Editorial: Hungry by Chioma Thompson

I feel like we are having a discussion about Revolution in a Vacuum, an empty space. It is devoid of power. The Human Mind that conceives of ideals such as equity, freedom, love + desire, is powered by a Human Body that is sensitive to environmental conditions. The Body must be fed, housed, cleaned, treated when ill + have access to a certain amount of physical land.

In Revolution, we seem to be concerned with toppling a central regime of power + replacing it with a different system. The irony of this stance is that it reinforces the notion that power, is indeed centralized, without our participation. It is the collective power of the People that gives Central Authority systems legitimacy.

The question is why do we empower these systems? The answer is that these systems provide for the Basic needs of the Body. Our Minds will not allow us to conceive of the demise of a system that sustains our bodies. Instead our minds weaponize dissonance, selective amnesia, learned helplessness + a host of other psychological defenses, to help us battle our conscience while we learn to accept things we neither consent to, nor condone.

For Power to enter the Space of Revolution, it must be concerned with meeting the needs of the People it wishes to Liberate. When people can trust their communities to meet the needs of their bodies, it will become easier for their minds to develop an incentive to protect that community. Otherwise, we’re asking people to be altruistic + I’m not saying that they aren’t.

I’m just saying that they are also Hungry.

Collages by Romare Bearde