Essence Black History Month Publication by longislandlutheranmshs

ISSUE

•

MARCH

2021

Essence Club BLACK

HISTORY

MONTH

LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD When thinking about life, one usually puts it into the perspectives of past, present, and future. Our goals are no exception; here at Essence, we want to highlight and showcase those three points of view not only in our lives, but in our thoughts, imagination, passions, and ideas about both ourselves and others around us. Since we’re using the present to make our writing, art, and photography, you might say that Essence is the essence of... looking back and looking forward.

WELCOME SINCE THIS MONTH IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH, ESSENCE WANTED TO FOCUS ON AMPLIFYING BLACK VOICES OF THE PAST AND THE PRESENT.THIS ISSUE FEATURES BOTH WORK BASED ON AND REACTING TO PIECES BY FAMOUS BLACK ARTISTS AND/OR WRITERS OR WORK ABOUT ANY ASPECT OF BLACK HISTORY, CULTURE, ACHIEVEMENTS, STRUGGLES, OR HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.

C O N T E N T S L O O K I N G

B A C K

1859 05 05 06 09 10 11 12

EILEEN CHOI, “UNTITLED” [LANDON MAYS, JIMI HENDRIX] SHAYLA ROEBACK, “THE MYSTERY OF BLACK ALEX PELAEZ, “JACKIE” JAXON KAROLL, "UNTITLED" [OLIVIA MIRADOR, KATHERINE JOHNSON] MACKENZIE OLITSKY, “I WILL NOT FALL”

ANONYMOUS,

C H A L L E N G E S

THOUGHT WE’D HAVE COME FURTHER BY NOW” 13 [TYLER ETIENNE, GRAPHIC ON PAPER] 13 TASHEANNA WILSON, “UNTITLED” 14 JESSICA LIU, “WHAT IS FREEDOM?” 15 [ELI FINNICK, WORD ART] 16 CASSANDRA NELSON, “THE WALL” 17

1963

“I

HISTORY”

P R O T E S T S

1811 20 21 22 23 25 26

ORENDA CHING, “BLACK AND WHITE” DANIEL LIU, “UNTITLED” [TYLER ETIENNE CREATIVE PROTEST] MACKENZIE ELIOT “UNTITLED” SHAYNE MIDDLETON, “BLACK LIVES MATTER [KACPER KLACZEK, DIGITAL ART]

，

GABRIELLE ANIANI

L O O K I N G

37 38 39 41 42 45 47

BRIANNA JACOBS, “I AM” [NIA SAMUEL, ACRYLIC] BRENDA LI, “UNTITLED” PIERRE LOUIS, “SHE IS ONLY HUMAN” [MARIA NAZAROVA, POWER] KING, “DEAR BEAUTIFUL BLACK GIRL” [LUCIA GIORDANO, HAIR LOVE]

POEM”

P R A I S E 27 28 29 30 34 35 36

1910-1920

F O R W A R D

HARRY CHEN, “I WISH DREAMS COME TRUE” [AVAMARIE PADGUR, ASTRONAUT ON MOON] ROBYN LINDSAY, “BLACK HISTORY MONTH” JAYLAN GUYE, “POEM” DEVIN MOORE, “A LETTER TO MY BLACK SON” DANIEL MALLORY, “PLAYING WITH WORDS” [JESSICA LIU, WATER]

LOOKING BACK

Untitled By: Ellen Choi, 9th grade Prejudice and racism, Experiences from present and past Since the forming of America, Times are moving fast. Rosa Parks and her protests King Jr. and his speech They fought for the rights they didn't have Things that seemed out of reach. "All men are created equal" Is what most people would say But if this was considered true, Why were they treated this way? A question we must all ask Not just for you or for me But to understand the meaning of this month of Black History.

"Jimi Hendrix" by: Landon Mays, 12th grade, digital artwork

The Mystery of Black History By: Shayla Roeback, 12th grade Black history isn’t just for me it’s the history of America It made me who I am and helped build my character In Africa we were kings and queens But the people who took us didn’t care by any means The smell on the ship that brought us here made me gag When I got off the ship they gave me a price tag Here’s the thing that people fail to acknowledge My people still showed strength through bondage The pains of the scars that run down my back I would shed a tear every time the whip would crack Many stories still yet untold Because my life was taken from me and sold I lost my family at a young age Which left my mind and body in a cage

