 watercolor image of Ki'tay D. Davidson by Elyssa Siegel. Ki'tay is holding a microphone with one hand and snapping with his other. He is wearing his favorite "do you even roll bro?" t shirt with his arms out and mustard orange jeans with a black leather hat turned backwards. (and the hand of Allie Cannington, his co-presenter and best friend) holding a microphone next to him. Allie cant be fully seen. Art gifted to TL & Allie in 2015 after Ki'tay's passing. December 2, 2024 marks Ki'tay D. Davidson's tenth year as an Ancestor. In honor of his tenth year as an Ancestor, we hope to share some news with our communities about what his mother and loved ones have been working on to honor him and share a couple of his photos, videos, offerings that have never been made public. This is an invitation to get know Ki'tay D. Davidson through his and his communities' own expressions. Important note: Ijeoma Oluo and HarperOne / HarperCollins' recent "book", Be A Revolution (edited by Rakesh Satyal) misrepresents Ki'tay D. Davidson and commodifies his death alongside many other Black/Indigenous, disabled, queer, GNC/trans organizations, collectives, communities, ancestors and living peoples. Information about Ki'tay D. Davidson in this text is inaccurate. His mother, family, friends, communities, and I (his partner) ask you not share any information about him from this "book." Oluo is represented by Lauren Abramo of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC. Please only share information about Ki'tay from Ki'tay and our communities. We will be sharing more information here and on Disability Visibility Project soon. We thank you in advance for your support. POETRY FROM KI'TAY: This poem has never before been released to the public. It was released on the occasion of StaceyFest, on July 20, 2024. First electronically drafted by Ki'tay on September 5, 2014, then entitled Embracing masculinity to heal., Ki'tay landed on this final title, to be trans, to be a flower (intergenerational healing and transformation). One of Stacey Park Milbern's last acts of solidarity was to develop a fellowship in honor of Ki'tay. Listen to this poem in spoken English by me, Talila A. Lewis here; and review this poem in English text here. The image below of the poem is a screen shot from the actual text typed exactly as Ki'tay D. Davidson typed it on prior to his transition.  A poem by Ki’tay D. Davidson first electronic draft created on September 5, 2014. Ki’tay passed away on December 2, 2014. It is unclear if he had finalized this poem. Read by Talila A. Lewis, July 19, 2024 for StaceyFest.  An image of Ki'tay D. Davidson on the campus of American University holding up a pink sign that says I Aspire to . . . [individuals can write whatever they want in response, Ki'tay wrote]: redefine masculinity. In the background there are people standing chatting with each other in small groups of three or two. Ki'tay is a Black young person with dark brown skin, a teenie afro a gray hoodie and a brown satchel with his books on one shoulder. Photo circa 2012/2013. CONVOS WITH KI'TAY!
 Image of Ki'tay D. Davidson in a dark pinstriped suit with a blue and yellow bowtie looking straight into the lens of the camera and smiling with his spirit. He is confident and surrounded by green nature. Photo by Talila A. Lewis TRIBUTES TO KI'TAY:
#KitayLives
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Video description: I provide English text and audio as well as a rough ASL translation (with expansions) of the 2022 edition of my living definition of ableism. Spoken English of this full blog post (audio-visual): 00:00 - 02:31 ; ASL translation+expansion: 02:45 - 11:36 ; Spoken English with text only: 11:37 - 13:10. Non/responses to the pandemic have painfully and chillingly illustrated how people, systems, society, etc., use purported "fitness/health/wellness," as well as age, location, and other factors to make decisions about worthiness and value. This year, my living ableism definition modifications explicitly name birth place and living place. I removed the term "nationality" to avoid feeding into settler-imperialist conceptions of space/place and invite people to consider "living place" very expansively so as to include people who have pathological/criminal labels that invite surveillance, incarceration, institutionalization, etc., and for people who are transient, nomadic, non-possessory in how they exist, and more. Previous definitions and additional context can be found here (2021), here (2020), and here (2019). Here is my updated living definition for this year: A system of assigning value to people's bodies and minds based on societally constructed ideas of normalcy, productivity, desirability, intelligence, excellence, and fitness. These constructed ideas are deeply rooted in eugenics, anti-Blackness, misogyny, colonialism, imperialism, and capitalism. This systemic oppression leads to people and society determining people's value based on their culture, age, language, appearance, religion, birth or living place, "health/wellness", and/or their ability to satisfactorily re/produce, "excel" and "behave." You do not have to be disabled to experience ableism.  [ID: rectangular image with the definition of ableism laid over various colored blocks in the background indicating the overlaid, intertwined, connected nature of all forms of systemic oppression to ableism. The following words are on the image: able·ism /ˈābəˌlizəm/ noun A system of assigning value to people's bodies and minds based on societally constructed ideas of normalcy, productivity, desirability, intelligence, excellence, and fitness. These constructed ideas are deeply rooted in eugenics, anti-Blackness, misogyny, colonialism, imperialism, and capitalism. This systemic oppression leads to people and society determining people's value based on their culture, age, language, appearance, religion, birth or living place, "health/wellness", and/or their ability to satisfactorily re/produce, "excel" and "behave." You do not have to be disabled to experience ableism. working definition by Talila A. Lewis, updated January 2022, developed in community with disabled Black/Indigenous & negatively racialized people. More info: bit.ly/ableism2022. 2025 NOTES: One of the many things I am working on is archiving and making my heartwork/offerings available in various modalities, languages, artistries, disciplines, etc.—in my voicesignexpressions. In that vain, l have uploaded videos to several of my blog posts and will continue to do so. My most recent video includes me offering spoken English audiovisual & ASL transexpansion (i.e., part translation part expansion) of my 2022 working/living definition of ableism). ACCESS: I am working on getting a microphone for better audio. Apologies to those who rely on sound for wind interference. That should be resolved moving forward. Working on transcript of the ASL transexpansion. Thank you for your patience. IMPORTANT REMINDERS: My words and work are part of me, my mindbodyheartwork. Thus, do not in any way attempt to make capital from me/my offerings. Please contact me if you wish to publish my offerings anywhere to ensure that I consent to said use and representation. Educators are welcome to use my work in your classroom communities (though, again, I'd appreciate at least knowing where/how these offerings are being used and would love feedback from students). ABLEISM DEFINITION UPDATES: I do have a 2025 updated version of this definition, but I am only sharing that in trusted spaces for the time being, and also working on catching up with my content that was not accessible in various languages/modalities so we are all on the same pages when I publicly share additional offerings. TRANSLATIONS: I very much welcome translations, (re)interpretations, artistic renderings/etc of my offerings. I only ask that you properly cite to me by my full name, Talila A. Lewis, and not distort or dismember my heartworkbodymind (again, please contact me to let me know who you are, who your people are, and where you plan to share if you are working on these kinds of contributions). Finally, if you see my or my organizations' names anywhere, please immediately contact me using the contact page on this website as there is a great deal of nonconsensual distortion, desecration, denigration, commodification of me, my communities, organizations, etc. Thank you and please take good care. I have been updating my working definition of ableism for some years. This version simplifies some of the language from previous versions and explicitly includes desirability, misogyny, imperialism, language and religion as ideologies/characteristics used by societies, institutions, people to assign value to others. Please review context provided with the previous versions of the definition (linked above). May 2024 update: Working to develop a full timeline of the conversations that led to the development of this definition.  Deep purple and blue gradient background with the following words: ABLEISM a·ble·ism \ ˈābə-ˌli-zəm \ noun A system that places value on people’s bodies and minds based on societally constructed ideas of normality, intelligence, excellence, desirability, and productivity. These constructed ideas are deeply rooted in anti-Blackness, eugenics, misogyny, colonialism, imperialism and capitalism. This form of systemic oppression leads to people and society determining who is valuable and worthy based on a person’s language, appearance, religion and/or their ability to satisfactorily [re]produce, excel and "behave." You do not have to be disabled to experience ableism. a working definition by Talila "TL" Lewis*; updated January 2021 *developed in community with Disabled Black and other negatively racialized people. |
AuthorI dream incessantly of justice. Hoping to calm my mind & stir yours through this freedom space. Archives
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