The DC Guerilla Poetry Insurgency

       In Sociology 525, Social Advocacy and Social change, we were asked to participate in a community learning experience, to facilitate our understanding of how community groups and organizations can be used as vehicles for social justice. I chose the first alternative for several reasons. My first reason was that I was already actively involved in an organization which I was passionate about, the DC Guerilla Poetry Insurgency. Another reason for choosing the DC Guerilla Poetry Insurgency was that it would enable me to incorporate my sociological knowledge to critique the group, my own involvement, and the roles we play in the DC community. This class enabled me to bridge my experiences as an activist and a student, two complementary roles which are usually two distinct and separate spheres of my life. My ethnography has provided me the opportunity to see the ways in which I, as a sociologist, can support community organizations like the DC Guerilla Poetry Insurgency. Having spent so much time analyzing structures in society, I have been able to turn the eye inwards and examine the Guerilla Poets, our structures, and how we impact society.

      The purpose of my community study is to satisfy an academic requirement.  But, more importantly I am putting all my effort into this study because my research and analysis could be a valuable resource for the GPI to have and incorporate. Throughout the semester I have used my field work data from events and meetings to post on our discussion list-serve. The GPI’s efforts are all voluntary. All of us are busy and try to balance activism, work and our personal lives. Therefore, we have few resources that explain to others who we are, what we are doing, and how we can support other communities, groups, and organizations. The GPI can incorporate sections of my ethnography on our website, and can help catalog our group development process.  I benefit from having participated with this organization for eighteen months, which gives me more data and observation time to draw from. However, this work is drawn mostly from my journal, in which I catalogued in detail our meetings, events, and open mike jams. 

      My ethnography provides an overview of the GPI, who we are, what we do, and what communities and actions we support. It also looks at the process of decentralizing the decision making process, and the steps we are taking to be more inclusive of diverse peoples and opinions. This work also discusses my own personal development while participating in this organization.  
 

What is the Guerilla Poetry Insurgency?  

      The DC Guerilla Poetry Insurgency is anti-authoritarian, collaborative pro-humanity artists’ collective incorporating music, rhythm, spoken word, song, community, and resistance. We are a group of individuals dedicated to using poetry and spoken word to speak truth to power. The group was founded by a few committed individuals three years ago, who went to public spaces and performed progressive political poetry. Three years later the group has about twenty consistent participants and we are involved in many things. We host free speech gatherings at places like the DuPont Circle Park and the National Mall. We facilitate workshops at high schools, universities, and conferences. We support community members, organizations, and movements by playing at fundraisers, protests, and other venues. Describing the Guerilla Poetry Insurgency is like capturing a single moment of time. We are always growing, members come and go, venues change, political issues change, and so does energy for movement building.

      In the contemporary world physical space is being commodified. Our landscapes are being dominated by buildings, structures, parkways, and telephone wires. Our public resources are being sold to corporations. Our public spaces are being encroached on, as well as our rights. At protests like the DNC and RNC, “free speech zones” are being designated by authorities, as if free speech only belongs in spaces they deem appropriate.

We are an insurgency because we perform and express ourselves at any location, regardless of whether that space has been deemed a “free speech zone”. Part of what makes the Guerilla Poetry Insurgency so affective is that we can play in any environment, clubs, streets, protests, schools, in front of the Whitehouse, anywhere. “Walls make our social space, territories and social distinctions of social power, wealth, and status” (Langton and Kammerer 56). Our organization reflects its members and values. We do not confine ourselves in walls, we break down walls. We use language and poetry to break down the walls we have ourselves created to block ourselves in.

