Editors' note: Revolution Zine (Take 4)

2020 was a year of tragedy, and, consequently, of revolution on multiple fronts. In the US, multiple generations took to the streets to shout out racial justice, police brutality, election conspiracies and systemic inequality. Friends tried to alleviate anxiety with humor, families revisited old wounds, all while coping with a global pandemic. It felt like an awakening; a realization of how deeply embedded the racist roots of our society were and a reckoning for systematic, systemic change. Protest became our national dialogue, and the urgency for transformation was felt more strongly than ever before.

This little zine began as a pandemic project. It was an extension of our weekly hangouts where we share ideas and spread our wings as writers. A creative outlet through which we process our own feelings about the world around us and our place in it.

The Revolution Zine maps both the hope and the cynicism we have felt over the past couple years. It is our tangible reminder of the spaces in between the protests, the incremental changes that may feel small but that move things forward. It is our own personal reckoning of the inadequacy and bone deep injustice of the status quo. It is our commitment to no longer accept a return to normal as we all emerge from this pandemic. It is a recognition that change will not come overnight and we can tolerate the moments of overwhelm and discomfort and maybe even savor them.

Now, from the other side of the globe, we watch yet another movement in Iran to protest the death of Masa Amini, supportive but also so far. The women of Iran are showing all of us how the drive for change is an innately human characteristic, something we all share. It is another example of the role that all of us can play. Revolutions are both urgent and incremental, global and intensely local. We invite you to read our Revolution Zine with a curiosity for what revolution means for you, a commitment to seek solutions and take action.

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Who is your favorite revolutionary leader, real or fictional? We would love to know. Pop a comment below!