Brad Will. Presente!

The Memorial at St. Marks in NYC for our friend and comrade Brad Will was a beautiful tribute to an amazing person and his values. I filmed the event so as never to forget his many contributions as well as the solidarity and love that flowed from our community. We will post some of the audio of the beautiful songs, poetry and testimony honoring Brad on Rochester Indymedia's website.

It was perhaps one of the most touching displays of affection and reflection for human life I have ever or will ever witness. It went beyond obligatory formalities and a creative impassioned spirit surrounded us. It was healing to cry folded together with friends and family of Brads as we viewed family photos and activist video of Brads life. I went to film from the balcony just as the event was starting so I could get a wide shot of how many people had come together to remember Brad. The moment I got up there it felt as if I had bumped into Brad. It was his view from above and his response, "this is amazing, to feel this much love." That connection gave me an electrical current like start and tears rushed out. Just then some one started singing the hobos lullaby song and I sobbed remembering how often we sang that for our daughter when she was a baby. Our brother has been killed and the grief is so deep. But a mama lost her child and that is unbearable. I left Brad to his birdseye view and brought him with me as I descended to join the mournful community below.

Amidst the tears and reckoning with what we have lost we laughed and celebrated what we were fortunate to know. The Hungry March Band led us from the church and down OUR streets to the Charas community center that had been disemboweled of community and left lifeless for some developers capitalistic wet dream. If only for a moment the doors opened and life celebrated throughout again. We continued to move in a puddle of humanity to Plaza Cultural Armando Perez park where we gathered around a metal drum fire and formed a sacred circle with more tales of knowing and honoring Brad. We carried Brad into the night with our singing and dancing, talking and drinking. I took a train conductor hat off the table of Brads personal belongings that were distributed among us. I will tip that hat to the inspiration of Brad and the inspiring feeling of our loving, solid community at its best, wherever I may go. Love and solidarity and a kiss....
dawn
heres my new email address: artemiswill@gmail.com