      The term Insurgency in our group name refers to how we claim public space, wielding words instead of weapons.  Like in Guerilla warfare, we come from the people, strike (or perform in our case), and mesh back into the people again. The Guerilla Poets use poetry as a vehicle to protest and resist oppression, Guerilla style we claim public space back for the people. For example, we have just recently started hosting free speech gatherings at the National Mall, which is full of the imagery associated with America, like the Capital building and Washington Monument. For two hours we spit rhymes to the tourists, and critique the dominant ideologies that drive our society. Langton and Kammerer (2005) argue that language is perhaps the key to creating, sustaining, and changing culture. The GPI utilizes our language and poetry to protest and resist oppression, deconstruct our cultures notions of “freedom”, “democracy, and “capitalism”. We tell stories that criticize and expose the fallacies of American ideologies. Ideologies are systems of ideas “that legitimizes existing structural inequalities in a culture usually developed and maintained by privileged groups in society” (Langton and Kammerer 53). Storytelling “constitutes the heart of cultural survival”, and we are trying to tell stories that expose how our culture and cultures around the world are being threatened by globalization, corporations,  governments, and other institutions.  We rhyme about issues ranging from globalization, capitalism, George W. Bush, and democracy, to women’s rights, rape, DC statehood, and healing. Guerilla poetry is a vehicle for social change. One of the things we do is try to encourage others to share their ideas and concerns, even if we don’t agree with them. We encourage other people to rise up. One of our chants is very expressive of the GPI. If you care get out of your chair, if you give a damn take a stand! 

Who are the GPI?

      Part of why I believe the GPI has been so successful and had the ability to cover so many topics is the diversity of the group members. Our most active participants are from a wide range of social locations. The age range of the GPI is from late teens to forties. Most of the consistent participants are professionals in their late twenties and early thirties. The group consists of HS and college students, academics, lawyers, non-profit workers, child care providers, and body-workers. We come from diverse nationalities such as Pakistan, India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, and the United States. Most of the group members have at least the B.A. Even though most of us have a solid education back round, we are able to use language that is accessible to most people, and talk about issues that affect people’s daily lives. I am reluctant to say that we have a common ground that binds us together. There are so many of us are passionate about such a diversity of issues. I would say that we are all anti-authoritarian, and are concerned with stratification of resources, opportunities, and inequality. We are a group of individuals who on our own, or collectively, stand up to condemn oppression, violence, war, and a host of other issues. Through outreach and community networking, GPI participants are always coming and going. As an example, I am only in DC 8 months of the year, and can’t participate during finals. DC which is in the belly of the beast has a constant stream of activists coming and going. We have enough notoriety that people seek us out when they visit DC. An example of a person who came to participate is Gustav, age 41. He is a poet who was researched DC before he moved here. He found out about the Guerilla Poetry Insurgency, and met with us at Operation Ceasefire in September 2005. Since then he has been a regular participant and organizer for the GPI. The group participants are always changing and so is the dynamic. There was a different group of people participating during the election than there were during the World Bank protests. The diversity of our group members and their opinions and concerns, is part of our strength. The diversity of members and their poetry enables us to play academic conferences, women’s empowerment fundraisers, University workshops, free speech gatherings, and a host of other events.  

   Performances and lyrical ambushes.

   The GPI began with just the lyrical ambushes. Over the years we have expanded to performing at universities, fundraisers, and community events. We also facilitate GPI workshops at conferences and Universities. The Guerilla Poet’s most well known and longest standing venture is our lyrical ambushes, which are held out the DuPont circle fountain, and seasonally at the National Mall. During this semester, I recorded 7 open mike jams, which provided a diversity of experiences to draw from. Our open mike jams at DuPont circle is our largest outreach tool and public performance. The DuPont circle jams are held the 1^st and 3^rd Monday of the month. We are out in the open, rain or shine, winter or summer. We perform at the fountain, the center of the park. The park is the center of DuPont and is next to the subway station. People heading downtown, going to Adam’s Morgan, or towards Georgetown, have to walk through the Park. We bring a PA system, drums, shakers, bubbles, and chalk, and we spit rhymes and play music, opening up the microphone to passers by. We use or language, or voices to protest issues ranging from homelessness in DC, to globalization. We use language as a vehicle to change our culture (Langton 52).  The main focus of the DuPont is the open mike. People who just happen to be walking by or sitting in the park take the opportunity to speak their mind. They read their poems, speak their minds, and sometimes say surprising things.. We keep stack of who wants to speak, and newcomers have priority over the mike. Poets are supported by drummers, shakers, and dancers. We provide bubbles and chalk to encourage families to hang out. Seeing children having fun, playing with chalk and bubbles, helps create a warm, friendly environment. Some children have even graced us with songs such as twinkle, twinkle, little star (always a big hit). DC has high rates of homeless, and many of them live in DC’s parks. Some of the most consistent people in the crowd our homeless. Neil, who lives in the park, often takes the mike to share his experiences as a homeless person in DC.

