The challenges of the past two years have changed the way we live, the way we work, and the way we show up for each other. They have also given us a rare chance to collectively reimagine our future. Through the Reimagine Seattle Storytelling Project we invite community members to reflect on their current experiences in Seattle, how they have been impacted by recent events, and their hopes for the future of our city.

What Does Justice Demand of Us

words and art by Eileen Jimenez

This piece was created by hand-carving and hand-printing linoleum and was finished digitally. It was inspired by reflections I have had about justice; what justice is and what justice demands of us. More and more, I am understanding how justice is not something any person or system can give us. It is something we create and nurture for each other in community and connection. Justice will not come from neat systems or processes. As a community, it is our responsibility to ensure we are able to move toward liberation through community care.

Eileen Jimenez is a body of water. Her mother is Maria Cruz Jimenez, her grandmother is Eloisa Saavedra and her great grandmother is Isidora Saavedra, matriarchs of the Otomi people. She is an Indigenous queer artist currently living in occupied Duwamish Territory (Seattle, WA). Her soul speaks through her art. In her art, she sees herself and the stories and the strength from her ancestors. In her art, you will see her Mexican and Otomi stories – you see the visual representation of her soul, and the colors, the culture, the visions, and the dreams that live there. As an Indigenous leader, community member, and artist, everything she does and creates is influenced by her many intersecting identities and lived experiences. She creates the art, structures, programming, and educational experiences she wishes she and her community would have seen and had access to when she was a girl from the ‘hood. In her current body of work, you will see her ongoing journey to heal and to share stories from her family and community. She aims to create pieces that embody Indigenous life, joy, resilience, and relationship to Land.

This piece was commissioned by the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. The opinions expressed and information contained herein do not necessarily reflect the policies, plans, beliefs, conclusions, or ideas of the City of Seattle.