Writing For Change

Jennifer Gonzalez, Laitla Sims, and Andrea Palacios

College mentors: Taylor Gallihue and Jeevita Tharmarajah The video essay and artwork serve to bring awareness about the harmfulness of labelling and gendered social constructs in society, and its negative effects on identity acquisition and expression. Watch Laitla’s video essay here: https://youtu.be/nWQkiLyoYj4 Artwork by Jennifer Gonzalez: “For this project, I created an art piece representing…

2017- Fear: The Final Frontier

Watch the full performance on Youtube: https://youtu.be/mscxSvP0QD8

Pandemic Perspectives

Pandemic Perspectives is an archive meant to preserve the everyday experiences of people living through the COVID-19 pandemic. This online collection of oral histories aims to uplift voices of people from a variety of backgrounds and experiences and broaden the public conversation around COVID-19. Keeping true to the university-community partnership at the heart of the Writing for…

Michael

My identity is one that’s clear and known. Something that I can map out, as if it was my own home. A child who does what any other person would do. Online school work, how the assignments makes me seem like a fool. Brain meltdown from the overload of assignments would require my brain to…

Cesar

I see a big blue ocean quietly crash onto rocks like a feather falling on the floorI see a sunset far away as the curtain of night fell on meI hear the tall green trees cheerfully swaying in the windI hear beautiful songs from birdsI smell the oceans fresh breeze flowing in my directionI smell…

Noel

The sand is hot like lavaThe water hits the sandThe pelicans squeakThe waves splash against each otherThe fishy smell splashes to your noseSunscreen spreads through people bodies when they apply itSarah is salty like the salty water in the seashoreI’m so excited I could smile foreverYou could never have too much beach time

Talisa

A Black Girl A black girl full of dreads touches her shoulder. A black girl with your beautiful face. You are definitely a credit to your black race. She remembered who she was and the game changed. A black girl is so smart she uses her brain. We blame society, yet we fail to realize…

Eli

Prepared to make the hard decisionsPredicts success in their futurePuts others firstPacks a punchPonders on what they think is right and wrongPositive Power level is over 9000 Oriented towards allOozes good vibesOh so kindOn top of everythingOrders and takes charge ahead Walks in front, leading the packWill take important risksWants to make a differenceWas in the…

Wendy

Without a Doubt They say once you step into that land it won’t be the same. They’ll judge you by the way you look. They say you look nothing like them. They say that the language you speak comes from an alien world. They say that you came here to take their jobs, To take…

Alicia

Who am I? Like the tall mountains in the sky, my legs stretch for milesLike my beautiful melanin family, my smooth skin is gold. *splash*Thinking of the gentle sounds of the waterfalls back home *vroom*The cars rush past furiously leaving behind the stench of motor oil.The smell brings me sadness and reminds me of where…

Alexander

Power comes in all shapes and sizes.Something people have over others.Humans have power, overused Power sometimes. People use power,In many ways.We misjudge powerWe are given,Use it on the ones without it,And their falls are given. Some use power toHelp others.They use it to make Everything great,Make it nice for themselves or people.That’s how the community…