“Problematic”
Problematic was a 3-day cultural intervention retreat held in Brooklyn, NY in 2018 produced by Treasure Brooks. The event aimed to identify and expel violent, "problematic" ideology within marginalized communities and foster intermovement dialogue. The 14 retreat participants were 18-25 year old activists working across social justice movements (racial equity, environmentalism, LGBTQ+ rights, etc.) with a demonstrated commitment to revolutionary praxis. Participants were asked to collaborate on multimedia projects of their choosing which were later disseminated online. In planning the collaborations, they were asked to “engage communities most affected by social inequality in ways prominent discursive, journalistic press does not.” All retreat participants committed to the following honor statement upon accepting of their place in the retreat:“I understand that activism is a form of public service. I work toward the interests of my community.
I commit to practicing radical thought and creative innovation in the fight against white supremacy.”
The retreat was made possible by The Resonance Network’s Innovation Lab.
Retreat
progRAMMING
The retreat followed a series of lesson plans devised by Treasure over the course of her 6-month fellowship with The Resonance Network’s Innovation lab. Participant’s read and discussed the history of various human rights movements in the US, modes of political resistance abroad, and participants’ aligned objectives for advancing social equity. Throughout the 3-day programming activists were invited to lead workshops on topics of their choice. Each evening culminated in a community dinner collaboratively cooked by participants.
Treasure’s fellowship proposal was driven by the belief that activists too often operate under a scarcity of resources and likemindedness. By convening the participants in a beautiful Brooklyn brown stone with a well-stocked kitchen and various amenities, Treasure hoped to both celebrate the activists’ history of stewardship and encourage world building from a mindset of abundance.
group Collaborations
Participants’ retreat projects were interdisciplinary and multimedia:
A poetry collection exploring ecological restoration
Digitally illustrated protest posters
A series of long-form essays on intersectional feminism
A compilation of free health resources serving the LGBTQ+ community
A podcast on food justice and fatphobia
On the final day of the retreat, participants collaborated on a photo project showcasing themselves in what they described as “states of power, tranquility and support.”
Photos by Phoebe Van Esche, Artist and Problematic Participant
BEYOND
THE RETREAT…
Following the retreat, a website and Instagram page were created to showcase the attending group’s collaborations. As their projects garnered attention online, a new cohort emerged to manage the ongoing dissemination of political education materials via infographics, extended captions, digital art, and in-person consciousness raising groups.
The project’s evolution into an action hub marked the beginning of “Problematic Publication” which spanned from 2018-2019, well after the Innovation Lab’s fellowship period ended.
Images of Problematic Publication's curatorial team: Audrey Sides, Cassius Johnson. Jenny Tan, Christian Kummer, Treasure Brooks “Historical revisionism is the process of altering the narrative around certain historical events or figures in a way that favors a dominant group. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy has been heavily revised and exploited by white moderates in ways that accommodate their white supremacist agenda. When people quote MLK’s non-violent rhetoric to subdue rightfully angry Black people, they are engaging in racial violence and political suppression…”
-Excerpt from Problematic Publication’s 2018 essay “Radical Reflections on Martin Luther King Jr. Day”