   At each open mike, I interviewed people who stayed and watched or participated. I simply asked what they thought of the open mike jam, and why they stopped by:

Beanie, at 23 year old black women, stumbled across us and usually stops to see what’s going when she see’s people performing on the street. She appreciated having a venue for self-expression, and had been looking for a place to read poetry. Another girl, who came to several open mikes, is doing an internship at Amnesty International. She heard about us through Indy Media in Portland Oregon. She said that she thought the open mike jams are “terrific and inspiring”.

      This paragraph discusses a particular open mike and my reflections on it.

On March 20^th, 2006 a film crew showed up. They are doing a documentary, in which they are attempting to paint a picture of how grassroots activists are representing themselves through art and expression. They were particularly interested in the issue of DC Statehood. So, during the jam, we did a series of poems concerning democracy and DC statehood. This is an example of how the GPI is able to concentrate on specific issues, to support the community in different ways. This is what makes the organization so effect. On that day, there were about 20 participants in two hours, with a steady crowd of about thirty people. The crowd is always so diverse that it is hard to say who our main audience is. After each event, I would record my own reflections. This is a excerpt of my reflection on that days open mike. “After that days event I felt refreshed and energized. The sense of community I feel with the GPI and the crowd makes me feel more connected with DC and people in general. Our new sound system is taking the energy of our performance up a notch. It draws and sustains more people. Hearing several new voices made tonight more interesting and dynamic.” The DuPont circle ambushes were our stepping stone into the community. We use the location to network, to have fun, and to facilitate a dialogue with the DC community about the issues that affect our lives.

      Our other recent location for open mikes is the National Mall. The National Mall provides us a great place to speak truth to power. The National Mall draws tourists from around the country. It is a great place for us to talk about something like DC statehood, which does not receive very much national attention. However, it is not a prime location for outreach to poets. It is a new crowd for us. DuPont is more progressive, and sometimes it feels like we are preaching to the choir. The National Mall crowd draws more families, and a more conservative crowd than DuPont. We had a free speech gathering at the National Mall next to the subway stop on Saturday March 25^th, from 2-4pm, the day of the Cherry Blossom festival. There were about eight Guerilla Poets in attendance. That day was cloudy and dusty. The mall was filled with people flying kites and tourists taking pictures, including pictures of us. The crowd was mostly families. I gave out shakers, drums, and bubbles to the children to create a friendlier, attractive environment for families. Most passersby did not stay more than five minutes. One homeless man named David, who I talked to, stayed the whole time to watch us. The participants who stayed were a group of white HS students who played drums, and a sixteen year old black girl who sang an impressive soul song. The National Mall is a place for the GPI to protest the US government and its policies. People who come to look at National Monuments also hear voices of dissent. The National Mall is a new location for us and is less consistent than the DuPont jams. The National Mall also provides the opportunity to hear new voices and poets, who can not attend our Monday night jams.

      Creating progressive social change is a collective effort. The effort of one organization is not enough. When we collectively stand up against oppression as one, then we have the potential power to create change. The DC Guerilla Poetry Insurgency is an organization which supports the work of other grassroots community organizations and their efforts. As an organization, we seek to strengthen and diversify the DC activist community through art, poetry and percussion. Making ourselves available to play fundraisers is one method of our outreach and support to the greater DC progressive community. On Saturday, February 18^th 2006, the women of the GPI played at Bus Boys and Poets (14^th and V, Washington DC). The fundraiser was for the Young Women’s Drumming Empowerment Project. This project is bottomlined by Kristen Arant, a member of the GPI and Rhythm Worker’s Union. She help young, underprivileged women empower themselves through drumming, poetry, dancing, and other forms of expression. The three hour event raised $1200. There was a diverse, multi-ethnic, racial, and multi-generational crowd of 100. The audience was energetic, smiling, laughing, singing, dancing, and seemed generally engaged by the performances. The performers were SKIRTS, the Princess of Controversy, the GPI woman, and the Young Women’s Drumming Empowerment Project. All of the women and girls seemed assertive, strong, proud of being women, and wanted to be recognized as human. Cherie a black women in her early twenties and a member of the GPI sang a song which asked that “you think before you hurt another human being”. The GPI performers were Cherie, Laila, Juliana, and Laurie. They performed a group piece that incorporated individual poems which expressed their experiences as women of particular social locations. I felt so proud and awed at how empowered these women are. It made me happy to know that I had friends who are positive role models for other women and girls. Their performance made me aware of the collective power and possibilities of the GPI. The fundraiser was a great way to support a project like Kristen’s. It strengthens our connection with the community, and allowed us to connect with other groups and performers.

