Disrupting What White Supremacy Has Created: T’s Perspective
We took the time to interview some of our team about who they are and what brought them to this work. We will amplify diverse narratives from their perspective and in their voices. Join us as we shift mindsets by disrupting social norms.
Who are you?
My name is T Montes, and I’m a Filipinx, trans, queer child of immigrants whose purpose is less like one big hovering to-do and more like a path of a million glowing stepping stones. My last name carries the weight of generations, including the responsibility to undo the curses passed on to me and kindle the power entrusted to me. My first name is a love letter to my future — an open slate for all the versions of myself I have not met yet, but will love wholeheartedly.
What was going on around you that led you to this work?
I was led to this work by two beliefs: 1) youth are powerful enough to do everything we haven’t even dreamt of yet, and 2) one of the roots of abolition is our ability to connect with others and radicalize empathy. For me, Diversity Talks is in the work of uplifting youth and giving them the skills to disrupt harmful power dynamics on fractal levels. I am a product of this work. My passion and determination to be a lifelong learner in anti-racist pedagogy was ignited youth leadership programming; and it is that same fire that drove me to the Diversity Talks vision.
How would you describe Diversity Talks approach to disrupting social norms and dismantling systems of oppression? What makes our work special?
Dismantling systems of oppression is more than theory. While it is a piece of the pie, it is the works of bell hooks, adrienne maree brown, and Kazu Haga that convey the importance of embodied, every-day anti-racism through our relationships. DT’s approach to confronting white supremacy is so aligned with radical care praxis while maintaining an integrity dedicated to uplifting marginalized individuals. It is our PERM framework that makes us different from other DEI workshops. It’s our active disruption of power, simply by being led by youth.
As part of the Diversity Talks team, what gives you hope for the future of our society?
The determination of young people to challenge power is what gives me hope. For society to change, there must be steady pressure on our oppressors to disrupt what normalcy white supremacy has created. Young people today show the indomitable spirit to get the job done.
