Welcome.

This is the black. loved. free. learning. (healing. doing.) community.

Join us as we learn, grow, and act in our own power.

This community is for those who choose ruthless self-devotion in their pursuit of self-determination, freedom, and ultimately, liberation.

Ruthless self-devotion is an anti-oppression practice that is about reclaiming the self—one’s spiritbodymind—and power from the forces of oppression that occur on interpersonal and institutional levels. It is the practice of defining oneself for oneself with safety, joy, and without the risk of harm.

In this learning. healing. doing. community, we practice abolition, care, ancestral time, love, accountability, desire and many more values as we build our own spiritual-political practices. You can learn more about the values of this space here.

In this space, there are no gurus or “sages on stages” (as Jade T. Perry would say). Here, we each gather our selves and our tools to bring change to our communities. We support each other in our becoming.

If you choose to join us, I hope that you find the resources you need here (and elsewhere) to grow in your own time towards your freest, most loving self. I hope that you find the resources in your own time to end oppression in your own life.

Lastly, may you find a sacred, soft place to care for yourself and for each other. May you radiate in the truth that you are the one who saves you. May you find the strength to be Black, loved, and free.

Why is there a paywall?

I have a paywall for 3 reasons:

  1. My labor has value. Too often people expect Black women to give everything for nothing. I offer the podcast, Substack, and Youtube videos as free resources, but the curation of the learning materials gathered here require hours of work and fairly costly equipment. And to be blunt—it is classist to see the value of the labor of those with wealth (i.e. celebrities) and not see the value of the labor of those who live, work, breathe alongside you in principled struggle.

  2. My labor requires reciprocity. When you honor those who serve with what they ask of you (whether that be money, time, food, etc.), you resist capitalist, white supremacist logics that say that only those with hoarded power and capital deserve to be “paid” for their labor. If you think that all community work should be done for free, I encourage you to interrogate why you believe that. While you reflect, think of the Black women and femme folx who have given everything and died without having their needs met. We are trying to break cycles here, not perpetuate them.

  3. Pouring into this community allows for me to do this work sustainably. I promise you that you will get your money’s worth. With your payment, you get lifetime access to the course materials, videos, glossary, and library.

If cost is a barrier to your participation in this community, I encourage you to take advantage of the free resources and attend the low-cost classes and reading groups. I am also willing to barter. Reach out to me via email if you’d like to arrange something.

a Black woman wearing a yellow and white polka dot shirt smells a leaf in a wooded area.

Upcoming Workshop Dates

February 23


Identifying & Attracting Aligned Community

In this workshop, we’ll explore, define, and state our values. We’ll also determine what boundaries we need to enforce to bring aligned community to us. Because the truth is that we can’t get free alone.

There is no revolution of one. So how do you determine who’s safe to struggle with and who’s best to leave in God’s hands?

March 8

Building a Practice

In this workshop, we’ll use June Jordan’s “Notes Towards a Model of Resistance” to think through the elements of our own resistance practices. Participants are encouraged to read her essay and/or listen to black. loved. free. episode 9 “Surrender to Change” before attending.

April 19

Safety Planning for Liberation

Now that we’ve identified our values, attracted aligned community, and worked through the elements of our resistance practice, we must move from victim to warrior with micro-practices of liberation. In this workshop, we’ll create concrete plans to free ourselves from institutional and interpersonal oppression.

FAQs

  • You’ll get access to all four workshops (and their recordings). You’ll also receive the workbooks for each session, access to the black. loved. free. glossary and library, and exclusive discounts on merch and future community offerings.

  • Feel free to split your membership with a friend or two. If you want to teach others what you’ve learned here, feel free. All I ask is that you credit me.

    I cannot control whether you choose to honor my intellectual labor with a citation or some extra money, but I will say, I have never seen someone steal from me and prosper.

  • My plan is to keep access to these resources open with a one-time payment, meaning that if you pay once, you have access to them for as long as you wish.

    If you wish to access future courses and learning materials, you might have to pay an additional fee. We’ll see when the time comes.

  • Absolutely. Please email me at brendane(@)brendanetynes.com to schedule a consultation call. I’d be more than happy to teach this course or to create a custom course to suit your needs.