Advocate Daily is a podcast and editorial series focused on highlighting young community organizers and social justice advocates of color. In collaboration with The Gathering for Justice, we have recorded 10 episodes of audio content focused on different topics in the social justice sphere. Advocate Daily is a reminder:
Educate. Empower. Elevate.
For episode 4 of the Advocate Daily Podcast we interviewed Brea Baker, self-proclaimed abolitionist, and advocate for justice. Brea graduated from Yale University and is a talented activist and organizer.
Brea Baker is more than an abolitionist
Brea helps lead an initiative of The Gathering for Justice, called Radical Readz. Radical Readz allows authors of color to share their works in an open environment, where people are free to ask questions and engage in discourse.
While giving a voice to these authors, one being Cyntoia Brown, the events also are beneficial for the youth. where key topics and historical events are discussed and how they translate to the day.
“No one person can dismantle systemic racism and white supremacy; we all have to do something,” she says.
In the episode, Brea also spoke heavily on the importance of literature, specifically on BIPOC youth. She mentioned specific book recommendations she has, such as Homegoing, a book I brought up that is one of my all-time favorites.
Our conversation steered towards the topics of lineage and generational trauma and stress being passed down. Homegoing explores these topics better than I have ever known.
Activists, Brea notes, have to imagine a world where every effort isn’t an uphill battle. The fight for justice is by no means almost finished, but once it is, or some major progress has been made, activists have to be able to take a deep breath and accept that victory.
Internal battles must be won just as larger societal ones are. We must afford ourselves the peace to be able to live in a world where justice is attained, where white supremacy does not permeate, dominate, and suffocate.