I awake to my upstairs neighbors yelling and my mom shuffling to get my sister out the door for school. It’s 6:00 a.m. and my mom is shouting my name.
Weekends/Weekdays
Taking Our Place in History Print Anthology
Brown Sugar
This piece is a fictional short story that tells the tale of a young African American girl who comes to the realization of who she is and what it means to her.
Dear Friend
This piece is dedicated to my younger self who deserves the recognition for keeping her head high through all the downfalls presented throughout her life. With all my faults and mistakes, yesterday’s me is still me.
Within Limits
To take our place in history, we must also take a place within ourselves by being conscious of how we feel. Mental health is one of the least discussed yet most prevalent parts of our past, present and future, as our mentality about ourselves and about the world, defines us.
Epiphany
Taking Our Place in History means making contributions to solve societal problems and being accountable for one’s actions.
¡DAVID!
“Rapunzel dear, where are—oh hello, my dear. He is going to be here in ten minutes.”
Distorted Atmosphere
This poem tumbled out of me on a night when I felt lost and confused in my own mind. This is a compilation of my insecurities and social anxieties; I wanted to write this piece for anyone who needs a reminder that they are not alone.
Freedom
A big part of women “taking their place in history” involves them stepping outside their comfort zones and being free to express themselves in a patriarchal society. My poem explores this freedom and the mixed emotions that come with this feminist evolution.
Flower Crowns
This is a scene from a novel that I’ve been working on forever. Anna is saying goodbye to her best friend—who has died trying to save her—and learning about grief and the past from an older woman.
The Journey
My piece is about my journey traveling across the world to build my confidence in the science world. I was taught to make history in breaking the stereotypes of women in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math).
It Runs In My Family
My family means everything to me, so I’m giving back to them when I succeed. This piece reflects me giving back by making them proud, and by rewriting the course of my family history.
exist(ing)
My piece was inspired by an article in ZORA, a publication by and for women of color, entitled “Black Women Are Driving a New R&B Resistance” by Mary Retta. Black women’s identities have been degraded for so long that in attempts to uplift us, we’re portrayed as deities instead of human.
Flicker Out
When I sat down one November evening and stared at the empty Google Doc on my laptop for 15 minutes straight, I knew I was experiencing burnout. Drafting this piece was quite meta: I struggled to write about my struggle to write.
Perfect Woman
In correlation with the theme, this piece was written to show the roles women are often desired to play and to be in.
5 Years From Now
This is what I imagine my life to be like in 5 years. The future makes me nervous because anything can happen but I remain optimistic always.