almost 20 years ago tupac shakur wrote about our rows that grew from concrete
about our rows that grew from concrete
about our rows that grew from concrete he said funny it seems but by keeping
he said funny it seems but by keeping
he said funny it seems but by keeping his dream a lender breathe fresh air
his dream a lender breathe fresh air
his dream a lender breathe fresh air long live the Rose that grew from
long live the Rose that grew from
long live the Rose that grew from concrete when no one else even cared
concrete when no one else even cared
concrete when no one else even cared although that story is beautiful reality
although that story is beautiful reality
although that story is beautiful reality is harsh
is harsh
is harsh we never care to wonder what happens to
we never care to wonder what happens to
we never care to wonder what happens to the ten the twenty the five hundred the
the ten the twenty the five hundred the
the ten the twenty the five hundred the a thousand roses that aren’t able to
a thousand roses that aren’t able to
a thousand roses that aren’t able to grow from concrete the ones that aren’t
grow from concrete the ones that aren’t
grow from concrete the ones that aren’t able to breathe fresh air currently we
able to breathe fresh air currently we
able to breathe fresh air currently we live in a divided society between the
live in a divided society between the
live in a divided society between the privileged and the marginalized for the
privileged and the marginalized for the
privileged and the marginalized for the marginalized the only way to become
marginalized the only way to become
marginalized the only way to become successful is to become a rose that
successful is to become a rose that
successful is to become a rose that grows from concrete for me to become
grows from concrete for me to become
grows from concrete for me to become successful I had to interfere with my
successful I had to interfere with my
successful I had to interfere with my marginalization I had a vision of this
marginalization I had a vision of this
marginalization I had a vision of this idea for the rose represented an
idea for the rose represented an
idea for the rose represented an education that I could work for a house
education that I could work for a house
education that I could work for a house that I could own a family from whom I
that I could own a family from whom I
that I could own a family from whom I could provide for this is the American
could provide for this is the American
could provide for this is the American dream I said to myself but what
dream I said to myself but what
dream I said to myself but what interferes with being able to attain the
interferes with being able to attain the
interferes with being able to attain the American Dream see this dream is built
American Dream see this dream is built
American Dream see this dream is built on the blood sweat and tears of men and
on the blood sweat and tears of men and
on the blood sweat and tears of men and women from all over the globe we bust
women from all over the globe we bust
women from all over the globe we bust our asses picking tomatoes a dollar a
our asses picking tomatoes a dollar a
our asses picking tomatoes a dollar a crate but we can’t even buy them for
crate but we can’t even buy them for
crate but we can’t even buy them for ourselves in the grocery store
ourselves in the grocery store
ourselves in the grocery store the American Dream is what we strive to
the American Dream is what we strive to
the American Dream is what we strive to create in the end we do not reap what we
create in the end we do not reap what we
create in the end we do not reap what we sow I saw my vision of the rose but I
sow I saw my vision of the rose but I
sow I saw my vision of the rose but I was still trapped beneath the concrete
so now what I knew I had to become the
so now what I knew I had to become the first person in my family to pursue a
first person in my family to pursue a
first person in my family to pursue a higher education but before that I had
higher education but before that I had
higher education but before that I had to abandon the belief that a college
to abandon the belief that a college
to abandon the belief that a college education was something that only people
education was something that only people
education was something that only people with wealth could acquire
with wealth could acquire
with wealth could acquire see knowledge and education is a
see knowledge and education is a
see knowledge and education is a universal currency of our world and the
universal currency of our world and the
universal currency of our world and the most marginalized of people are the
most marginalized of people are the
most marginalized of people are the poorest with no medium to acquire such
poorest with no medium to acquire such
poorest with no medium to acquire such currency as a young hispanic man I never
currency as a young hispanic man I never
currency as a young hispanic man I never had someone to guide me I’d have someone
had someone to guide me I’d have someone
had someone to guide me I’d have someone to look up to what I had instead were
to look up to what I had instead were
to look up to what I had instead were plenty of examples of who I did not want
plenty of examples of who I did not want
plenty of examples of who I did not want to become what I didn’t want to be
to become what I didn’t want to be
to become what I didn’t want to be nobody ever told me that was sitting on
