Brujas (skate crew)

Brujas (English: witches) is an American all-female skate collective based in the Bronx, New York. The name derived from a 1986 video called Skate Witches.

Brujas was founded by Arianna Gil and other skaters in 2014 to host meeting places for female skaters of color who felt excluded by men. Since then, the group has become with community organizing and political activism.[1][2]

About the name Brujas, Gil mentioned, "We are intersectional feminists who are interested in spirituality and the tradition of brujería (witchcraft) in our culture. So there was more going on than just that little YouTube video."[3]

Activism

In 2016 Brujas created Brujas x 1971, a limited edition streetwear line that was funded through Kickstarter.[4] The 1971 in the name refers to Attica prisoner uprising, of 1971. The line raised money for prisoner rights. "We see 1971 as a combination of both the political DIY cultures that we were radicalized in the Lower East Side, anarchist organizing where people sell T-shirts and throw parties to get their friends out of prison, and the really brash street and skate wear aesthetics that have been developing for ages," said Izzy Nastasia a Bruja member.[5]

In 2016 the New Museum in New York hosted Scamming the Patriarchy: A Youth Summit that included Brujas as one of the organizers . About their work, Sara O'Keeffe, assistant curator of the New Museum mentioned, "Brujas is a critical voice among an emerging generation of artists, writers and activists who are propelling conversations about politics and forging spaces for empowerment."[6]

References
  1. Remnick, Noah (2016-07-29). "Sisterhood of the Skateboard". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-03-04.
  2. Dazed (2015-11-27). "Meet the 'skate witches' fighting NYC's gentrification". Dazed. Retrieved 2018-03-04.
  3. "Meet Brujas: The Feminist Skate Crew From the Bronx We've All Been Waiting For". Vogue. Retrieved 2018-03-04.
  4. Petrarca, Emilia. "These Witchy Punks Are Behind a New Virgil Abloh-Approved Street Wear Label". W Magazine. Retrieved 2018-03-04.
  5. Hine, Samuel (2016-11-17). "Wearing NYC's Coolest New Streetwear Brand Is its Own Form of Political Activism". GQ. Retrieved 2018-03-04.
  6. Hine, Samuel (2016-11-17). "Meet Brujas, the Bronx Skate Crew Making Streetwear for Post-Election America". GQ. Retrieved 2018-03-04.
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