Liberatory Love Day

"The moment we choose to love, we begin to move against domination, against oppression. The moment we choose to love, we begin to move toward freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others." – bell hooks Outlaw Culture: Resisting Representations, 1994

Catalytic, expansive, steadfast, liberatory—these words come to mind as we reflect on bell hooks’s teachings about the essence of love. Her work reminds us that love is not passive, nor is it confined to romantic fantasy. Instead, love is a deliberate and conscientious act that nurtures the well-being of oneself and others, serving as an initial step toward collective freedom.

This Valentine’s Day, we invite you to join us in reimagining the holiday as Liberatory Love Day. On February 14th, poetess Nicole Alexander will lead us in a revelatory workshop where we’ll explore the depths of love and liberation. Together, we’ll craft valentines of poetry for ourselves and others, inspired by Nicole’s practice of immortalizing the hearts of strangers through her written word. 

Drop in anytime between 12:00 and 6:00 p.m., and as you write, take a moment to explore our open-source library, featuring a curated collection of works on radical love. At 2:00 p.m., join us for a special walk-through in our gallery of Torture Island: Past, Present, Future, our new exhibition curated by the Rikers Public Memory Project.

Nicole Alexander is a poetess and educator based in NYC. She graduated from Syracuse University in 2020, earning a BA in English and textual studies with a concentration in creative writing. During the warmer months, Nicole writes personalized poems for strangers in parks in NYC. In 2024, she self-published her debut collection of poems: Why I Love Dreaming.

Torture Island: Past, Present, Future is an exhibition showcasing works from the Rikers Public Memory Project’s ongoing initiative with Freedom Agenda, Create Forward, and the Humanities Action Lab. The exhibition features creative works by their 2024 Narrative Change Community Fellows alongside historical context and personal stories about Rikers Island, the active New York City J*il complex located in the East River.

Info: Join us anytime between 12:00 and 6:00 p.m. for an open writing session. As you craft your thoughts, take a moment to browse our open-source library—a carefully curated selection of works exploring themes of radical love.

Info: Join us at 2:00 p.m. for an in-depth walkthrough of our latest exhibition, Torture Island: Past, Present, Future, curated by the Rikers Public Memory Project. Explore the histories, realities, and futures shaped by incarceration through this exhibition.

Host or Publisher Weeksville Heritage Center