      Performances

      The GPI also supports student organizations, at schools like Georgetown, George Washington, and American University. On Friday, February 24^th 2006, I facilitated the GPI’s involvement in the 30 hour famine event at AU. The AU Methodists planned the 30 hour famine, in which about thirty AU students fasted for 30 hours to raise awareness in the AU community about hunger in the developing world. Over the last year I had been trying to get the GPI to play AU again, and this seemed like the chance. I volunteered to have the Guerilla Poets play at the event, because it would be a great opportunity for us to strengthen our ties with AU The performance aspect of the event came after a speaker about hunger and policy. It was interesting to see the energy in the room change so much so quickly. There were differences in politics amongst some of the participants/speakers and the Guerilla Poets, and it all went smoothly. We played with my friend Travis’ band the Exclamation Brothers, which included guitar, bass guitar, a cello, and a jembe. I have been trying to get us to collaborate for a while and we all thought it went well. We all listened to each other and Jess played down to oppression. All of the Guerilla Poets at the event (Mark N, Gustav, Jess, and Brendan) each had the space to do their own pieces. Mark sang Bob Dylan, Jess did Down to Oppression, Gustav did an original piece, and I did a piece I wrote specifically for the event about hunger. My friend Carney was the only person in the crowd to take advantage of the open mike. He is a straight vegan punk who is the singer in a hardcore band. It was his first time doing spoken word and he drummed the beat on his chest. The crowd of about 25 was interested, we had their attention, and people danced in their seats. Jess and I felt encouraged by the crowd. It was a good outreach opportunity for AU students to see us in action. CASJ (the community action social justice coalition) which is a conglomerate of all the activist groups on campus requested our support in a future event. The Guerilla Poets hope to strengthen our connection with universities, and try to help connect students from different universities who are working on similar issues. The Guerilla Poets do not just perform. We are a networking tool for individuals and organizations. As a Guerilla Poet, I help student organizations connect with other student groups and community based organizations. As both a student and community organizer, I am able to help facilitate and build relationships with student groups and the larger DC community. The GPI is an organizing tool as well as an artist collective.  

Wells College

      The DC Guerilla Poetry Insurgency volunteers and makes ourselves available to facilitate workshops on political poetry and drumming. The GPI is doing something relatively new. We are using poetry as a tool to create and inspire social change. We help teach others how to use their words to protest, dissent, and raise awareness. We go to workshops at conferences and universities, to teach drumming, and poetry, so that these groups can start a GPI or something similar on their own. We discuss our model, talk about the open mikes, in an effort to replicate the GPI in other cities and situations. We try to help others empower themselves by embracing their own voices and collective power. Workshops are one of the best things I believe the GPI is doing to create social change, and strengthen the progressive movement. When I first saw the GPI perform, I would never have known how to start a GPI, or have been bold enough to do it. By helping other groups of people learn to use art and self-expression as a tool for social justice and social change, we are moving well beyond our open mikes. We are helping break new ground, and create a network of progressive artists and poets, who are part of larger social movements for social change. We have facilitated workshops at NCOR (twice), at Asheville NC, and DC high schools. Our workshop at Wells college demonstrates the potential these outreach opportunities have. From Thursday 4/27/06-4/29/06, the Guerilla’s facilitated workshops at Well’s college, a tiny school in upstate NY. The following summary is based on excerpts by Kristen Arant, because I did not attend to the event. The GPI found on the arrival to Wells that tensions were extremely high. The Wells Board of Trustees had opened up the university this year to male students, which had been an all-girl’s- school since 1868. The Board of Trustees made this highly contested decision without consulting the students, many of whom were outraged. Many were paying their tuition because they wanted to attend an all girl’s institution. The Guerilla’s were the guest of the Women’s and Gender Studies Department. There were three days of talks and workshops on drumming and the writing of poetry, and performances. They girls decided to utilize their new skills and perform a lyrical ambush for the Board of Trustees. They ambushed the Board of Trustees “tea party” and began reading their poetry on top of chairs to the beat of drums. The Trustees were amused until the impact of the words hit them: “Betrayal, A trail of hypocrisy, Blazed through this sanctuary, Our history stripped of its safety, Tears for times past that were stolen from me, Trying to force things that will never be, Women learning bout their rights, With Minerva standing watch over our nights, The sycamore tree stretching out its braches, Embracing us and our identities, Shattered was the glass that we saw sitting half-empty, And couldn't wait to fill.” The Board of Trustees left the room.

