A World Beyond

Written by Afiya Shani

Afiya “Fi.” Williams is a multidimensional impact producer, educator, artist, and wildflower spreading seeds of joy, justice, wellness, and love in every space she touches. For over 15 years, her work lives at the intersection of art, education, wellness, and community with a focus on elevating and advancing the well-being and lives of Black people and marginalized communities. When she’s not creating playful and transformative spaces through her company WildFiya, you can find Fi daydreaming about owning a tiny farm, hiking, writing, or enjoying a good book and curated playlist.

As silly as it may sound, love guides me. Love for myself, other people, and the planet, and it’s what I hope to evoke in others through my work. An awakened awareness about the small beauties of our being alive and how much more there is for us than this current reality.

I also believe our challenges are more visible but not much different than the many decades of harm in this country. Images and narratives are forced into our faces through endless media feeds and screens to scare us and divide us more efficiently than 20+ years ago. I think people wish to hear otherwise, but the daily lived experience for a Black woman is always challenging despite a fleeting political moment. So I move through these current times knowing that things have actually been worse for people who look like me and that I have more power than my ancestors had and more power than these systems want me to know I have.

My resilience is fueled by necessity. Giving up is not an option and I’m not sure what that looks like. What does that look like? And I know that we are all connected. That fuels my work. I can only be so well if those around me are unwell? I contribute to improving the lives of others as we simultaneously do the collective work to create a reality that’s not actively killing us, but instead nurturing us. Joy is important. Play is important. Nature is important. Community is important. A lot of what we devalue in our society is exactly what we need to be well.  

I walk with the many people who hold a bold vision for how we can exist beyond the limited imaginations of capitalism, domination, and extraction. The only way to bring that new reality into existence is to live it – day by day – with each other. To remember, that is what it’s all about, each other. Our material things won’t love us back and neither will the government. If life is about more than work, and chores, and errands, and board meetings – then what is it about? It’s about joy, pleasure, and love.

"In every color and smile, Fi reminds us of A World Beyond, where joy and justice bloom together." - Gregangelo