Stories of Change
SOME WAY OUT
Photo and poem by Samerawit Takele, age 18
The streets are consumed with the hearts
Of the hurt people.
Burning tires and buildings intoxicate the air,
Making it difficult to find the summer breeze.
With every step forward I take, the harder it becomes
To see the finish line.
I was told it was here, that I could make a change.
Be something greater than myself.
Not only did I spread the message,
I was the message.
My black skin will always make me a label.
Social media MADE me the educator.
Fear of negligence consumed us all,
But passing along infographics was draining.
Too many “graphic image” warnings.
It's no help if I become a part of the street.
Lifting my feet from the sizzling cement was a challenge,
But it was all I could do.
Get out of here.
Drive!
Drive before my tires burn out.
There, there. Breathe.
Remember, summer's gentle breeze.
Finally, peace within the chaos.
INVISIBLE
Photo and prose by CW, age 19
I feel invisible when I must hide who I am to be socially accepted. Through numerous instances of discrimination and marginalization, ethnic identity played a salient role in my identity development. I used to live in a homogenous Chinese community where I felt a sense of belonging. However, all that changed in a lifechanging move to a relatively conservative community composed of mostly Caucasians, catalyzing a struggle with my sense of self revolving around a central theme—difference. After years of internal conflict, I came to finally embrace my ethnic identity. With the recent hate on the Asian American community, I became distraught. Watching a heartbreaking video about how Asian Americans started to disguise their faces inspired these sets of photos. Before, we never wore sunglasses or hats in public, but now, sunglasses and hats became a commonality in attempts to suppress who we are. People should not be forced to be invisible. We need to address this issue; this is not right.
RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
Photo and poem by Oprah Nkera, age 14
Melanin
The shade of our skin
Amplifies beauty within
Something never lost
Allies
In front of their shield
They speak and use their privilege
To further spread love
Community
Together we can
Better the world through our words
We are evolving
Inevitable
Some will be silent
Or oppose what we believe
But kindness will win
STILLNESS AND MOTION
Photo and prose by Kaman, age 20
I can almost smell the fragrance of dim sum from the pictures. When I was little, my family and I made it a tradition to eat shumai, fongzhao, harcheong, and ngao yook dishes every Sunday morning for brunch. These memories bring me back to my childhood and bring warm giddy feelings into my chest. These memories also bring out the ugly and hurt feelings. People have always loved our food such as dim sum, but hated on us as humans. It brings me great sadness that there has been violence and hatred towards Asian Americans during the entire pandemic. These feelings are hard to wrangle with because how can someone love our culture, but hate the people that created the culture. As I reminisce about dim sum, it reminds me to always take in the moments and breathe because you never know when that luxury can be taken away from you.
TOGETHER MAKING A CHANGE
Photo and Poem by a Valued Voice, age 14
Hands interlocked, side by side
We continue to fight until we see the night sky
And it cannot be done alone
Which is why we stand together
And input our strength
To make it to the next day
Alone we are as powerful as a feather
Rustling in the wind
But we can make a change
As we stand in a circle
And beg for equality
One by one
Making the world a better place