      This demonstrates the effectiveness of the workshops. They learned about writing poetry, drumming, and felt empowered enough to stand up on chairs and address their Board of Trustees. Poetry can be a powerful tool for empowerment and self expression. The Guerilla Poets can teach about resistance, and help others empower themselves through resistance and spoken word. Several of the women plan to create a drum circle, and others want to begin using art and poetry as resistance on a regular basis. In the GPI we are not only empowering ourselves, but sharing skills and knowledge so that others can choose to empower themselves and create positive social change in this world.

      The strength of the Guerilla Poets is that we are involved in such a diversity of projects. We are a link in the chain of the progressive communities. We are trying to create more links and strengthen existing ones. Being able to support such a diversity of projects is the strength of the GPI, which is helping us grow and replicate the GPI model in other places.

GPI structure

      The Guerilla Poetry Insurgency is part of a larger social movement that is trying to create progressive social change. As a whole, most of the GPI feels that our democratic rights are being taken away by an oppressive, even fascist government. Democracy in America is facilitated from the top down. The voices of common people are being drowned out or suffocated. The GPI is part of a social movement that is trying to create democracy and social change from the bottom up. Because the state is not meeting our needs or the needs of the DC community, we need to create opportunities and structures that reflect that reflects our ideals. Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam used to talk about building institutions and businesses for blacks by blacks. Similarly, the World Social Forum is attempting to organize alternative structures and institutions that reflect the needs and concerns of the people, not corporate interests. Washington DC does not have a representative democracy. The DC Guerilla Poetry Insurgency is attempting to create participatory social change. We want to be part of the critical mass that shifts relationships of power back to the people. This all sound well and good, and our intentions are in the right place, but it takes time. We are creating something new. We don’t have many examples of organizational structures to turn to, and say, “Hey, let’s try this, its working for that particular organization.” Therefore, we are struggling. In my opinion, it’s a trial and error process. We try something new, we falter, we stumble, we make mistakes, people’s feelings get hurt, and then we try again.

      During my time with the GPI we have always talked about ways to get more people involved. How do we gather the strength for a critical mass? For a social movement to be successful and grow, people need to feel compelled to join. How do groups like the GPI create a space where others feel welcome and a sense of ownership of the GPI? During my time with the GPI and other groups I’ve noticed that they are struggling with how to be inclusive of others. Often, collectives seem too cliquey and possible participants and collaborators feel turned off. This is a big hurdle for social movements to overcome. The GPI has recognized this and is trying to alter a group structure to be more inclusive. The GPI does not operate by consensus, although we do incorporate some aspects of it. Due to the fluidity of our organization, it does not make sense and would be ineffective for us to do so. However, this means we run into more issues related to power and status within the group. The next section of the paper discusses the structure of the GPI, while examining the steps we are taking to make our decision making model and group organization reflect the world we are trying to create. Specifically, I examine status and hierarchies within the GPI. Then I look at the roles group members play. Lastly, I analyze the ways in which the GPI has attempted to be more inclusive in its decision making and social organization, including email discussion lists, job-aids, and bi-weekly meetings.

      As I explained earlier in this research, people’s participation in the GPI ebb’s and flows.  Peoples schedules and personal lives change, and sometimes need more personal time and participate less in the group. That is not going to change. However, it can be problematic. As a group, we did not address several issues that impact the functioning and inclusiveness of the group. Questions like:

Who is empowered to make decisions for the group?

Who controls access to data and information that informs our decision making?

How do we create the space for others to feel ownership of the collective?  

