Best of R&R Lab: Xhercis Mendez

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This week’s revolutionary is Xhercis Mendez. She is a scholar-activist and constantly looking for any creative strategies that allow us to create the world we want to live in. Her academic works combine women of color and decolonial feminisms, while her focus remains on transformative justice and actively combating structural inequities.

Our conversation begins with Xhercis explaining how she took control of her own life, education, and grabbed her future by the reins. She essentially maneuvered her way into attending an upper-class boarding school and found ways to navigate between that world and her working-class roots. From there, Xhercis continues to share her experiences with race, class, identity, and how to find trustworthy community throughout a constantly shifting life.

Some Questions I Ask:

What was your childhood like? (1:17)What tools did you use to reintegrate into your family each time you came home from boarding school? (15:38)How do you navigate the apprehension around the term and concept of feminism? (27:35)Why do communities cling to the concept of sameness or oneness? (41:54)How can you be in deep connection with the community around you? (52:44)How do you engage in a space that lacks accountability and integrity? (1:43:57)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

About Xhercis’ first encounter with structural inequities. (6:56)How strength in a woman is valued in Caribbean cultures. (30:09)Why academia rewards an unhealthy individualistic approach to life. (44:52)About the explosion of #MeToo and what survivors need for healing. (59:42)How to identify your community and establish an accountable network. (1:21:14)About Xhercis’ main focus on decolonial feminism. (1:32:56)

Host: Jillian Foster

Guest: Xhercis Mendez

Resources

Bay Area Transformative Justice Collective

INCITE!

Project Nia

Just Practice

Creative Interventions

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