poem by mosab abu toha pasted to ironwoodfarmny’s truck traveling from Ghent, NY

In the final battle between namor and shuri, when namor is fighting to win and shuri is fighting to kill, she’s about to end it when she stops. When her all consuming quest for vengeance fueled by an anger that’s turned from inward to outward (anger at herself for not noticing her brother’s illness, for being too slow, for not making the heart shaped herb fast enough, for not being able to save him, for not being there when he died).

And the shots reverse. The destruction is undone, everything goes back to normal. But not because she kills namor, but because she doesn’t. Because she puts an end to the cycle of destruction, of colonialism turning peoples against each other, of generational trauma, of grief. Because Queen Ramonda speaks to her, and namor’s mother reaches out to him.

She demands he yield but it’s more than that. He yields but it’s more than that. It’s ending the ceaseless grief that’s been haunting them both for so long, it’s ending the violence that would’ve haunted their people for eternity. Stopping the violence the oppressors who seek to exploit them want to see, and the violence they themselves want to inflict. Namor adds a new painting to his wall, imoritalizing the end of something ancient. Shuri burns her funeral robes, marking the beginning of something new. And while they’ve both loved and lost and lost so much more, death is of course, not an end. It’s a stepping off point into something new. Beyond grief and rage. Into healing.

Or at least, the start of it.

Black Panther Wakanda Forever was a beautiful representation about how people of color are pit against each other because of hurt and pain caused by colonialism and the fear of it.

Too often we treat oppression as if it is a competition. Who has suffered more, whose history was the roughest, who receives more compassion or hate from the rest of the world. And even when we try to work together often we don’t want to bend in our ways or be open in order to understand another or communicate/listen effectively to come to an agreement on how we can stand together.

In this movie, the UN and the CIA were of course a threat to the protagonists, but they truly didn’t even have to intervene directly. The mere threat of exploitation and colonization was enough to nearly drive Talokan and Wakanda into a frenzy and start fighting one another and hurting each other. And sometimes we get so caught up in the hurt and the vengeance until we’re bleeding out with our hands around each other’s throats and we pause to think “why are we even doing this to each other?”

Ultimately it’s pointless, the endless cycle of pain and hurt and for what? That’s what the colonizers want. The UN/CIA knew nothing about Talokan, but if Wakanda and Talokan had wiped each other out, they would’ve loved nothing more than to sweep up and exploit the vibranium resources left behind without having to do any of the dirty work. Shuri realized that being consumed with vengeance wasn’t going to help anybody, and the fear/threat of losing more loved ones was only going to get more people hurt. It killed Killmonger and it was killing Shuri, Namor and their people. The very people they were trying to protect. They both saw the beauty in each other’s cultures, and they knew it was worth dying to protect, but not like this. Why should they tear each other down like this when they have both fought such hardship to thrive?

Originally Talokan saw Wakanda’s act of opening their borders as a threat against themselves, but it was the fear of what the colonizers would do, and yet Talokan attacked Wakanda for it. In the end, their perspective shifted, and Wakanda also chose to respect their decision to remain a closed culture.

We celebrate each other’s differences in their cultural uniqueness, and we come together to unite over our values in order to support one other.

The only way we stand a chance against the effects of colonization and the systems set in place today is if we continue to find ways to support one another and stand together, instead of doing the work for the oppressors and tearing each other down.

I just want to thank wakanda forever for reigniting my violent hatred for the spanish empire.

and while we're on the subject of colonization: everyone's always talking about the british but let's not forget the spanish, french, portuguese, dutch, and belgians also fucked up multiple continents, wiped out multiple cultures and languages, and enslaved natives all over the world.

just a reminder that namor isn’t hispanic or mexican or latino! he’s solely indigenous so please when writing him do not have him speaking spanish unless it’s necessary or have him using spanish nicknames (which tends to be the case with spanish speaking characters as far as i’ve seen in fan fiction). he wouldn’t default to speaking in spanish, it’s not his first language nor is it his primary one. it’s yucatec maya! there are plenty of loving and endearing nicknames you can pull out of this wonderful language. please do not erase that representation simply because you find it easier or more convenient or simply out of ignorance. <<3

I don't feel like giving context

there is an insane amount of antisemitism floating around right now.

i just want to say:

this blog loves and supports jewish people.

this blog does NOT conflate the israeli government, or the atrocities it commits, with jewish people.

this blog is disgusted with those who use or express antisemitism.

this blog knows that if someone needs to invoke antisemitism, they do not actually care about helping palestine or the palestinian people.

this blog will do its best to ensure that it remains a safe space for all.

I'M SO HAPPY YOU LIKED IT !!! I'M VERY PROUD OF IT !!! Thank you sm !!!

Done !!! Finally capcut decided to be nice to me !!! Hope you like it !!

Jolliful belongs to @faffreux !!!

Done !!! Finally capcut decided to be nice to me !!! Hope you like it !!

Jolliful belongs to @faffreux !!!

Old drawing and then new one because my ibis paint decided not to work on my connection !!!

Jolligig belongs to @ faffreux !!!

Almost done !!! Just need to add the music tomorrow and then it'll be completely done !!! Sorry it's taking so long @faffreux !!!

I finished the first part !!! I'm going to do jolligigs part tomorrow !!! Hope you like it !!!!

@faffreux

Imma start digitalizing this soon but I thought the sketch was cute too !!!

@faffreux

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BREAKING: Israel is currently bombing Syria’s capital city of Damascus, targeting residential areas.

Within a single day alone, Israel has dropped bombs Gaza, South Lebanon and Syria.

This is not victim behavior.

This is terrorism.

SHOUTOUT TO MY BOY BEETEE!!!