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HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHARCOAL!

Written by Suhera Nuru + Emily Wu | Edited by Stacey Dubreus | Designed by Hailey Wang

“Happy Birthday Charcoal!” is like a letter to your best friend. Birthdays are a chance to not only look at how far one has come, but to look forward to what can become. This HBD is a ride down memory lane to see how much Charcoal has grown and to highlight how much Charcoal has done in just 5 years. This is a sweet piece to commemorate the journey that Charcoal has brought us all on as we approach another anniversary.

Cheers to another year and many more to follow. Inshallah may they be good to you. Look at everything that you have piloted, inspired, and manifested; applaud yourself. In your infancy, you posed worldly questions –“where do I go?,” “how do I start?,” and “who am I?.” Although these questions remain unanswered, we can explore them together on an ever flowing river.

As we ride down the river, we return to the beginning to feel the weight of your growth. We look at our reflections in the surrounding water like an infinite mirror, and see the mosaic of beautiful faces and stories you have brought together. For the sweetness of life around us, we bask in joy. For the influence of our history, of our sankofa, we give gratitude and respect.

For this is the echo that we listen to; its message reverberates through our collective body, allowing us to become more in tune with who we are. What we believe in now is an everlasting muse, an informidable fuse. When we enter your space, we can finally be emotionally safe; we can finally bare nude. Our climax heightens yearly as you will continue to grow, to achieve, and to push limits. We’ve had to let our egos die down this turbulent river, but we can always return to our core to become grounded. Nonetheless, we can always look forward to see how much more there is to explore.

Charcoal, you turn five today! My present to you is the sweetness of our smiles, the harmonies of our laughs, and our untouchable love. As you continue to guide us through this ever-lasting ride, we’d like to say, Inshallah, have another great year!

Ameen.

Emily Wu (she/her) is a third year majoring in both Psychology and Political Science with a minor in Deaf Studies at Boston University. She is the youngest of three to Chinese immigrant parents and has lived in Boston, MA all her life. While she does not particularly identify herself as a photographer, Emily enjoys taking pictures of and enjoying/walking along nature-esque scenes, particularly by the water. In addition, she loves wtattoos and enjoys hearing the stories and inspirations behind others and their tattoos. Emily hopes to be able to travel the world to try cuisines from all different cultures and see natural wonders. In her free time, Emily enjoys winding down, whether it be by watching her favorite shows, taking a nap, or going out with her family and friends.