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Thinking of You

Upon leaving New York, I have been feeling grateful to be in Japan working on this virtual creative residency. But learning about the murder of Mr. George Floyd (along with so many other victims in recent history), the on-going police violence, and the Black Lives Matter demonstrations makes me feel sad that I am this far away. 

Continuing to work and have dialogues with friends by phone and Zoom has been not only possible but potent. However, when our society is in a huge momentous shift, when many friends and so many others are risking their health to come out by tens of thousands in each community to protest, I wish I can breathe the same air and be a part of the vibration.

However, there has been a sea of change because of all of your work with BLM and beyond. I too mourn so many victims and I thank so many protesters for coming out despite the pandemic. Our future with the pandemic is unknown, and we have heard that the virus decides our future. There is humble truth to that, but there are things we can change by feeling that pain and seizing the possibilities. 

Momentum is both transformative and dangerous. Please do stay as safe as possible, but please know I thank those of you who are working tirelessly. 

May 29. I was scheduled to present Elegies, my collaboration work with John Killacky, in a virtual live show based in Minneapolis. This was four days after Mr. Floyd was killed. It was tense. A night before, the police station was burned down. Elegies is about John and my mothers, who lived full lives and died good deaths. We spoke about how Mr. Floyd cried for his mother and how he was deprived of “a good death” that comes after a full trajectory of life.

June 9. A funeral for Mr. Floyd is held today. I danced in my mother’s house. I moved thinking of you, mourning you.  

6000 miles away from Minneapolis. I tried to make the distance malleable.
6700 miles away from Houston. I heard eulogies.
6780 miles away from New York, my home and friends. I heard your voices on the streets, loud and clear, despite the pandemic. I moved thinking of you.

I started with the “taking a knee,” but it was too far from the earth.
I wanted to be closer to you, so I kneeled low.

I also danced in the woods nearby. Then I walked alone 6 miles to Sagami River. 
A windy day. Everything was moving. 

I combined the two videos and created a media work as my prayer: June 9, 2020