nobody ever told me that was sitting on
nobody ever told me that was sitting on this large sum of wealth this untapped
this large sum of wealth this untapped
this large sum of wealth this untapped ability to gain knowledge and I knew
ability to gain knowledge and I knew
ability to gain knowledge and I knew that my college education would become
that my college education would become
that my college education would become my reality when my teachers implanted
my reality when my teachers implanted
my reality when my teachers implanted the words when not if I would graduate
the words when not if I would graduate
the words when not if I would graduate from college but everyone before me had
from college but everyone before me had
from college but everyone before me had this opportunity my grandfather was born
this opportunity my grandfather was born
this opportunity my grandfather was born in 1935 in the Western Mexico Mexican
in 1935 in the Western Mexico Mexican
in 1935 in the Western Mexico Mexican state of Jalisco my earliest memories of
state of Jalisco my earliest memories of
state of Jalisco my earliest memories of him were the best I would spend my
him were the best I would spend my
him were the best I would spend my summers in Mexico but at a young age I
summers in Mexico but at a young age I
summers in Mexico but at a young age I learned that my grandfather was not
learned that my grandfather was not
learned that my grandfather was not literate
literate
literate I remember watching him sign a document
I remember watching him sign a document
I remember watching him sign a document with an upside down T that was it I
with an upside down T that was it I
with an upside down T that was it I watched the contrast between him and my
watched the contrast between him and my
watched the contrast between him and my other grandfather why the most
other grandfather why the most
other grandfather why the most extravagant signature I’d ever seen he
extravagant signature I’d ever seen he
extravagant signature I’d ever seen he was like a Mexican John Hancock complete
was like a Mexican John Hancock complete
was like a Mexican John Hancock complete with scrolling extra dots and necessary
with scrolling extra dots and necessary
with scrolling extra dots and necessary dabs of ink we would imitate and mock
dabs of ink we would imitate and mock
dabs of ink we would imitate and mock his signature finding a joke in his
his signature finding a joke in his
his signature finding a joke in his extravagance but the contrast between
extravagance but the contrast between
extravagance but the contrast between how different men could be despite their
how different men could be despite their
how different men could be despite their similar origins was striking this
similar origins was striking this
similar origins was striking this sparked an understand interest in
sparked an understand interest in
sparked an understand interest in understanding how people cannot possess
understanding how people cannot possess
understanding how people cannot possess an education when supposedly the world
an education when supposedly the world
an education when supposedly the world was so advanced
was so advanced
was so advanced despite his illiteracy though my
despite his illiteracy though my
despite his illiteracy though my grandfather did understand how to count
grandfather did understand how to count
grandfather did understand how to count his bills he understood how to count his
his bills he understood how to count his
his bills he understood how to count his money but I realized that Manuel Apolo
money but I realized that Manuel Apolo
money but I realized that Manuel Apolo when his whole life not knowing that the
when his whole life not knowing that the
when his whole life not knowing that the real wealth was embedded within his own
real wealth was embedded within his own
real wealth was embedded within his own mind in education something he just
mind in education something he just
mind in education something he just wasn’t able to attain but why didn’t
wasn’t able to attain but why didn’t
wasn’t able to attain but why didn’t matter to him I asked myself my
matter to him I asked myself my
matter to him I asked myself my grandfather grew up in extreme poverty
grandfather grew up in extreme poverty
grandfather grew up in extreme poverty all his parents worked
all his parents worked
all his parents worked to his younger siblings when trying to
to his younger siblings when trying to
to his younger siblings when trying to fulfill the basic needs becomes the
fulfill the basic needs becomes the
fulfill the basic needs becomes the focal point in life education and
focal point in life education and
focal point in life education and knowledge are no longer priorities when
knowledge are no longer priorities when
knowledge are no longer priorities when physiological needs aren’t met one
physiological needs aren’t met one
physiological needs aren’t met one cannot continue to climb the pyramid
cannot continue to climb the pyramid
cannot continue to climb the pyramid seen in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs the
seen in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs the
seen in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs the future belongs to those who prepare for
future belongs to those who prepare for
future belongs to those who prepare for today said Malcolm X that didn’t make
today said Malcolm X that didn’t make