The Mystery of Black History cont. Contemplating, should I run away Or is it worth being able to see the light of day Freedom was always a dream to me but never a reality My heart would break with the strife and calamity How can I fight back how can I lead When I wasn’t given the simple chance of knowing how to

read

Fast forward to the future no longer a slave My shackles being unchained was something I craved They tried to put out my passion like it was a flame I will never stop until you know name They sit in shambles when they taste defeat Now I’m a problem because I can’t be returned with a receipt People in pain, families are broken A child’s life was taken because they were outspoken

The Mystery of Black History cont. A mother went from having a child who was cared for and nurtured Now in a state of grief because her child was murdered I stand for my power I know my rights But there is a thick palpable line between the blacks and the whites A man was killed because he had a dream In the eyes of the law I am a criminal but in the eyes of the lord I am redeemed Our time has come our chains are broken Arise warriors, you have been chosen It’s time to have their minds opened I know who I am, my spirit has been awoken I hope you understand now it ain’t a mystery This is just something that I call black history

Jackie Alex Pelaez, 11th grade Angered voices, shouts and chants Riddled with negativity A cruel world for change, Especially after our broken chains I've reached the plate Hot sun and angered beasts Eyes glazing, and intense stairs “People” rising from their chairs All to see me fall As I stared down the pitcher Into his demon like eyes him, unlike I, wish me to die I take a deep breath As the hot/cool air entered my chest I swung, putting all this hate to rest Showing the world How great I am How great we are I’ve showed them all I’ve done it all I made it And changed the course of history Let all tell this story Play this game Because on this day the game of baseball has changed

Untitled By: Jaxon Karoll, 11th grade

“I have a Dream” He said to the crowd as he looked all around. There was no difference between black and white. Just the choice that is wrong or right. He said to the crowd with a commanding might. “Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!” Now those are some heavy words that were said just 63 years in our past. Now put that in contrast to where we are now. We still fight for basic rights. As Dr King once said, “We must rise to the majestic heights.” As a country we must learn to love and not fight. Unite instead of divide. Support, love and pride. Spread our messages far and wide Spread our love and pride from where the tide hits to the top of the mountainside.

KATHERINE

n o s n Joh

By Olivia Mirador

''“If she says they’re good,’” Katherine Johnson remembers the astronaut saying, “then I’m ready to go.”" Even though Katherine was of a different skin color and a woman John Glen and his crew trusted her with their lives. Through her successful calculations the launch was a success. This also played a part in the U.S. and the Soviet Union's Space Race. I feel that this quote speaks to the fellow African Americans becasue the astronauts could have asked a man or a fellow white person but, he wanted Katherine .

I Will Not Fall By: Mackenzie Olitsky, 11th grade Inspired by Maya Angelo's "Still I Rise"

You knock me down Push my head to the ground Kicking dirt in my eyes So I can’t see the truth The truth you hide So we may never rise And begin to rule over you We search the skies For those replies For answers gone awry The truth you refuse To allow us to find Just like the We live among Though that's We will never

waves and grass you what we all say be apart of you

You have whipped me You have cursed me You have killed me But through it all I will not fall

CHALLENGES I Thought We’d Have Come Further By Now By: Anonymous We believed in “The Dream” in progress and yet... we still find ourselves in this mess I thought we’d have come further by now Ethnic names filled with beauty and history slam doors of opportunity I thought we’d have come further by now Derogatory words thrown around without consequence I thought we’d have come further by now Protecting free speech? or protecting hate speech I thought we’d have come further by now Thirteen stars wave in disunity at our capitol I thought we’d have come further by now Peaceful protests are riots riots are protests I thought we’d have come further by now My heart The heart of the people The heart of our nation Still broken I thought we’d have come further by now

"Untitled" by: Tyler Etienne, graphite on paper

Untitled By: Tasheanna Wilson, 9th grade “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”, right? Not if it's a slur used against me. They try to forget and say “it’s in the past”, but they won’t understand how long that pain will last. They want us to think slavery happened thousands of years ago but we still live in it. We can’t even express how we feel without someone being offended by it. It’s disgraceful that society has normalized a word once used against their friend. I assume the pain behind that word is something they will never comprehend. It’s a shame the education system won’t inform them about it either. My question is why? Maybe our history is something they want to deny. You would think “they can’t deny it”, “it’s not logical”, but the state of Utah seems to think it's plausible. Try to erase our history, but that won’t work on us. We will always be here, and we will continue to make a fuss. For our past, our present, and our future.