      Because we did not address these and a host of other questions as a group, conflict and grievances manifested themselves in unconscious ways. A de-facto hierarchy develops in a group when it does not have an agreed upon structure that meets the needs of the group. In the GPI, a few central members who devoted a lot of time and energy to the group end up having the most information and data concerning the group, and held a higher status position. Therefore, they were in the position to make informed decisions that the rest of the group was not. This situation has been brought up in the group. One of the members who were higher up in the de-facto hierarchy responded that “If ____ and I didn’t assert ourselves in the group wouldn’t work, nothing would get done.” These sort of statements should be a red flag for groups, and it doesn’t mean that the person who said it is necessarily wrong. It points to larger structural problems within the group. If people are feeling locked out of the decision making process, and if the members with higher status feel that they hold the group together, then several things need to be addressed. How do we share the administrative tasks amongst more people?  How do we decentralize our decision making model if people don’t have the skills? How do we create the space were people feel empowered to step up in the group? How do we make our decision making model more inclusive of a diversity of people and opinions? Over the last year we have taken several steps to address our internal problems and concerns. I have felt that the transition process and struggles that arise are healthy for the growth and development of the GPI. It is okay for us to have problems, and it is extremely important for us to have an ongoing dialogue concerning the structure and inclusiveness of the GPI.

      The GPI has several interchangeable roles that help it function. In terms of organizing shows every group member facilitates the group’s participation. An example is the 30 famine event I bottomlined in February. When the student group expressed interest in us participating I went to the discussion list. I emailed the group members, detailed the purpose of the event, the time, and location, and asked who could come. I followed up with phone calls and additional outreach. Once I had the GPI participants lined up, we organized the transport of instruments. Then we played. Basically, that is how the GPI works. A group contacts us; someone volunteers to coordinate the event, then facilitates the groups participation. It does not always run smoothly but it’s what works for us know, not necessarily in the future. In terms of other roles, we also have a treasurer who is not that busy because we do not have much money. At our meetings we have rotating facilitators and note takers. At our performances and open mikes, the GPI rotates drumming, keeping track of who wants the mike, MCing, flyering, and engaging the crowd in conversation. All of those roles rotate organically, depending on who is there, the size of the crowd, and a host of other variables. The potential roles of the GPI are always changing as we are taking on new tasks.

      As the group attempts to reflect the kind of structures we want to see in the world, we are taking steps to be more inclusive. To do this, we have done several things so far. We started an email discussion list, and host bi-weekly meetings open to anyone, and posted job aids. Most of information I have used in this section come from my reflections on our meetings. In order for more people to have access to the information and potential GPI opportunities, we started an email discussion list-serve about a year ago. When we have been asked to perform at a show it goes on the list serve. Then, whoever has the time or the will volunteers to facilitate the group’s involvement. In this way, everyone who has computer access can see what is going on in the group and has the space to give feedback and critique. It is also a space for group members to share information about specific issues, opportunities, and social events (like parties, on a side note, the GPI has extremely fun parties).  The discussion list is affective, but limiting. The list-serve does nothing to include those without computers in our decision making process. But, it was good jumping off point for our meetings.

      Having bi-weekly meetings is the best thing that the GPI is doing to be more inclusive. They provide a space for us to have an on-going dialogue about group process and development. Every other Sunday a Guerilla hosts a 2-3 hour meeting in their homes. People bring food, and we try to create a welcoming environment for Guerilla’s, both new and old, to share their opinions. We set an agenda which is compiled over the previous two weeks, and other issues are added at the beginning of the meeting.

The attendances at the four meetings I have attended have varied from five people, to about 12. This has raised some concerns over decision making. Over several meetings I kept hearing “when more people are here…” Attendance will always vary so we decided collectively that whoever is at the meetings is empowered to make decisions for the group. When the group makes decisions, they are posted with the meeting notes on the discussion list, and are also raised at the next meeting. If anyone objects to the decision the dialogue continues, and the group discusses it again. Although this is making us more inclusive, it can also slow us down. Making a decision can be quite a lengthy process, and sometimes we just need action. I foresee this being something we will have to keep addressing in the future, especially as the group continues to grow.

      Job aids are helping decentralize the Guerillas. On our website we have posted the steps one can take to bottom line a show. This way, when I wanted to facilitate the show at AU, I had concrete steps already laid out that help me organize. One of the things we’ve struggled with is how to decentralize if people don’t have the skills. The job aid is an example of how the Guerillas are providing the information so that someone like myself, who has little organizing experience, can empower themselves to organize a performance.

      Each Guerilla has the space to bring their own ideas into the group. In late March, I facilitated a group workshop on consensus decision making and group process work. Many of the ideas and concepts discussed in this work are drawn from my workshop. Because our group does not operate by consensus, having an on-going dialogue about group process is essential to keep the group going, and to maintain attendance and participation. Through this workshop I have been able to integrate the skills I learned studying sustainable living. Through this workshop and the GPI, I have been able to link sociological critique of structures, to social activism.

