Justseeds releases new DE-MIL-I-TA-RISE Portfolio & Booklet

This May Day, in partnership with the Dissenters, Justseeds released the new DE-MIL-I-TA-RISE portfolio and booklet during an Art Against Empire launch event.

The Dissenters is a movement organization leading a new generation of young people to reclaim resources from the war industry, reinvest in life-giving institutions, and repair collaborative relationships with the earth and people around the world. They are building local teams of young people across the country to force institutions to divest from war and militarism, and reinvest in what our communities actually need. From campuses to congress, they are building grassroots power to cut off war elites once and for all. In an effort to lift up this important work, Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative organized DE-MIL-I-TA-RISE—a portfolio and booklet—for use in Dissenters organizing campaigns, popular education projects, and cultural programming.

The event was hosted by portfolio contributor and Dissenter Claudia Qi and Dissenter Ngakiya. Inspiring and powerful poetry was presented by Tongo Eisen-Martin, Fatimah Asghar, Destiny Harris, Kevin Basl, Carlos Sirah, and a prerecording from Devon Terrell who is currently incarcerated at Stateville Prison. There was also a collective poem and art-making activity lead by the MCs. The program concluded with a panel discussion with Justseeds artist Fernando Martí, poets Tongo Eisen-Martin and Fatimah Asghar, and members of the Dissenters.

The portfolio features 30 screen prints by 25 artists including: Iván Arenas, Liz Born, Molly Costello, Alec Dunn, Asha A. Edwards, William Estrada, Sarah Farahat, Eric J. Garcia, Ryan Griffis, Amber Hoy, Aaron Hughes, Sanya Hyland, Paul Kjelland, Nicole Marroquin, Fernando Martí, Andrea Narno, Roger Ourthiague Jr., rishi, Roger Peet, Citlali Perez, Grae Rosa, Monica Trinidad, Mary Tremonte, Claudia Qi, and Melody Yang.

The booklet features the Dissenters’ Vision, Principles, and Points of Unity along with 14 poets including Munira Alimire, Fatimah Asghar, Kevin Basl, TeQuila Chatmon, Tongo Eisen-Martin, Stephen Funk, Cean Gamalinda, Destiny Harris, Daniel King, Sejahari Saulter-Villegas, Carlos Sirah, Devon Terrell, Vanny V, and Jamila Woods.