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XO QUAY Blog

XO QUAY Blog
featured news q/a

AUSTRALIAN NAIDOC WEEK, 2020: ALWAYS WAS ALWAYS WILL BE

“We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.” 

We’re celebrating NAIDOC Week at Quay, and honoring Australia’s Aboriginal + Torres Strait Islander Peoples with our COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS series with a short Q/A featuring Sky Thomas, a Gunnai/Kurnai, Yorta yorta, and Wiradjuri Woman.

The belief that COMMUNITY IS QUAY and that all people—regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, or creed—deserve respect, opportunity, and love is central to everything that we do at Quay. We are nothing without the unique, diverse group of individuals internally + externally who have allowed us success over the years.

Q/A ft @SOJU_GANG

Q: WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT IS YOUR STORY?

A: I’m Soju Gang—I’m a proud Gunnai/Kurnai, Yorta Yorta, and Wiradjuri woman, and I’m known for being a DJ, designer, and all-around creative here in Melbourne [Australia]. 

  
Q: WHAT DOES NAIDOC WEEK MEAN TO YOU? 

A: What NAIDOC means to me is our community coming together to not only reflect on the journey our people have been on but also to celebrate who we are and where we’ve come from as well.   
We’ve faced so much adversity since colonization, so much injustice and pain and oppression and genocide—some of which we still face today. But to have time to reflect on our determination, our strength, our love, our talent, and our achievements is so important. 

 
Q: WHAT DOES THIS YEAR’S THEME ‘ALWAYS WAS, ALWAYS WILL BE’ CONJURE FOR YOU? 

A: We have a history [in Australia]. This country has tried to erase us, both from the history books and from the face of the Earth. So, for us to say ‘Always Was, Always Will Be’ is saying that we’re still here and we’re not going anywhere. 
 

Q: WHAT DO YOU WANT OTHERS TO KNOW ABOUT NAIDOC WEEK?

A: What I want people to know about NAIDOC Week is to understand where it comes from and the history it holds within it. It came from our people marching for their rights on Day of Mourning, which is what others consider Australia Day, and it was about this country acknowledging the history that is here but to also ask for our rights as human beings. So, from a time of pain that we’ve come from, to find the time and create that space for our people to celebrate ourselves is important and should be something that everyone in this country takes part in.  

 

DONATE 

  • Change the Record 

https://changetherecord.org.au/ 
Change the Record is Australia’s only national Aboriginal led justice coalition of Aboriginal peak bodies and non-Indigenous allies. They work to end the incarceration of, and family violence against, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

 

  • Aboriginal Literacy Foundation 

http://www.aboriginalliteracyfoundation.org/ 
The priority of Australia’s Aboriginal Literacy Foundation is to provide ongoing literacy programs and opportunities for Indigenous young people through education and community-based initiatives. 

 

  • Koorie Youth Council 

https://koorieyouthcouncil.org.au/ 
The Koorie Youth Council (KYC) advocates for the advancing of rights and representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people to Australian government and communities. 

 

  • The Healing Foundation 

https://healingfoundation.org.au/ 
The Healing Foundation is an Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organization that partners with communities to address the ongoing trauma caused by actions like the forced removal of children from their families. 

 

  • Common Ground 

https://www.commonground.org.au/ 
Common Ground is an Aboriginal-led organization that works with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia to capture and share stories, and create learning material for wider Australia. 

 

  • ANTaR 

https://antar.org.au/ 
ANTaR is an Australian advocacy organisation dedicated specifically to the rights—and overcoming the disadvantage of— Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people primarily through lobbying, public campaigns, and advocacy. 
 

SUPPORT 

 

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    5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

    Last month you joined us in honoring Hispanic Heritage Month with some of our squad. Now, join us in celebrating Dia De Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Read on for five things you should know about Dia De Los Muertos because Community is Quay: 

    The belief that COMMUNITY IS QUAY and that all people—regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, or creed—deserve respect, opportunity, and love is central to everything that we do at Quay. We are nothing without the unique, diverse group of individuals internally + externally who have allowed us success over the years.

     

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    news

    2020, REPRESENT: I VOTE FOR...

    In honor of National Voter Registration Day, we're making a plan to vote + hope to inspire others to represent this election year. Tell us who you represent for in the comments below and see how you can be prepared to vote.

    PREPARED TO VOTE

    We've partnered with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund to help ensure our squad (and our squad's squad) can make their vote count.

    Here are FOUR things can do:

    1. CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION STATUS if you aren't registered yet, do it ASAP—it only takes a couple of minutes. Check your status at vote.org
    2. LEARN ABOUT ABSENTEE VOTING OPTIONS like mail-in + early drop-offs in your state. Learn more at vote.org
    3. COMPLETE + RETURN ABSENTEE BALLOTS EARLY because it's more important than ever to vote early.
    4. PLANNING TO VOTE IN-PERSON? Come prepared with the checklist below.

