Introduction
It is difficult to deny that in terms of social activism, people usually think about what is missing rather than what they desire. Generally, making social justice is perceived as work; however, according to a different opinion, involvement in social activism can also be a form of pleasure. Adrienne Maree Brown is a supporter of the idea that pleasure can contribute to solving social problems. Her book Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good includes interviews and conversations with other activists about the role of pleasure in the fight for justice. This essay will present an original strategy based on understanding pleasure as a foundation for social activism. Through the examples of ideas mentioned in Brown et al.’s book, this paper will illustrate that pleasure as self-love, love for others, and liberation allow shaping a better world.
The Importance of Self-Love
Brown’s pleasure ideology is based on black feminist tradition. Her philosophy of pleasure is not limited to sex and sensuality; pleasure can be understood as anything bringing joy and satisfaction, be it something material or abstract. In pleasure activism, it is believed that every experience in life should be centered on self-love (Brown et al. 38). Indeed, working for the benefit of society is impossible without cultivating pleasure and love for one’s self. Therefore, self-love can be the basis of the present pleasure strategy.
An example of self-love as an essential component of pleasure can be found in Brown’s conversation with an artist and fashionista Ingrid LaFleur, who managed to cope with her father’s death through fashion. Some of the other displays of self-love that she mentioned were eating healthy food and keeping personal space clean (Brown et al. 38). Through something as simple as wearing stylish clothes and caring for herself, Ingrid was able to experience the healing power of pleasure and share this joy with other people.
A similar viewpoint belongs to a filmmaker, designer, and cultural worker Maori Holmes, who called clothing her obsession (Brown et al. 143). “I don’t think we should be forced into boxes based on how we look,” says Holmes implying that the role of fashion is not limited to creating style (Brown et al. 144). By choosing clothes and accessories that bring delight and pleasure, people reveal their inner selves and manifest their freedom.
Self-love is closely connected to many important social problems, and discrimination and social inequality are only some of them. This idea is expressed in a conversation with Sonya Renee Taylor, who devoted herself to radical self-love. Her ideological movement is based on body empowerment; however, her message is much deeper. She claims that the world is the reflection of how people see themselves, and it is impossible to create a better world without love for one’s self (Brown et al. 141). Therefore, pleasure found in self-love can be a way to build a just and compassionate society.
Love and Care
In the first section of the book, Brown mentions Audre Lorde’s essay Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power, which became one of the sources of her inspiration (Brown 10). Her viewpoint on the role of love and pleasure in social activism is expressed in the section “Love as the Political Resistance” of the book. In the beginning, she mentions various ways of practicing love, which does not reflect the profoundness and power of this feeling.
For example, people often demonstrate love as a fairy tale in social media, celebrate love on special days, such as Valentine’s day, and consider it as a non-durable product (Brown 24). However, Brown claims that this approach can only lead to loneliness and abandonment and concludes that love can be associated with a political strategy; she states that true love is based on radical honesty (Brown 25). This idea can be used in the present original strategy of social activism: by expressing their feelings and needs, people can create a society centered on truth rather than fake news and misbeliefs.
Another essential aspect of love is care, which is explicitly explained by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha. She claims that in the modern world, care and pleasure are often separated. In terms of disability, accepting that one needs special care equals admitting that this individual loses dignity. Therefore, addressing the problem of disability injustice, Piepzna-Samarasinha promotes “wildly intimate, healing relationships,” giving everyone access to joy and pleasure (128).
It is possible to conclude that besides self-love, social activism includes love and care for others. Love can liberate society from loneliness, cultivate honesty, and heal trauma. Moreover, love and care for people regardless of their special needs is a key to overall equality. Therefore, similarly to love, social activism requires honesty and the ability to create an equally joyful and pleasurable world for every individual.
Pleasure as Liberation
Freedom, be it physical freedom, freedom of choice, or any of its other facets, is an essential issue in social activism. Many socially-oriented activities are aimed at liberation from discrimination, prejudice, and social pressure, among other factors. Certain examples mentioned in Brown’s book prove that pleasure can be applied in fighting for liberation. Therefore, the perception of pleasure as a tool for liberation is the third element of this strategy of pleasure activism.
The idea of liberation is emphasized in the interview of the author with burlesque performers Michi and Una Osato. By exposing their eccentric identities, they draw attention to important social issues, such as police violence, injustice, and restriction of people’s freedom (Osato and Osato 150). According to Una Osato, radical burlesque allows them to demonstrate that the inner freedom of every individual can lead to the overall liberation of the society (Osato and Osato 151). Moreover, they emphasize that to be fully free, people need to experience all varieties of emotions, from which they often are separated (Osato and Osato 151). All pain, anger, and sadness existing in reality prevent people from living a peaceful life full of joy.
The example of Michi and Una Osato proves that pleasure can be associated with liberation. For them, radical burlesque is both the source of happiness and an effective social tool. When they are on stage, they advocate for a world they desire. As queer people and people of color, they often face hatred and injustice. Burlesque performances allow them to tell the audience that by accepting and liberating their uniqueness, people can create a world where every person is valued and respected.
Another idea in favor of pleasure as liberation is connected to relationships. Brown enumerates several features of liberated relationships, such as radical honesty, dynamics of social constructs, and the ability to accept that there are no ideal people (Brown et al. 164). She adds that for liberated relationships, it is necessary to be able to change, to be creative, and to mind boundaries. According to Brown, liberated relationships help create “abundant justice,” “care, resource, and connection to all of us to access belonging”; they also protect one’s dignity and safety in the society (Brown et al. 165). Therefore, the pleasure of liberation can be considered a basis of joyful life in harmony with oneself and others.
Conclusion
The strategy described above includes three elements of pleasure as a foundation of social activism. The first, self-love, can be considered the basis of any social and political work. Besides contributing to self-expression, love for oneself can help create a compassionate and accepting society. Secondly, love should not be limited to self-love; caring about others is also an essential part of life.
Love in general, which includes honesty about one’s feelings and care as a display of love, is what heals society and brings joy. Finally, liberation is the goal of pleasure as a tool of social activism. Being able to embrace and expose one’s uniqueness and build liberated relationships is a way to a liberated society. Pleasure is a multifaceted notion, and it is not limited to the three factors mentioned above. However, they can be considered its basic elements, without which it is impossible to shape a better world.
Brown et al.’s book prove that the ideology of pleasure as a foundation of social activism has many supporters. At the same time, people who are not familiar with this philosophy continue focusing on negative rather than pleasurable experiences in social activism. Therefore, it can be suitable to study the ways to address the idea of pleasure and its contribution to the creation of a happy and joyful society.
Works Cited
Brown, Adrienne Maree, et al. Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good. AK Press, 2019.
Piepzna-Samarasinha, Leah Lakshmi. “Care as Pleasure.” Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good, edited by Adrienne Maree Brown et al., AK Press, 2019, pp. 128-129.
Osato, Michi, and Una Osato. “Burlesque and Liberation.” Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good, edited by Adrienne Maree Brown et al., AK Press, 2019, pp. 150-153.