To Our Readers
A few months ago Tea Party held a community meeting to get input from our valued staff, contributors and readers. We wanted to know how they saw the magazine now as well as their vision for it in the future. People said they were "thrilled by the intersection of art and social justice" they saw in the magazine and that we were providing "a venue for people who may not have many other places to voice their outlook on life." They saw the magazine as radical and inspiring but not militant; and as a progressive and unique response to mainstream media. In fact, the word "progressive" came up over and over again.
What does "progressive" mean, exactly? It's a term that gets thrown around
a lot in the political discourse of our time. According to the dictionary, it
means "believing in moderate social change and especially improvement by
government action." Yet somehow that doesn't seem to be current usage,
especially by grassroots activists who identify as progressive. Such people I are taking things into their own hands, pressuring for changes in the social structure that would never happen otherwise and sometimes just doing it themselves. Somehow the term "progressive" has become more associated with grassroots activism and radical change, and people like Starhawk (feature interview) who are fighting against corporate globalization and for justice, sustainability and true democracy.
And doing it creatively, too. That's where we come in, as one of the many grassroots organizations in the country who see art and word as a powerful way to create a more humane and compassionate society. In order to change things, sometimes a writer needs to draw our attention to a problem so vividly that we are impelled to action ... read Great Blue Poison Pond, Idaho by featured poet Maya Khosla. Also important is the reclaiming of history, especially in the pursuit of racial justice. For one example of this see the novel excerpt Salome, about the Tupamaro revolutionaries of Uruguay. Another example is California's Dark Mother, for the real scoop on how California got its name. And pieces like Indeterminate Sentence and Voice From the Street: Sailor's Story help those who are not incarcerated or homeless understand more deeply what that really means. And for those who are, it's a rare chance to read words in a magazine by someone in your same situation.
Having the courage to think deeply about social problems, reclaiming history and providing a voice for those usually ignored in the mainstream ... that's what progressive means to us. It's a world where, as Starhawk says, "liberty and justice for all" is actually true. That's why we are becoming a non-profit organization, so that we can keep doing all of these things in a way that is deeply connected with and accountable to our community. As we grow there are more and more opportunities for community involvement, from volunteering to sending submissions to subscribing and donating. So call or e-mail, send us an idea, get involved!
-Denise Mewbourne
Senior Editor
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