today said Malcolm X that didn’t make sense to me what each for me was that
sense to me what each for me was that
sense to me what each for me was that thought that people couldn’t prepare for
thought that people couldn’t prepare for
thought that people couldn’t prepare for the future when they’re worried today is
the future when they’re worried today is
the future when they’re worried today is keeping the lights on and stomachs full
thousands of miles north and decades
thousands of miles north and decades later in America people still face the
later in America people still face the
later in America people still face the battles begotten but being marginalized
battles begotten but being marginalized
battles begotten but being marginalized by oppressive institutions created
by oppressive institutions created
by oppressive institutions created decades prior generation after
decades prior generation after
decades prior generation after generation people were blocked from
generation people were blocked from
generation people were blocked from acquiring the currency that could take
acquiring the currency that could take
acquiring the currency that could take change the path of a family name for
change the path of a family name for
change the path of a family name for generations to come
generations to come
generations to come our country continues to instill fear
our country continues to instill fear
our country continues to instill fear into minority communities to the night
into minority communities to the night
into minority communities to the night and the basic needs and the medium to
and the basic needs and the medium to
and the basic needs and the medium to acquire the currency whether that be
acquire the currency whether that be
acquire the currency whether that be through racial profiling
through racial profiling
through racial profiling through the fear of deportation and
through the fear of deportation and
through the fear of deportation and incarceration through the prison
incarceration through the prison
incarceration through the prison industrial complex though the thing is
industrial complex though the thing is
industrial complex though the thing is that this travesty will only fall in
that this travesty will only fall in
that this travesty will only fall in America’s shoulders the marginalization
America’s shoulders the marginalization
America’s shoulders the marginalization of black and brown kids only denies the
of black and brown kids only denies the
of black and brown kids only denies the opportunity to have a diversity of
opportunity to have a diversity of
opportunity to have a diversity of wealth in our nation and by wealth I
wealth in our nation and by wealth I
wealth in our nation and by wealth I don’t mean money I mean of Education
don’t mean money I mean of Education
don’t mean money I mean of Education knowledge and experience what more could
knowledge and experience what more could
knowledge and experience what more could we ask of an individual and to give back
we ask of an individual and to give back
we ask of an individual and to give back to the society from which they originate
to the society from which they originate
to the society from which they originate and his 2015 album to pimp a butterfly
and his 2015 album to pimp a butterfly
and his 2015 album to pimp a butterfly artist Kendrick Lamar a disciple of
artist Kendrick Lamar a disciple of
artist Kendrick Lamar a disciple of Tupac himself wrote about a rope about a
Tupac himself wrote about a rope about a
Tupac himself wrote about a rope about a butterfly and the caterpillar everyone
butterfly and the caterpillar everyone
butterfly and the caterpillar everyone admires the butterfly and ignores the
admires the butterfly and ignores the
admires the butterfly and ignores the caterpillar even though the caterpillar
caterpillar even though the caterpillar
caterpillar even though the caterpillar represents the internal struggle of
represents the internal struggle of
represents the internal struggle of becoming the butterfly and the butterfly
becoming the butterfly and the butterfly
becoming the butterfly and the butterfly which represents the talent
which represents the talent
which represents the talent awfulness within the caterpillar we
awfulness within the caterpillar we
awfulness within the caterpillar we admire the Rose that grew from concrete
admire the Rose that grew from concrete
admire the Rose that grew from concrete and the butterfly that hatches from the
and the butterfly that hatches from the
and the butterfly that hatches from the caterpillar but we can’t forget about
caterpillar but we can’t forget about
caterpillar but we can’t forget about the countless other roses that weren’t
the countless other roses that weren’t
the countless other roses that weren’t able to breathe the fresh air or the
able to breathe the fresh air or the
able to breathe the fresh air or the ones that weren’t able to grow from
ones that weren’t able to grow from
ones that weren’t able to grow from concrete or the caterpillars who weren’t
concrete or the caterpillars who weren’t
concrete or the caterpillars who weren’t able to grow their wings we have to
able to grow their wings we have to
able to grow their wings we have to admire the struggle have empathy and
admire the struggle have empathy and
admire the struggle have empathy and respect it thank you
respect it thank you
respect it thank you [Applause]
”
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