July is National Zine Month. Emerging in the 1920s from a do-it-yourself spirit, these self-published magazines are used as tools for self-reflection, activism, and creative exploration. Artist Jen White-Johnson demonstrates the transformative abilities of zines through vibrant works that celebrate Black disabled joy, reimagine mothering as resistance, and advocate for collective liberation.
NMWA’s Betty Boyd Dettre Library and Research Center (LRC) is proud to have a selection of zines by White-Johnson. Learn more below, and visit the LRC Tuesday to Friday and each first Sunday of the month, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., to experience these zines in person.
Kids Solidarity Mini Zine Pack (2021)
Crafted during the Covid-19 pandemic, mini zines became a means of grounding, self-discovery, and creative storytelling for the artist and her son, Knox. This pack of four zines contains some of Knox’s favorite creations from that time, including works about the moon, music, joy, and words. Infused with a sensory element, these zines can be unfolded and refolded in various configurations, creating dynamic combinations of visuals.
To Gaza With Love / A Zine About Love (2024)
Rooted in the spirit of collective liberation and love, White-Johnson intertwines Black feminist joy with Palestinian solidarity. Inspired by the legacies of bell hooks, Audre Lorde, and Assata Shakur, as well as the thousands of pregnant Palestinian women affected by airstrikes, her work calls us to honor those who have been killed. Their stories become guiding forces, urging us to remember through love and action.
A Black Neurodivergent Artist’s Manifesto (2024)
This experimental zine bursts with radical, bold collages of gradients, hearts, brains, and rainbows. At its core are 10 beliefs centered around environmental justice through collective care, rejection of racism and the masking of disabilities, and the nurturing of liberatory gardens. White-Johnson calls readers to strengthen community bonds, create accessible spaces for creativity, and drive policy change through a commitment to education and acceptance.
Knox Roxs (2018)
Welcome to the “Knoxverse,” where children are not a burden for the challenges they face. Together, White-Johnson and Kevin T. Johnson Jr. celebrate their autistic son’s radiant spirit that goes beyond the confines of the labels ascribed to him. They reject calls for an autism “cure” while advocating for neurodivergent children of color to simply be. Rather than acting as a how-to guide for parents of autistic children, the zine captures Knox’s thriving and joyful moments, asserting that he deserves to shine authentically.
Autistic Joy: Knox Roxs: A Retrospective (2024)
The Knoxverse continues through a retrospective showcasing Knox through snapshots from 2019 through 2024, a time when existence itself, mothering, and autistic joy continue to be acts of resistance. Here we witness Knox’s remarkable growth and self-advocacy captured lovingly and authentically. The zine follows Knox at the beach, in class, and during “autistic joy play rituals.” White-Johnson’s art and design are used to challenge the systemic masking and filtering of autistic expression, declaring that true acceptance means breaking free from assimilation. The zine is not just a story of inclusion; it is a call for leadership, where disabled minds and bodies are elevated to positions of power.