What is Freedom? By: Jessica Liu, 11th grade I used to hold freedom in my dreams, But only color black around me, Someone will says Darkness it mean, In my dreams, Pigment from sun I used to search freedom in books, But too many of them, Teacher never push, Darkness come slow, Fire fall at night, Nothing release now I used to mix freedom and the love, But without measure, Mom will stop me From thinking more, After grow up, Learn by others

1863

1963

1963 3 6 18

By: Eli Finnick, 11th grade,digital artwork

The Wall By: Cassandra Nelson, 11th grade For centuries a wall has been built A wall of hatred and fear A wall that lacks empathy A wall that lacks guilt Or even an ounce of sorrow For the lives that it would take and torture The souls it would crush And the minds it would manipulate The wall is old But it is protected For every person willing to take two bricks There will be someone with a bucket of cement Bricks in hand Willing to erase all evidence of progress Because the wall has been built It has stood the test of time It no longer has to burn its meaning into others Because the wall has been built With cement mixed from the oppression And bricks placed by a warped concept of supremacy The wall has been built The wall cannot be destroyed There will always be the the remnants As long as the cement lays it foundation The wall cannot be destroyed There are politicians that will preach against this wall But at night come Cement in hand Bricks in barrel Thus The cannot be destroyed Children tease on the playground Words of their parents Harmful words that mean nothing to them But everything to their victim The seeds of the wall implant themselves into the next generation The wall cannot be destroyed

The Wall cont. By: Cassandra Nelson, 11th grade I ask sometimes Where is my wall I don't see it I can't feel it Surely I don't have a wall But as I watch the news and look at my phone I find it An intrusive thought Not from who I am Or who I will be But from who I was Because in reasoning The first thing I could think of was There is no wall How can people be discriminated against Murdered Imprisoned Surely it has to be a coincidence If not the at least I'm not the bad guy There's the wall Being the bystander Doing nothing Keeping my hands clean I have a wall But for those who think there is no wall I have to ask How could someone be held to the ground Knee resting on his throat As the person who stood above Ignored his pleas for help To let him breathe air To not kill him And people justified his death Defended his murderer That is the wall When a sleeping woman was murdered When a child was killed for a toy When a boy was shot purely for just existing That is the wall It is everywhere It is in us

The Wall cont. By: Cassandra Nelson, 11th grade The wall is the middle aged women Telling people to move on Promoting ignorance in the guise of peace The wall is the old man sitting in his chair Reading the gospel of FOX Never thinking to look at the world around him Claiming that it doesn't matter The wall is the social media star Posting that they support those who need it That they march with others in protest But actually just do it for the likes Leave in seconds Not actually trying to make a difference The wall is educators Ones who choose not to teach the history At least not the bad parts At least not the parts where we were wrong We have a wall All of us A separator A barrier And it will stand But people before us have chosen And we too must choose Will that wall stop us Will we let it grow Or will we tunnel through Build bridges And connect the other side Of the wall

PROTEST

Black and White By: Orenda Ching, 11th grade Black and white Black and white “Why do l look differently from other lambs?” A black lamb asks his grandmother. He doesn‘t know much about the world. Black and white Black and white “Why don’t my white friends play with me?” Asks by a black lamb, he sometimes feels lonely Black and white Black and white “Why can’t l go to their home, visit their family, and have sleep over with them?” Asks by a black lamb, he want to makes friends with white lambs. Black and white Black and white “Why do they always make fun at me because of my color?” Asks by a black lamb, he feels confused by the congregation. “Wake up, wake up, Jonny, time for the picnic!” Calling from white lambs. Jonny opens his eye. He dreamed about the scene that his grandmother told him the story of her own. He is still stuck with some questions, but he believes that is the history he can never forget.

Untitled (Daniel Liu, 11th grade) What are these voices? They are the roar! They are the endless wrath of people! People arise! For the truth they want to seek, For the right they want to aspire, And for the love they want to Protect. People arise! Fear no to the flame on their body, March on the bodies of their anguished brethrens, Ride with the justice to eliminate their oppressors! People arise! The leader lie on the pool of blood, But the flag of truth is still waving! And the spirit will never fade! People arise! Travelling through mountains and rivers, Till the end of time! Because the courageous fallens have shown us the path! Because we the people must not forget them! Because we must keep the truth to the next generation! Because we the people will not fail! To Martin Luther King and every oppressed individual in this world.

