There was something dreamlike about being there, as if I had stepped into some kind of utopia. The love in the air was thick enough to slice through. Whether I had met some of these people minutes before, I felt embraced with open arms.
Ramie ran around the foyer taking portraits of everyone so that attendees could have tangible memorabilia to look back on. For Isa, whom I sat next to while trying ear acupuncture for the first time (more on that later), it was her second dinner. She attended the Angelito Collective’s screening of their sophomore film, ‘CIÓN, MAMI, at the Brooklyn Museum in June 2022, and her first dinner last February. Bunny, who sat next to her, was also trying ear acupuncture for the first time. For both of them, it was exciting to be around everyone, as much as it was to feel the buzz of electricity from the five points piercing their ears.
When it came time to eat, I sat down next to Divine and Kam who reflected on the many dinners up until then, “It’s nice to have a space like this, and some of these people have been coming around for three years, it’s like family.” Watching her, Angel, and Sinn move around the room making sure everyone had tried some kind of healing practice, had their portrait taken, and had eaten, it was clear how important this was to them. As the night drew to a close, I made my rounds to say goodbye to both familiar and new faces. Stepping into the kitchen, I was reminded of the joy shared that night by Ramie’s polaroids, which sat on the mantle for everyone to see.
The Angelito Collective sees As the girls plan their next dinner, they keep in mind that: “Creating a space of love where people can feel a sense of belonging and know that they are not alone, that they are loved and mean something to a lot of people is very important.” The vitality of this dinner as a testament to a future filled with many more, and what's most striking is that up until know, the dinners have been made possible entirely through crowdfunding and donations. Submissions for the next are now open, anticipated to happen at some point in the Spring.
You can donate and support the next dinner HERE.