How would you describe your outreach work & what do you hope to accomplish?
Dartricia Rollins I would describe my outreach work as multi-disciplinary. When people ask me what I do it is kind of hard to describe, because I do so many things, but they all intersect with one another. I am a feminist bookseller, a fundraiser for a feminist nonprofit, I fund abortions, and I am an assistant to an extraordinary black woman whose mission it is to change the narrative around black women artists. It is my goal to support and center marginalized artists in whatever discipline they are in whether that be writers, poets, painters, photographers, or printmakers. It is also my goal to keep abortion legal and little to no barriers to access.
What is your background in feminism and/or social justice?
DR I literally woke up one day and read an article about Bad Feminist, Roxane Gay and was like that is me! From that, I started reading articles on Feministing and from there I found out about Charis Books and More. At Charis, I developed my social justice and feminist muscles from praxis, but most importantly from literature. It changed the whole trajectory of my life. I changed my major from Psychology to Human Services with a concentration in Nonprofit Management and Social Justice and picked up a minor in Gender and Women’s Studies. In my gender and women’s studies class, we had to volunteer at a feminist organization and that is when I found the Feminist Women’s Health Center, our local abortion clinic. Ever since that morning I learned about Roxane Gay, I hit the ground running and I will continue to do so until all of us are free.
Is collaboration something you incorporate into your practice? Why or why not?
DR Yes! Because all of the people that I am in community with have similar goals and missions it is impossible for us to work together. For an example at Charis, I planned a hosted a Feminist Resource fair. It gave all organizations in the Metro-Atlanta area an opportunity to learn more about one another, but most importantly it gave community members an idea of where they should be donating their money or time to. My good friend and Executive Director of Charis Circle says, “Charis works on an anti-scarcity model.” Meaning we believe that there are enough donors, dollars, and volunteers for the whole community to thrive.
Who is your favorite feminist mover, maker and/or shaker?
DR Tiffany LaTrice, founder and Executive Director of TILA Studios an artist incubator for Black Women in Atlanta.
What feminist book are you reading right now & what do you think about it? Is there a particular quote or passage you found especially meaningful?
DR Things I Should Have Told My Daughter by Pearl Cleage.
This book has inspired me to journal daily and to take risks.
There is a passage about Pearl Cleage hating her job because it does not serve her or her art and Cleage kind of works through her plan to quit and live her best art life. That particular passage really resonated with me, because outside of all of the amazing other things I do; my ‘day’ job is still at a company that I absolutely despise.
Why do you choose these organizations as your main methods of engaging with feminism?
DR Charis Circle, because Charis’ mission is to center marginalized voices and I am one of those voices.
Access Reproductive Care-Southeast, because I want people to have access to safe and affordable abortions, with little to no barriers.
Feminist Women’s Health Center, because I want every single person that needs an abortion to have compassionate care.
TILA Studios, because Black Women artists deserve more than a seat at the table.
How do you balance your mission of social justice with earning a living?
DR Though I would rather not publicize where I work, the company that I work for does not align with my beliefs on what community is, social justice or capitalism for that matter; but the little things I do to balance my mission with earning a living is by having my employer match every single donation I make. Whether that is to an abortion fund, clinic, or any local feminist and queer organization.
How has feminism impacted your life personally?
DR Feminism basically gave me the space to be the person that I always was, but maybe didn’t have the words to articulate it or an outlet to express myself. Feminism has made me more confident and an overall badass! I don’t shy away from who I am, or what I do, or how I live. I live my life out loud.
How do you enlist your community in shaping the goals and methods of your project?
DR When I hosted my first house party this year for the National Network of Abortion Funds, I enlisted my community to either make an online donation, to become an individual member or to come to my house and talk about abortion and abortion funds over cupcakes and wine.
I call on everyone that I know to participate, volunteer or donate to the organizations near and dear to my heart.
What are 5 ways our readers can support the work you’re doing?
DR
- Buy books from feminist and/or independent bookstores, especially Charis Books and More.
- Donate to Charis Circle.
- Donate to Access Reproductive Care-Southeast, or your local abortion fund.
- Donate to the Feminist Women’s Health Center, or to your local abortion clinic.
- Buy art from Black Women.
Link Love:
I illustrated Dartricia as part of my 100 Days of Queer Women & Femme project!