By:Tyler Etienne,11th grade,digital artwork

Untitled (Mackenzie Elliot, 12th grade) You need to adjust You need to relax You need to have self control Dogs, hoses, racial slurs Yet I must have the self control Can’t speak up God forbid I get loud I must be quiet and never show I’m proud If I kneel If I sit If I respectfully decline in the participation of the I pledge allegiance to the flag It’s I should leave You’re Disrespecting the veterans Did you forget in which the race from which you occupy is the same race whom brought 300,000 slaves here to America Now I’m not blaming you for what happened in the pass That was not your doing that I know But what I blame your for is not for opening your eyes to understand that we as people of America are not done

Untitled (Mackenzie Elliot, 12th grade) Cont. Yes slavery may have Segregation 60 years but I’d be damned if stand for me Do you truly believe

happened over 100 years ago ago I stood for a country who doesn’t justice and liberty for ALL

Y’all ever seen j coles crooked smile Aiyana Mo'Nay Stanley Jones Have y’all seen the Netflix original when they see us The exonerated five These are just a few cases of injustice upon African Americans in America so many more you’ll never know or hear I know many of you think I’m overthinking thing Nit picking to start a problem But my choices have reason. Whether you understand or not I will stand up well not in this case but I’ll stand for the people who couldn’t Speak you truth and speak up Even your subtle acts will make a difference Another victim of injustice was a friend of mine he said before he was brutally killed Speak even if your voice shakes rip kha

Black Lives Matter Poem (Shayne Middleton, 11th grade) We are black We are proud to be black Our color of our skin is gold We are melanin We are people of color Who fear for our lives We can't go outside without Feeling we might die Maybe that's being blunt Or maybe that's the truth But honestly We are black And you should embrace that blackness You should be happy we are here today George floyd will live on Until the end days We march for those who couldn't We protest peacefully For those who couldn't We are people We are african people And The color of our skin may Be looked at as A weapon but remember that We are black We are proud to be here today And not dead but we may be upset that Some racist people Have been taking our rights away From us so don’t be upset if we want justice And definitely don't be upset That We are black And we just want you to know That BLACK LIVES DO MATTER !

By: Kacper Klaczek, 12th grade, digital artwork

PRAISE

I AM By: Brianna Jacobs, 11th grade I am shine The shine that makes my skin sparkle like glistening sand The shine that determines me and my decisions I am Beauty The beauty that comes from within my soul and spreads throughout me like a wildlife The beauty that was given to me from generation to generation I am empowered The empowerment that burst in me like a firework The empowerment that brings me to be the best I can be everyday I am me Who shines in her skin Who is beautiful In her soul And despite any challenges I am empowered to overcome them

By: Nia Samuel, 12th grade, acrylic

Untitled (Brenda Li, 11th grade) Playing the piano all the time, Just for the family. Because of the family's poverty, And started work early. Playing the guitar all the time, It's just interesting. Rhythmic music, It brings pleasure to the urgent life. Playing the cello all the time, It's because of the black people. Creating black music, Occupy the position of black people in the music world. Playing bass all the time, More for freedom and equality. Every note played, They all tell their own stories, Eager to be heard.

She Is Only Human (Gabrielle Pierre Louis, 10th grade)

She is the product of wood and nails Struggle and sacrifice Death row and bullets Fire and rage Her first breath Envelopes the room before arms can ever envelope her Her first words A struggle Bubbling on the tip of her tongue A reassuring hand touches the small of her back Caresses the curves and conjunctions A voice tells her she must learn to speak For her children of midnight She is raised up by stiff shoulders and uneasy smiles Knowing that she must shake off this sentimental nonsense Knowing that the world doesn’t take kindly to kind black girls So she is brought up by the rough cracked knuckles of fists Learned addition from counting the number of blows Learned multiplication from checking up on every coil each morning Even learned language from knowing how ain’t can turn into slap How a missing ma’am can turn into missing finger Conjugation be like To be loved for what you can do What bellies you fill I am a warrior but I am in need of protection You are my lover but yet you don’t love me back She is everything I want to be Everyday I look in the mirror and mold my face to match hers So that maybe you'll see me They are coming after this body, this hair, this black Want to take a sample ‘till they make themselves into another Breonna and desperately claw at the stolen melanin We are black We are a people But why does she feel so alone

