by Evelyn Chow
Free Write: “If the revolution will not be televised, where will it be seen?” (thank you Nikkita for the prompt)
You will not find the revolution posted in the window of the fancy new coffee shop down the block
Or at the ginger beer store run by the white lady with dreadlocks
The revolution will not have private security or no-trespassing signs
You will not simply put a #BlackLivesMatter banner in your driveway, window, or storefront because
The revolution will not be gentrified
The revolution will not be found on a banner at your nearest boarded-up Whole Foods
The revolution will not be market rate or ready-made
Black lives will not only begin to matter when you change your Facebook cover photo
Corporations quoting Black revolutionaries while using prison labor is not radical
You will not simply add a fist or a rainbow to your logo because The revolution will not be co-opted
The revolution will not be seen on KIRO, KOMO, or KING5 news stations
The revolution will not be brought to you by Sinclair media or featured on the latest events page of The Stranger
You will not just tune in to city council hearings live on the Seattle Channel because
The revolution will not be televised
Instead
The revolution will be livestreamed, TikTok’d, podcasted, and photographed
There will be close calls in the streets and closed captioning for those who need
The revolution will be accessible and engage our elders
The revolution will be innovative and excite our youth
The revolution will be intergenerational
You will find the revolution in community centers, hospitals, and food banks
The spirit of the revolution dances through your local red light district
You will find the revolution on the playground at the public housing units in Yesler Terrace
To all of the factories across the world where workers are rising up
The revolution will be both hyper local and international
You will be able to taste the revolution
The revolution is stocked on the shelves of your local bodega
And infused in the juices of freshly cut fruit
The revolution will be dipped in honey, or agave for the vegans, and it will be irresistible
Our revolution will be irresistible
Evelyn (any pronouns) is an abolitionist, organizer, writer, and sociologist based in Seattle/Coast Salish lands. Their community organizing work has focused on state and prison abolition, race + gender equity, immigrant rights, queer/trans liberation, sex worker’s rights, international worker solidarity, and transformative justice.
Feature image by Netsie Tjirongo.
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