We kicked off this past weekend with an amazing event at PrYSM, Providence Youth Student Movement, an incredible community space for youth whose vision is “to confront and end state, street, and interpersonal violence affecting the Southeast Asian community in Rhode Island”. It’s a beautiful, colorful, open space full of energy with powerful words about the mission, vision, and value posted all over the walls as well as art and signs of all the incredible organizing work being done here.
The night kicked off with the PrYSM break dancing group rocking the floor and blowing all of our minds with their incredible moves! Then we enjoyed the powerful music of Soldiers of Life (SoL), Butterfly and Big Sythe who moved the audience with their soulful singing, and resistance-inspiring lyrics.
SoL rocks PrYSM with beautiful powerful rhythms
We had a full house at PrYSM, full of people from many different groups and communities, young and old. We’re feeling the power of people tonight as we see all the incredible work of the youth here involved through PrYSM’s SOUL (Students Organizing for Unity and Liberation) and SeaQuel (Southeast Asian Queers United for Empowerment and Leadership) programs for young people. We also got to hear from other people involved in Fuerza Laboral out of Central Falls who are organizing to stop the exploitation of low-income and immigrant workers in Rhode Island and a couple people spoke about the experience of coming to the US from Colombia and the Dominican Republic.
We also heard from the Environmental Justice League of Rhode Island and ECO Youth about their food justice program to make more healthy food options available to people living in Providence. The energy in the room was incredible as people shared information about all the work they are doing on the ground and connecting it to the continued struggle and resistance of Ivania and Inacio.
Full house at PrYSM!
The night closed out with Evan Greer and Jarabe del Sol sharing more of the revolutionary rhymes and rhythms as they did a collaborative free-style, and the room was resonating with energy and resistance. As everyone stayed around after the event to connect, trade contact info, and share ideas, Inacio’s words rang true: “there are seeds here that will grow the large tree that will bring social revolution.”
POWERFUL night – thank you all for coming through Providence and sharing. The energy you brought in was amazing, was one of the best all-around events I’ve seen in a while