There is no spoon....
Dear Freedom Lovers,
Twelve years ago when I founded Free Breakfast, I was angry. Very angry. The anger used to make me physically sick. It was 3 months after watching Trayvon Martin's murderer be exonerated and I was ready to fight. Our original logo, the fist clutching the spear, was born from that fire. It represented a righteous militancy, a reflection of my spirit in the face of that miscarriage of justice. The symbol was my own personal veve by which I focused my energy and attention.
Twelve years have passed since then and I have evolved. My understanding is more complete. It's with this understanding that I'd like to introduce you to the spoon that is there but is also not there.
The name "Free Breakfast" makes the connection clear, right? You can't eat your breakfast without your utensils lol But the meaning goes so much deeper. It came to me on my umpteenth viewing of this one scene in The Matrix. A young boy tells the hero, Neo, that bending a spoon with your mind is impossible. The secret is not to try and bend the spoon, but to realize a deeper truth: there is no spoon. The only thing that has to bend and change is YOU.
He was essentially challenging Neo to change his ontology—which is simply the study of what is real and true. For us, as marginalized victims of America's subjugation, the "spoon" is the illusion of the limitations placed upon us. The "spoon" is the belief that our world must be defined and constrained by the chains of our past and present struggles.
In current times, it's the self-doubt that's preventing you from starting that book or forming that org. In antebellum times it was the belief that slavery was just a part of our existence and that it would never change.
True, revolutionary freedom comes when we realize we can change the very rules of the world we live in. We don’t have to break the spoon; we have to realize it was never holding us back in the first place. And just like Neo couldn't become "the One" before realizing that he wasn't as limited as his world's creators lead him to believe, WE can't reach our full potential until we internalize the very same truth.
The spoon is also a tribute to the unsung heroes of every revolution. Everyone can't wield a weapon. Some people just don't have violence inside them. But there are still clothes to mend, homes to tend, and kids to feed. Revolution isn't just about the spear; it's about the spoon in the kitchen, the book in the classroom, and the wisdom shared between generations. This symbol is for everyone who builds, teaches, nurtures, and empowers. Your hands are just as valuable and revolutionary. I want you to feel seen, heard, and included.
Our mission has not changed. And the old logo isn't going to be permanently retired - it just has some company now. We are still here to Edify, Enlighten, and Empower. We're still in the business of charitable giving. But our message is maturing. It is no longer merely about fighting against a world that denies our worth, but about building a new world where we realize our worth was NEVER theirs to define.
The spear was a call to battle. The spoon is a call to build, to nourish, and to see the world—and ourselves—with new eyes. I hope you learn to love this new symbol as much as you loved the old one.
With love and solidarity,
Hannibal Pace
Lead Servant/The Free Breakfast Movement