She Is Only Human Cont. She is self taught She is the daughter of tough love and hard hearts She wonders how can she be treated as Eve The mother of all things The nurturing soul of all black souls But be Mary, watching as they crucified her son Be her lover’s last thought No matter Cause she is the first to line up Stand up Her voice like a cracking whip Redirected in the face of her oppressors She was raised for moments like this To only be used as a human shield No matter ‘Cause she is the shea butter and durag that keeps his cut fresh for the funeral She is the oak tree With her roots in the community Big canopy leaves shielding all who come hiding in her shade A big oak under the Southern sun Fire eating up her branches White hoods dancing about Tormenting the refugees hidden away in her branches But This tree will not be moved She is the unspoken grace of black men Unmerited grace for their uprooting strands of gold from her halo For their “I don’t date dark skin girls” For their stiff shoulders, rough fists, slickness ‘Cause who else going to raise the kids Keep them going hungry Teach them not to go out with a hoodie Not to get mixed up with the wrong crowd To not go out on a run To keep their hands visible at all times All so her boys can come home in one piece And not in mutilated, unrecognizable pieces

She Is Only Human Cont. With their eyes gouged out Skin hanging off fragments of their skulls Picture taken for Time magazine But no time given back to their broken family She is a mender of quilts Patching the network that is her family Each colorful patch A product of hours spent bent over in the sweltering sun Heat lashing at her back She doesn’t even have time to stop the steady bleeding from her pricked fingers She fixes her family as her dying wish It will never be enough Her pain Her loss Her death Will only amount to so much She is the Coca Cola shaped Nubian goddess in his hands But still be the petrified little girl that was deemed a women with a big ole’ thing way before she hit 10 She is the Harriet Tubman to the black race Leading us to the Promised Land Oh Moses! Singing with her melodic voice Raised by angels But is never looked for when missing She may be the leader but she isn't the master of her own fate Any moment a stray fist, bullet, hate crime gone unnoticed Will take her Unnoticed She is the queen of Wakanda Hailed with “yass queens” upon entry Accompanied with a few snaps of course

She Is Only Human Cont. But when The only performance she has to give is her last breath The audience disappears before she lets go How can she be a queen, warrior, nurturer, lover, mother, daughter When some days she forgets to love herself When some days getting out of bed seems like a fantasy When staying with him feels like the best she can do When all she wants to do is die Besides No one will notice Make a noise Rise in protest or mourn her name She will be called a martyr Hailed a savior A woman close to God But they forget She is only human

"Power" By: Maria Nazarova, 11th grade, digital artwork

Dear Beautiful Black Girl (Aniani King, 11th grade) Dear Beautiful Black girl, Your skin is like the ocean, Graceful but also bold. It holds so much power, not one can control, And a power that can’t be stolen. Thank you for showing the world your beauty, Day after day, and night after night, And aspiring young black girls, That no one can take away their shining, bright light. You may not be accepted, Nor given the respect you deserve, But know that within each curve, On your body, your figure, your frame, You are connected.

By: Lucia Giordano, 8th grade, mixed media

...LOOKING FORWARD

I wish dreams come true (Harry Chen, 11th grade)

I have a dream. I wish birds could fly in the sky. I wish dark night could be peaceful. Every day and night we dream of future. We dream of daydream. We also dream ourselves. I wish black man could be free. I wish God help all the people. Let me be free, I will try my best to help all the people Let me be brave, I will have guts to fight against all the devil. Let me be confident, I will speak for all the voices. Hands in hands, let’s start from dark to the other side. 37

"M"Mae Among the Stars" By: Avamarie Padgur,7th grade, mixed media

Black History Month (Robyn Lindsay, 12th grade) So you’re telling me, If I went far enough back in time All they would see me as Is property? They would see potential hard work for one job And not that I can get any job with hard work They’d see my hands and think picking cotton And not producing creativity They’d see my legs and think I’d use them to run away from where I’m supposed to be Instead of chasing my dreams? It’s easy to forget what happened It’s easy to hide what happened and who I am In exchange for a sense of normal I’ve been taught that who I am isn’t normal I decided I wasn’t black enough And tried to be someone I am not And since then, I’ve been looking for someone like me, A community of people like me And I haven’t been successful, And it made me feel alone But then I realized I’m anything but I’m a part of a community already without even searching; Not by the way I act or what I like to do or how I dress, But by the way I am.

Black History Month cont. I may have a different personality, I may like music that’s completely different, I may have different emotions, But what do we all have in common? We are a strong group of individuals whose ancestors Overcame adversity and embraced diversity And even when they found themselves in situations that would be make to break them They would break through the mold And be themselves, unapologetically whoever they were, while still embracing their skin If the people before me could do it, What’s stopping me? It’s melanin, not melanout I can be me, Lanky, glasses wearing, theater loving, poetry writing me And since I have the power of those who came before me, And the strength of the current African American community I AM black enough, Obviously

Untitled (Jaylan Guye, 11th grade) Black people have cried, and unfortunately many have died. Down bad during these times, but together we will rise. We shall fight, no matter if it’s day or night, for at the end of this dark tunnel, there will be light.

