In his collection of short stories “Dubliners,” James Joyce writes about a young boy infatuated with his friend’s older sister, Mangan. The boy spends his time curating happenstance such that he sees her nearly as often as he thinks of her. Their conversations are few and far between – rushed and inconsistent – until one…
An Open Letter to Professors
Dear Professors, Stop assuming that I know things. In fact, assume that I don’t know anything at all. Assume that I only have two old brain cells left and they’re only enough to remember my name and birthday. When you feel yourself starting to say, “You should’ve learned this in high school…” remember that me…
Pavement, Politics, and Privilege
You stand on College and Grove Street. Staring intently at the spotlight, you wait to cross the street in a group of twenty students all huddled together. Suddenly someone walks right past the group (most times, but not always, a man, and most times, but not always, white) and crosses the street without hesitation. The…
Cultivando la Milpa
“Culture, Consciousness, and Movement Building: Las Tres Hermanas” These three concepts acted as the foundation of the community organization I interned at throughout my year at community college, Motivating Individual Leadership for Public Advancement (MILPA). It is based on Las Tres Hermanas (the three sisters), the indigenous farming technique of planting beans, corn, and squash…
The Danger of white Liberalism
Our society is built upon a legacy of racial subjugation and exploitation. The existence of the United States is built upon the evils of slavery and land theft, and the legacy of those institutions can be seen in the numerous political, economic, and social racial inequalities and injustices that plague Black people on a daily…