THE WATA Fund

Committing to a practice of Reparations is also committing to a practice of relational healing. By forging radical, revolutionary ways of relating to each other, we begin to heal the discord sewn by ancestral lineages that have historically been in the position of an oppressor, and by ancestral lineages that have historically benefitted from anti-Black and anti-Indigenous oppression.

As tomorrow’s ancestors, it is our work to own, and the work is as much material as it is spiritual. It serves to heal Black and Indigenous people and, simultaneously, every facet of civilization that has been impacted by imperialist, white, patriarchal capitalism – including you.

Partnership

If you’re like us, you’ve heard a lot about the concept of Reparations lately, and we’ve been exploring how You’re Going to Die (YG2D) and its community can contribute. If you identify as NB/NI POC or white, we invite you to become our partner in a practice of Reparations. 

The WATA Fund is sustained by YG2D and its NB/NI POC and white community members. If you identify as Black and Indigenous and have both the means and inspiration, we welcome your contributions as well.

Note: Contributions are neither gifts nor donations, notions which imply saviorism. WATA partnership is symbolic of an authentic, reparative relationship with Black and Indigenous communities, which centers healing historical relationships and karma in order to weave new futures together.

WHY?

The unfortunate reality is that America has failed to understand, acknowledge, and resolve the continuing catastrophe of its violent history. From slavery, genocide, broken treaties and stolen land, lynchings, incarceration, and legalized disenfranchisement and marginalization. 

As you may already know, for 500 years, the most direct targets of these atrocities have been Black and Indigenous communities. There has been no accounting for the systemic material, social, and psychological deficits these atrocities have caused. It’s a contemporary political debate as to whether the country even should reckon with it. 

On the other hand, white Americans have received reparations in many historical forms, including in the 1862 DC Compensated Emancipation Act which simultaneously emancipated enslaved Black Americans and compensated white owners ~$300 per freeperson.  

We don’t see atonement for these atrocities as a debate—like Germany, Canada, and South Africa, which practice various ways of reckoning with their racist histories through education and Reparations, we believe the answer is clear. 

In the absence of government support, we believe it’s a community responsibility to ensure Black and Indigenous communities have the resources they need to feel safe and empowered, to create and heal, and to represent and grow themselves and their stories. 

Mortality, ancestry, and affirmation of life for both Black and Indigenous people in America, and around the world, hold a very different weight and context than what most NB/NI POC and white communities experience or understand. We believe in and support the vision for a communion created by and for the Black and Indigenous communities. 

HOW?

Become a WATA Fund partner! This partnership is a tangible way for you and your community to commit to a continuous practice of Reparations with a monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, or yearly commitment.

If you’d like recommendations on suggested amounts (based on income) and payment methods, feel free to reach out and we’ll be happy to share materials. We encourage dividing even one-time contributions over an extended period for ongoing giving to help the fund become sustainable, but we will gratefully accept one-time contributions as well.

There are many other ways to pay Reparations for Black and Indigenous people, which we also encourage. Here are some common ways to build a practice:

• Create a personal, life-long Reparations plan of:

  • contributing continuously to emergency, recovery, bail, movement, and political funds or organizations centering Black and Indigenous lives

  • paying Black and Indigenous people full price for their work

  • sending funds directly to Black and Indigenous people to help them meet their needs (via GoFundMe, Venmo, Paypal, etc.)

  • giving to creative ecosystems and arts organizations

• Create a community Reparations plan with your family and/or friends group

• Create a workplace Reparations plan if you own or lead a business or company

• Lead conversations in your community about the importance of Reparations

• Buy from Black or Indigenous-owned companies

NON-OPTICAL ALLYSHIP

Non-optical allyship is a provocation for white people and NB/NI POC to engage in the work of dismantling imperialist, white, patriarchal capitalism and healing its systemic harms, most especially when no one is looking and when it’s not trending. We believe any dismantling work used to raise or solidify social capital, or that adheres to conditionality of any kind, upholds institutional white supremacy and undermines the practice of Reparations.

Our practice of Reparations intentionally decentralizes the role of white people and their money in the narratives of Black and Indigenous creativity and prosperity through:

• Providing partners (fund contributors) a media toolkit designed to reduce virtue signaling, or ““public expression of moral opinions or actions to raise or solidify social capital.”

  • We ask partners to refrain from displaying their involvement online outside of sharing the assets in the provided media toolkit

• Removing partners from the distribution process to reduce conditionality

  • The WATA Fund will be distributed at the discretion of WATA leadership

For more about non-optical allyship, see Mireille Cassandra Harper’s original ideas on Twitter. Mireille’s ideas have also been transcribed on Medium by a fan.

NOT SURE HOW MUCH TO CONTRIBUTE?

Check out our guide for recommended contributions based on income bracket.

Are WATA or You’re Going to Die political organizations?

Nope. Justice is often perceived as political because racism is so ingrained in American politics. Yet, regardless of political affiliation, silence in the face of systemic racism and its impacts is simply not an option. We feel, with great conviction and clarity, that supporting Black and Indigenous communities through redistribution of resources, representation, and leadership; raising awareness and using the unique opportunities our platform affords are an organizational step in the right direction.

We believe that unless and until America is willing to collectively acknowledge its privilege, take responsibility for its past and the impact it has on the present, and commit to realizing justice, the impact on the Black and Indigenous communities will never end. WATA and YG2D take responsibility for our role in moving justice forward.