The “blk” in Blk Grrrl Book as I conceived it on June 27, 2012 was inspired from three ideas, which is why it has three letters:
- “Black is Beautiful”— photographer Kramer Brathwaite had a show in 1962, featuring Black women. “There was lots of controversy because we were protesting how, in Ebony magazine, you couldn’t find an ebony girl.” —Brathwaite
- The Black Flag is the mixture of all nations into community and friendship! The birth of the new owing to the negation of the old and harmful.
- Louise Michel flew the black flag during a demonstration of the unemployed in Paris on March 9, 1883. At the demonstration Michel at the front—carried a black flag and SHE shouting “Bread, work, or lead!”
Other people have been inspired, but understand that Blk in Blk GRRRL IS was rooted in radical politics and any use of it that encouraged capitalism, Black capitalism, cancelling, TERFism or separatism is NOT the spirit in which Teka Lark intended. Solidarity is fun, but hard, I will not be any party to any process that does not have us struggle TOGETHER.
And GRRRL is from Riot Grrrl. It is building upon the idea of RIOT GRRRL, though it is not Riot GRRRL, it is inspired by the great women and nonbinary people I met in that DIY, punk, and ‘Zine movement. Kathleen Hanna continues to inspire me. Did I say Hanna came up with the idea all by herself, no, I didn’t. I said she inspired me.
BLK GRRRL is rooted in solidarity, cooperation, intersectionality, Do it TOGETHER (what DIY actually meant), Black Feminism (as defined by socialist lesbians of the Combahee River Collective Statement) and freedom.
A picture of Teka Lark reading this page and thinking, should I edit this, no it’s fine. It looks fine.
BLK GRRRL BOOK FAIR 