A Letter to My Black Son (Devin Moore, 11th grade) Hey son, This is your dad, as you know. I am writing to you because I know how much you love reading. Though we talk, sometimes there are harder topics to talk about with you. And since you love reading, I thought I would be a bit easier to understand. We will still talk about this afterwards. Sometimes these topics deal with our race. They, in other words, deal with the fact that our skin color is darker. I hope that you will live to see a day where love will truly overpower any hate that a person could possibly have towards people of color, or anyone for that matter. I am going to tell you a story in order to give you a lesson on something to make it easier to understand. Throughout my childhood, I lived in a poor neighborhood. I had a best friend named John. He was a short white boy who lived in a very rich neighborhood. The people in my neighborhood were mainly black and the people in John’s neighborhood were mainly white. The school that I went to was in a lower income area but John’s was in a higher income area, even though we lived a few streets from each other.

A Letter to My Black Son Cont. I know that you might ask why it is like this. This history goes back to some time after the Civil War, where there were multiple government agencies that had started to divide cities into sections that were, in simpler terms, either better to live in or harder to live in. One neighborhood would have very clean streets with rich residents while the other may have dirty streets and poorer residents. This was technically called redlining but you will learn more about that in school. My moral of the story is a little different than that. Going back to the story, John went to school in his area and I went to school in my area. But after high school, we both got into the same college and majored in law. One day, John had told me about all of the interest his resume was getting. We had both actually worked around the same area so you would think that mine would get more attention like his. I mean, we both had the same GPA and we had been in a lot of the same programs as well, believe it or not. Do you know why it wasn’t getting as much attention, though? This is because of systemic racism. Systemic racism is when systems, like jobs, have these processes embedded into them, which allows for them to put black people at a disadvantage. The reason why I wasn’t getting as much interest is because of the fact that I’m black. They may even assume that I’m black based off of my name and not want to hire me.

A Letter to My Black Son Cont. I hope that I was able to properly show you how this type of racism can affect you as a black man in your future. Hopefully this will change, but it may be harder for you like how it was for me. I am glad that now I’m able to be so successful in my law career. This was because of how hard I worked, and I know that you will work just as hard for whatever you want to do. You may write a speech that encourages peace like Martin Luther King Jr., stand up like Rosa Parks, write influential poems like Maya Angelou, fight for your rights like Malcolm X, or inspire others in your own way. Either way, you are strong and you will turn into a confident and successful black man. Love, Your father, Devin

Playing with words (Daniel Mallory, 12th grade) Wearing samehada sunglasses sulking in the sunshine. Its funny how the oceans waves ripple like my reflection in a puddle It's active but subtle. Looking in my own eyes makes me think about my character, Am I living like I'm meant to or am I a caricature? Think Scooby Doo If I was trying to solve a mystery what would Scooby do? Should I make a malevolent machination like Fred Or run from the confusion like Shaggy, Or should I say Raggy? Searching for purpose is like looking into a pitch black precipice It often takes precedence. Do I walk the same path I'm on or take the fork in the road? I don’t know. I look in the mirror and don’t see just myself. These bags under my eyes show the restless nights I stay awake wrestling with What's at stake. And my skin resembles those who came before me. Those who fought to make life fair for me. It made me think of a civil rights scenario. Visualize Martin and Malcom sitting by the sea talking about how things are and the way they should be.

Playing with words cont. Malcom asks “Is it justified when I raise this blade this razor blade pierces those who want to cause harm to me?” Martin says “No brother, you should turn the other cheek” Harriet says “I’ll save the persecuted and tell them to follow me” Rosa Parks says “If that were me I’d take a seat until they have to make me leave” Frederick says “Emancipate the indentured, break them out of their chains” Obama says “Thank you all you inspired me to inspire change” It's my time to make my own history. I’m talking about being the protagonist of my own life. I’ll take the lessons from the past and make them my own. It makes me think of tetris the way these thoughts fall into place. If patience is a virtue then I've been virtually virtuous by pursuing the hyperbole that history doesn’t have anything to do with me. I know that I’m here for a reason and since I’ve been made unique I’ll be uniquely me so nobody else has to be.

"Water" By: Jessica Liu, 11th grade, digital artwork

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