In the opening ceremony, the author introduces the idea of decolonization through ceremonies. It talks about veve which is a drawing that stands for offering. Lara emphasizes the importance of this offering as it has deeper meaning and stands for love. Then the author talks about intersection of racial and gender/sexual identities. In specific, she talks about the black identity intertwined with queer identity and how all of this is connected to colonialism (and shows resilience). This is more discussed in the second chapter/ altars-puntos. She also sees Christian ideologies as part of colonialism. I am wondering, how do things such as veve contribute to black/queer individuals reclaiming their autonomy/ sovereignty?