     

    FOR MORE RESOURCES VISIT THE LDF’S VOTER WEBSITE

     

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    COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS: JUNETEENTH

    CHRISTINA KANU
    1. Juneteenth is not a celebration of the day Black people were freed from slavery, it's a commemoration of the day the last enslaved population of Galveston, TX found out they had been emancipated.
    1. The Emancipation Proclamation was enacted by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, freeing all enslaved people in the Confederate States if they could make it to Union Army lines. However, word of emancipation had not reached as far as Texas because of minimal Union Army presence.
    1. Nearly 4 million Black people were emancipated at the end of the Civil War in May of 1865, most of whom had parents and grandparents who were born enslaved in the United States.
    "SO, AS LANGSTON HUGHES ONCE SAID, ‘WE, TOO, SING AMERICA’ BECAUSE WE BUILT IT.”
    CHRISTINA KANU
    1. Juneteenth is typically observed by partaking in history lessons, festivals, and parties to celebrate those in Galveston, TX who were the last to know they had been freed and the ongoing fight for Black freedom in America.
    1. Black Lives Matter: This Juneteenth is an opportunity for all people to reflect on Black people's contributions to American and world cultures.

    SOME THINGS YOU CAN DO TO TAKE ACTION

    • Stand up against racial injustice.
    • Donate to a cause dedicated to uplifting the Black community.
    • Supporting Black-owned businesses

    SOME THINGS YOU CAN READ TO EDUCATE YOURSELF

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        THERE IS NO NEUTRAL POSITION ON RACISM

        The only way to fight racism is to be actively anti-racist—educate yourself, speak up, donate, take action. There is no neutral position on racism.

         

        We stand in solidarity with the fight against systematic oppression of the black community and are committed to creating visibility into the black experience + ending racial injustice. We believe the only way to fight racism is to be actively anti-racist—educate yourself, speak up, donate, take action.

        We are starting with a donation of $50k to organizations that support the fight against racial injustice—and are committed to another $100k before the year ends. See below for a list of the organizations we’re making the first donation to.

        We believe in the power of representation and are committed to expanding diversity in everything that we do. We don’t know the answer to everything, but we are committed to continuing to learn and have honest discussions with our community about how we can amplify black excellence.

         

        DONATE WITH US

        EQUAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE https://eji.org/

        The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.

        THE LOVELAND FOUNDATION https://thelovelandfoundation.org/

        The Loveland Foundation works to bring opportunity and healing to communities of color, and especially to Black women and girls. Through fellowships, residency programs, listening tours, and more. Ultimately, they hope to contribute to both the empowerment and the liberation of the communities they serve.

        NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND https://www.naacpldf.org/

        The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. is America’s premier legal organization fighting for racial justice. Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, LDF seeks structural changes to expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve racial justice in a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all Americans. LDF also defends the gains and protections won over the past 75 years of civil rights struggle and works to improve the quality and diversity of judicial and executive appointments.

        CHANGE THE RECORD https://changetherecord.org.au/

        Change the Record is Australia’s only national Aboriginal led justice coalition of Aboriginal peak bodies and non-Indigenous allies. They work to end the incarceration of, and family violence against, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

         

        SUPPORT WITH US

        Here are some of our favorite black-owned businesses from across the US. This list is just the beginning, as we continue to use our platform to amplify black excellence.

         

        PUBLIC LAND | SACRAMENTO CA
        HOME GOODS + ART
        publiclandstore.com  


        TRAPP HAUS BBQ | PHOENIX, AZ
        FIRST DOWNTOWN BBQ EATERY
        trapphausbbq.com  


        BLACK MEN HEAL | PHILADELPHIA, PA
        MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
        blackmenheal.org  


        THERAPY FOR BLACK GIRLS
        MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
        therapyforblackgirls.com  


        SONSHINE BATH | ATLANTA, GA
        HANDMADE, NATURAL SKINCARE
        sonshinebath.com  


        SAMI MIRO VINTAGE | LOS ANGELES, CA
        ECO-CONSCIOUS FASHION
        samimirovintage.com  


        NENE'S FEMHEALTH | MIAMI, FL
        PLANT-BASED FEMININE CARE
        nenefemhealth.com  


        GOLDE
        SUPERFOOD-RICH WELLNESS + BEAUTY
        golde.co  


        GOURMONADE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA
        SMALL-BATCH LEMONADE
        gourmonade.com  


        BRIGHT BLACK CANDLES
         HAND CRAFTED SCENTED CANDLES
        brightblackcandles.com

         

        BENEATH YOUR MASK
        NON-TOXIC SKIN CARE
        beneathyourmask.com

         

        BEADS BYAREE
        HAND CRAFTED JEWELRY
        beadsbyaree.com

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