2017: Imagine, Heal, Resist

The 43rd Annual MayDay Parade and Festival

MayDay History - May 7, 2017

At this time of great upheaval,

we come together to IMAGINE a just and joyous future for all;

HEAL personal, cultural and historical wounds;

and stand as a circle in RESISTance to false myths of separateness that perpetuate violence and inequality.

We look to inner, outer, and ancestral light for guidance, brilliant rainbows of visions and energies.

Oh beauteous neighbors! Thank you for weaving our community together with such GREAT LIGHT!

Parade Outline:

SECTION 1 Imagine, Heal, Resist: Bending the Arc

Look into the imagination of a child. See the light in the in their mind, the pureness of their connection with life, and the complexities of their simple actions.

SECTION 2 Amethyst Souls: Luxuriate in Healing

Pay homage to our queer, gender fluid and trans elders and ancestors of color, through antiquity and their radical spirits and influence.

SECTION 3 Mni Wiconi — Can Wiconi (Water of Life — Tree of Life)

Reflect on the sacredness of water, and the role Native women play as the original water protectors, responsible for caring for the precious blue gold.

SECTION 4 Sanctuaries Adjust the Law: Sanctuary for All

Imagine cities that recognize deportation as the wrong punishment for illegal immigration, which is a breach of civil, not criminal, law.

SECTION 5 The Work Ahead

Enact change through the long, slow work of making sustainable changes that lead to a more equitable world.