That Nightwas Painted Blue
Bangkok,Thailand
It wasrainingthenightof October 16th,City lightsinthenight were Reflected inpondsofrainwater, Splash!
My sneakers weretransformedintorain bootsFiIledwithwater.
Ishouldnotbehere
Throughmyfoggy lenses, Iseethe blurry lightsandhundredsof lives[gl Hollerintherain.
Iwasnotpartofit
They were wearing whiteThestandardschooluniform Ofthiscountry.
Iwearit,too
Rainandthevaindictator; Thesky wassomberandsowasthefight Ofdemocracy.
Iwasnotpartofit
Therainwasnotenough,so Watercannonwasdeployed; Thebannerofhopewasdestroyed.
Whowouldhaveknown
ThatastreamofdeepbluewaterCouldbesobeautifullikeapassingcomet, Yetdevastating Likeameteorstrike.
Mypristinewhiteshirtisnowsoaked Incoloured rain.
Iwasnotsupposedtobepart ofit
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• •
•We wrote this poem as an ode to Sudan. It's common for people to associate it with being a war-torn country, when to us it's much more than that. We aimed to highlight the resilience of our people, recognise the heartbreak, and contrast it with the comfort and pride that's instilled within us.
NOLONGERA SLAVE
IWASLITTLEWHENYOUSTARTEDHURTINGME INNOCENTASIWAS,BELIEVED YOU ITHOUGHT IWASWHATYOUSAID IWAS THENAIVENESSOFCHILDHOODTOOKTHEFORMOFYOURWORDS
I'MNOLONGERASLAVE
NOLONGERSLAVETOYOURWORDS THATHURTLIKEASWORDOFTWENTYTEETH TOTHELIESYOUMADEMEBELIEVEWASREALITY TOTHE BELITTLING OFTHEGIANTPRIDEINME TOHEARINGVOICESTHATNEVEREXISTED
I'MNOLONGERASLAVE! IHATETOSAYTHISBUT, THE GIRLYOUCALLED USELESSLY HASBECOMETHETALKOFTHETOWN THEANXIETYANDLOWSELF-ESTEEMYOUSOWEDINME HASBEENUPROOTED THESHAMETHATYOUCOVEREDMEWITH HASBEENREMOVED
I'MNOLONGERASLAVE. IUSEDTOLIVEINTHEBOXYOUBUILTFORME DUETOMY IGNORANCE, BUTNOWIKNOWHOWTODEFENDMYSELF,
I'MNOLONGERASLAVE
THEGIRLCHILDOFYESTERDAY, HASGROWNINTOAWOMEN ONEWHO KNOWSTHATHERVALUEDOES NOTENDINTHE IGTCHEN, SHEISAMULTICASQUET, KNOWSHOWTODEVELOPTHEWORLDSHELIVESIN
I'MNOLONGERASLAVE! TOYOURPAINANDHATRED TOCOMPETITIONAND INSECURITY,AND TO BROKENNESSAND GUILT
I'MNO LONGERASLAVE.
This poetry piece is titled No Longer a slave. It's inspired by my life and how I once allowed the words people said to break me. Most of which occurred because I am a woman. I decided to name my poem 'NO longer a slave' as I decided to free myself from the words that once put me in bondage. I hope this piece helps someone out there.
‘Dark Enough.’ is an exploration of different experiences with skin complexion by teenagers in the African diaspora. The piece was inspired by my own experiences with colourism, and how they affected my self-perception. As I shared the piece with the other African people around me, it grew from a two-stanza poem to a short film that explores what it can mean to exist within a skin tone.
In the words of one of the models in the film: “Celebrating people of different shades should be something that everyone practices
To learn more about the experiences of the models in the video, go to https:// sites.google.com/view/darusi/ projects?authuser=0
'More than' is multifaceted. It calls for the university to recognise that as students we arrive to UTSC withmorethanjust our transcripts, and continually navigatethe institutionwhilesimultaneously carrying our entire lived experiences.
As a colonial institution, violence and oppression of many sorts are inherently tied to UofT. We call on the University to ensure the safety and wellbeing of their students first by listening on how to truly provide a learning environment that is free of hate, discrimination and harassment. Eliminating any barriers students are facing and taking tangible and quantifiable steps so the students of UTSC can achieve their full potential as members of their community.
Concurrently,'More than' speaks to the fact that despite facing varying forms of oppression, we are not defined by them. All aspects of the zine reflect this. I'd like to thank all of the artists who showcased their work and themselves as a part of this piece in order to inspire, encourage and validate. It was an honour to be entrusted with yourjourney.
Isaiah Murray (he/him)
VPEquity2021/22
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