      The GPI is a growing force in the activist community of DC. In terms of the future of the GPI we are actively trying to replicate our model in other cities. Through grants and other fundraising, the GPI is attempting to provide sound-systems, drums, and share skills, so that the GPI can be reproduced in other cities. Already we have sister crews in Asheville, Richmond, and Wells College. We hope that the GPI can serve as a model for other crews. We are trying to work out the kinks in our own organization so that we can better serve the DC community, and be a better resource for other crews in other cities. We are part of the progressive social movement that it using arts and self-expression to create social change.  

Conclusion 

      Analyzing what I have learned about myself through this experience is difficult to conceptualize or express. Becoming involved with social activism and the DC Guerilla Poetry Insurgency has affected all areas of my life. Becoming involved in activism is connected with my spirituality, my role as a student, eventually my trip to India, and now my return to DC. During the 18 months I have participated with the Guerilla Poets, I have learned a lot about myself. I realize now that there is a place for my voice to be heard in this world. There is a place for my voice to be one of many expressing our outrage and love for the world and its inhabitants. One of the most significant things I have realized is the extent to which my personal decisions and choices impact the Earth, other people, and the environment. I have an ecological footprint, what I consume has a direct impact on the sustainability of this planet, and the opportunities or conditions of people around the world. I now realize that I can try to make the world a better place, with every action, every moment, and that it not up to me to save the world. To expect myself to save the world was pure ego; I realize that we need a collective voice to declare that another world is possible. We either collectively make change or not, it will never be up to just me.

      Becoming part of the DC Guerilla Poetry Insurgency has had an impact on my life in many ways. In my first year of college my social life and interests were centered around AU. While I had an amazing year, I didn’t get out that much and drank a lot of beer in the dorms. Becoming an activist in DC gave me a host of new opportunities, to get to know DC more, to meet new people and activists in DC. I know feel like I live and have a vested interest in the DC community that I did not feel when I spent all of my time at AU. Before becoming an activist most of my friends were within a few years of my age. Now I have friends who are ten, twenty, and thirty years older than me. I find that our relationships flow very naturally. It has increased my self confidence to feel like my voice and contributions were important to those who I am working with, even if they happen to be twice my age. It has also been good for me to see that there are people who are leading happy lives, in which their jobs contribute to creating a better world.

Having friends of different ages, nationalities, sexual orientations, races, and classes has instilled in me a sense of community in DC. Whatever social causes or spiritual endeavors I am interested in is supported, and I have a community of people who will try to connect me with other people who have similar interests. Becoming an activist has made me feel a sense of community with all people trying to create social change in their own spheres.

      My sense of self has changed since becoming an activist. I feel like I am finally applying to my everyday life concepts that were formally just a matter of intellectual interest to me. I am a DC Guerilla Poet, and a healer, and I am doing all that I can right now. What were formally just words I have put into action. Now that I am involved in so many things I am trying to take care of myself through my spiritual practices, such as yoga, Reiki, and meditation. I’m trying to let my life flow, so that I can come from a place of love and not burn out.

      My education as a sociologist has helped me learn how to critique the social world. I have also learned to make connections between how the past and the present intersect. My coursework has enabled me to make connections between various institutions and how they affect the social world. Things like Project South help me connect global issues with the DC community. Before this class, I spent little time learning how I could use my academic work and experience to benefit the community. As a sociologist I have learned that organizing for social justice is a difficult task and that race/class/gender/ethnicity/ and sexuality all interest in social activism as well as other aspects of social life. It has taken me a while to feel comfortable with openly critiquing the group because in the beginning I had no experience as an activist and didn’t feel like my opinion was a valid as others. Now I feel more empowered and am able to help the group go by expressing my opinion. I will continue my fieldwork experience with the DC Guerilla Poets after this class is over. I feel even more that as a sociologist I can be a benefit to the GPI. In the future, I will improve my fieldwork by stepping back from my role as a performer and an organizer, and try to observe just as a sociologist. I will also continue to facilitate dialogue concerning group process. The process of researching this ethnography has helped me realize that academics and activism can be complementary aspects of my life. Doing this project has given me the inspiration to continue my education in sociology, because I know that I can be a resource to the community and live a life that makes me happy and fulfilled.