When We Get Together to Talk About God . . .
is a project that seeks to find the true meaning of our spirituality in South Florida. As Queer folks, we find our own families. As people of color, we have often had to leave our spiritual knowledge behind or covertly practice our ancestral spiritualities.
In this project, we will be excavating the spiritual characteristics of South Florida, including Opa-Locka, Little Haiti, Liberty City, and Miami Beach. There are elements of spirituality everywhere. In Liberty City, one of the most underserved communities is named Oshun Village. What does it mean for us to have these Orishas watching over the well-being of our community? There needs to be better acknowledgment of the deities all around us.
Real recognition of these Indigenous elements will lead to better representation and respect for ancestral wisdom and the people who hold it. We will do this through archival research, interviews with fellow practitioners, community spiritual leaders, and discussions with local historians. We will commune with folks who possess spiritual acuity and hold community knowledge with the goal of creating resources (online and in print) for the future elders and ancestors of South Florida.
With our gained understanding, we will exalt these Orishas with performances tailored to their liking through art, dance, song, and altar building. We hope this project will inspire others to connect to their own ancestral practices and spiritualities.
