At least 10 members of the KC Defender Mutual Aid Team met up at Southeast Community Center for a briefing, which 10 of our Mutual Aid Team members old and new attended.
Shortly after, we made our way to Sunfresh on 31st & Prospect with $5000 cash to give directly to our people.
Our act says yes, all of our people deserve to be loved and supported in this city that has done so much to eradicate the possibility of our thriving.
We distribute the money not only to customers but to cashiers and all employees in the store (whom are also all Black). This no-strings-attached method differs from programs where you must drug test, provide id or some other method of restricting and moralizing whether or not our people deserve aid.
Our act also exemplifies our belief that our people need resources, not cages. Particularly in this moment when gun violence is used by white media and politicians to push for more surveillance, more drones, more private police, and more cages—we choose to give our people life-affirming resources. We choose to feed us. To affirm us. To remind us we are worthy.
And what happened when we did?
Our people lit up with joy. A Black elder teared up as she spoke to us and said that seeing so many young Black people coming together simply to show love brought her hope. She asked if she could pray with and for us. And we all did.
The store manager, a joyous, kind Black woman—instantly became friends with us all.
She told us we reminded her of the Black Panther Party. She said she felt seen, felt hopeful, felt power rising again. She asked us to watch for a community member in the store who hadn’t been able to change clothes for over three weeks and to please support him if we can.
When we saw him, we gave him $100 and thanked him for being Black.
Towards the end I ran into an old high school friend. He told me his uncle had been murdered right where we were standing in the parking lot some years ago.
But we also caught up and laughed and he told me he’s still making music. Still dreaming. Still here just trying to make it to the next day. He asked me if we could support his sister who was in the car because she had just returned from jail and was really struggling.
She too we were able to distribute direct cash to.
Then, before we finished up, I saw another one of my brothers who is a pastor and formerly incarcerated and founded his own organization to help other formerly incarcerated brothers transition back into society after enduring decades of violence and isolation inflicted by the system.
He is a deeply inspiring brother who I look up to and who brings light and joy to the people!
To all who contributed to our Juneteenth Grocery Buyout: I am so deeply grateful. In the final 24 hours before our deadline, you all donated $3000. In total, we raised $7500. $5000 went straight into our people’s hands. The remaining $2500 is fueling our soon-to-launch People’s Free Grocery Box Delivery Program.
This program will deliver fresh produce, fruits, staple foods, and political education pamplets directly to our people—elders, families, single parents—at no cost.
Because our liberation is not a metaphor. It is a grocery bag full of food. It is cash in your hand. It is your community showing up, no questions asked.
This is what love looks like. This is what abolition looks like. This is what we mean when we say: All Power to the People.
