Witches of color, we carry with us the resilience and power of all our dearest ancestors to confront the shadows of oppression.

On Jan 20, 2018, witches of color from across the country will gather in Washington, D.C. to protest Donald Trump because it is our sacred duty to protect marginalized peoples from the shadows of oppression.

Though popularly represented as demonic and devil worshipers, in actuality, witches were far from the persons accused of committing the sorts of crimes and social indecencies leveled against them. On the contrary — history belies this myth. Despite the many misconceptions that surround the origins of witches in America, sources tell us that, simply put, witches are people who defied the status quo — a society based on patriarchy, gross inequality, abuse, and violence — and serve as healers against oppression.

Most of us are probably familiar with the famous Salem Witch Trials and similar witch hunts that ravaged Europe. And though hunting and executing those who laid claim to witchery ended in the 18th century, the fear of witches and witchcraft remained long after, manifesting itself in the popular stereotypes we know today, such as the cackling, hag-faced old woman who wears pointed hats, stirs potions in her cauldron and rides brooms.

However, witches are more than people who are able to recite intricate spells and cast irreversible hexes. According to Kristen Solee, author of Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive, they are the ultimate feminists and, as women who defied gender and sexual norms, continue to have influence today. Best and accurately understood as healers who sought to “shift perceptions and create change,” witches drew the ire of the church and state because of their stance against what we today call cis-heteropatriarchy. This remains their role today, as evidenced by the mass hexings that cropped in communities protesting the election of Donald Trump.

Beyond the common narratives of white witches, different forms of magick remain a strong cultural practice for BIPOC throughout this nation — as witches of color, our magic is healing, and it is rooted in the power of our ancestors who passed down their knowledge to us over the hundreds of years of white supremacist oppression. Witches of color, our narratives have been erased, they have been mocked, but we are resilient, and we carry with us the resilience and power of all our dearest ancestors. It is time for us to use our collective power to help heal and confront the shadows.

It is once more time for witches of color to assemble together.

We, as a publication centered around healing and confronting oppressions faced by Q/T BIPOC, are calling on brujas and workers across the country to join WYV in our nation’s capital to dance Trump out of the oval office. The same misogynistic and white supremacist forces that have worked hard to historically discredit the daring and indispensable work of witches are wreaking havoc every day, and since the official passing of the presidential baton to 45, appear to be even more emboldened. And if that’s not enough to rile people up, consider this. In a plot twist that seems designed to turn everyone’s head, Trump’s acolytes, ignorant-acting as they are, have already dug into the past to co-opt and conjure up its own witch history. Does not such a move beg a counter-response from witches everywhere?

Asé.

For more information about our campaign, check out our website here.

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this article stated that we were inviting witches of color to dance against Trump on Jan 20, 2017. The one year anniversary of the 2017 presidential inauguration is Jan 20, 2018.

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