⚖️ A Note from Miles
Hi! I'm Miles, the founder and steward of The Tea Stand. Below is a brief bio and privilege statement – thanks for reading!
How did I get here – starting a nonprofit devoted to serving free tea?
I grew up in a loving, stable household not far outside New York City. The public school I attended was well-funded and safe (and racist, our sports teams were called the "Indians"). My dad introduced me to the world of the outdoors, my mom showed me my inner artist, and my older sister protected me from the worst of the toxic masculinity rampant in our town/world. My high school graduation gift was a trekking backpack.
My family and those around me encouraged me to explore the world and myself, and I did. My white skin, maleness, and physical ability gave me access to resources and opportunities with few barriers. I did well in college (which my parents helped me pay for) and at my first full-time job.
During quarantine days, while many suffered physically and spiritually (and continue to), my privilege afforded me a remote job in biotech, resulting in a high salary and a low-cost lifestyle. After saving enough money to cover my living expenses for an extended period of time, I moved to Brooklyn and quit my job, eager to focus my energy on something more creative and community-oriented.
The privilege I've inherited and benefitted from is rooted in historical and systemic oppression: from the genocide of the indigenous people of the land I now occupy to the enslaving and lynching of African peoples.
Today, racism and white supremacy remain the forces behind nearly all of our society's tools of oppression: mass incarceration, the privatization of human rights (e.g. healthcare), the destructive exploitation of people and our planet, and many more.
While nearly all of us have suffered (and are suffering) in this system, my privilege has protected me from the worst of it. Over the past several years, I've worked to de-condition myself from years of propaganda, re-educate myself with a more radical and critical lens, listen to and amplify the voices of my marginalized peers, contribute time and funds to community organizers and mutual aid initiatives, etc.
The Tea Stand is both a product of my privilege and an effort to work toward a society where such privilege and opportunity gaps don't exist:
Here are a few examples of how:
- Facilitating community connections across class and identity borders. A great deal of the racism rampant throughout the US is a product of state-endorsed segregation. When groups of people only exist on the news or in our imaginations, prejudice and fear thrive. Having a cup of tea and a conversation with someone different from you is a simple, effective way to humanize, build trust, and activate our natural desire to be in community with those around us.
- Collaborating with local mutual aid groups, artists, and community-oriented organizations. Collaborating is in itself a form of resistance in our competitive, individualistic culture. Mutual aid principles, like "solidarity not charity" and community-driven decision making, are fundamental to how I operate and steward The Tea Stand. By partnering with local organizers and radical creatives, we seek to build and support a community rooted in love and resistance.
- Creating spaces of stillness for introspection and healing. We're all suffering in our sick society, whether from loneliness, institutional racism, lack of healthcare access, burnout, etc. The Tea Stand creates spaces where people can practice stillness, sit with their feelings, talk with their neighbors, and heal themselves and one another.
By holding gratitude for all I've been given, recognizing that I have enough, and choosing to share – tea, conversation, and resources, I hope to use my privilege to work toward a more loving, liberated world.
FREE TEA FOR ALL!
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