Self-determination is a right inherent to all, a sentiment that was supposed to be embedded into the colonial foundation of America. Despite this, the institutions that govern our society are enacting increasingly oppressive methods of control on the whims of elitist, power-hungry entities. These institutions exert control by dismantling the very methods of self-determination protected and upheld in our country’s foundational text, all to leave us vulnerable to exploitation.

This shouldn’t surprise us, hypocrisy was present from the onset of America. To establish a nation built on slavery and genocide does not create a hopeful precedent. But that doesn’t mean we can remain hopeless. As an abolitionist organization, we are dedicated to elevating stories, accounts, and reactions to the landscape of reduced freedom, sovereignty, and autonomy we are surviving today. The MJLC aims to honor lost autonomy while continuing to celebrate the surviving methods used to reclaim radical self-determination. We all deserve the freedom to make our own choices, have our voices heard, and live freely as ourselves without fear. Exercise your autonomy by sharing with us your grief, anger, and most importantly, your hope. The powers-that-be would have you believe otherwise, but we can have justice and liberation for all in this life.