JR Nexus Russ (DC Burners): Fumbling Towards Inclusivity

Is Burning Man a “white people thing?”

Radical inclusivity is one of Burning Man’s 10 Principles, but is it enough simply to say “all are welcome?” or should the burner community take proactive steps to make people of color feel welcome?

JR Nexus Russ (he, him, his) is a black and Filipino-American, queer cisgender man, and in several ethically non-monogamous relationships. Nexus went to Burning Man in 2013, he started a DC Burners storytelling show at Capital Fringe, and was recently named one of the two new Regional Contacts for the DC Burning Man Community.

Nexus and I are both musical theater kids so forgive the Pippin preamble. It gets juicy around the 20 minute mark where we go deep into identity, microaggressions and white fragility. These are sensitive topics no matter your identity and I am grateful to Nexus for educating me with generosity and patience.

If Burning Man is about experiencing discomfort for the sake of personal growth, what could be more important than holding awareness of our privilege to Burn and dismantling the unconscious biases that limit the experience of others?

LINKS

Nexus on Twitter: https://twitter.com/awayoflife0
Nexus on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awayoflife0/

DC Burners: https://dcburners.org/
Catharsis on the Mall: https://www.catharsisonthemall.com

Radical Inclusion Must Mean Racial Inclusion by Favianna Rodriguez: https://campaigns.organizefor.org/petitions/radical-inclusion-must-mean-racial-inclusion-make-burning-man-blacker

Black Burner Project: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Community/Black-Burner-Project-311921496126595/