking if we want to fight. The answer is NO. We do not want to invest our resources, including our precious time into a place where there has been no care or consideration for our well-being (the physical conditions are reflective of ongoing social/emotional disrespect). We want to invest in our families’ land and manifest the life that is truest to our authentic selves.
We are aiming to raise $15,000 to jump start this move at a time when both of our income, as pay to play, contractual and direct service workers, is at a complete hault. We have both given endless hours toward community based, centered and serving work and are asking for care and monetary support as we are acknowledging our very deep need.
While we absolutely need time to regroup and tend to our family’s care, we anticipate being able to host brigades again this summer once we are set up. For many that have followed our work, they know that we are endowed with the gift of holding space for other beings to explore wellness and ritual. We’ll be back to that ASAP.
Below is a rough budget. It has helped us to feel ready to ask for support. We are accustomed to presenting budgets for the many projects that we have each had funded through the non-profits we once worked for. We are humbled that at this time folks are responding to the needs of people that are typically the healers, the teachers, the organisers.
A. $3,500 to ship our 7 passenger van to Puerto Rico. (we got a discount because our organisation spent all of 2018 doing brigades to rebuild sustainable food projects across the island)
B. $2,500 as a travel budget to purchase plane tickets and checked baggage for 3 children 2 adults to travel back and forth for the next 3 months (two children will remain in public school in Philadelphia, one will continue to home school).
C. $5,000 Housing and utilities
D. $2,000 Furniture
E. $2,000 Food and medicine
We are asking for one more thing as you share our appeal or contribute. If you are able and willing, please place your hands over your heart and belly. Take a deep breath in and exhale. And if you are able and willing, please say:
Universe, I know that there is a lot of what we do not want happening in the world right now. And, I commit myself to speaking more life into everything that I am wanting more of. Thank you for the opportunity to share with this family. I wish, with my contribution, that this family grows fully into their potential. I hope they continue to be a beacon of possibility for all who meet them. Please Universe, allow these words to reverberate through me to them. May our energetic agreement be unbroken, may many more families be held and provided for in this circle.
Thank you.
Bless you.
Love,
Us
Organizer and beneficiary
Black Family Liberates
Organizer
Philadelphia, PA
Charlyn Magdaline
Beneficiary
