[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] well son I’ll tell you life for me ain’t
well son I’ll tell you life for me ain’t
well son I’ll tell you life for me ain’t been no crystals there it’s had tax in
been no crystals there it’s had tax in
been no crystals there it’s had tax in it and splinters and boards torn up and
it and splinters and boards torn up and
it and splinters and boards torn up and places with no carpet on the floor bear
places with no carpet on the floor bear
places with no carpet on the floor bear these verses take it from Lansing uses
these verses take it from Lansing uses
these verses take it from Lansing uses poem mother the Sun captures a phrase
poem mother the Sun captures a phrase
poem mother the Sun captures a phrase that many of us know all too well the
that many of us know all too well the
that many of us know all too well the struggle is real but when I talk about
struggle is real but when I talk about
struggle is real but when I talk about the struggle what am I talking about
the struggle what am I talking about
the struggle what am I talking about exactly I’m talking about the struggle
exactly I’m talking about the struggle
exactly I’m talking about the struggle just to make it to school each and every
just to make it to school each and every
just to make it to school each and every single day I’m talking about the
single day I’m talking about the
single day I’m talking about the struggle to survive inside and outside
struggle to survive inside and outside
struggle to survive inside and outside of the classroom walls when I talk about
of the classroom walls when I talk about
of the classroom walls when I talk about the struggle i’m talking about someone
the struggle i’m talking about someone
the struggle i’m talking about someone seeking answers to important questions
seeking answers to important questions
seeking answers to important questions no one seems to be taking seriously
no one seems to be taking seriously
no one seems to be taking seriously questions like why do i go to school
questions like why do i go to school
questions like why do i go to school questions like what is the point how was
questions like what is the point how was
questions like what is the point how was school preparing me for life outside of
school preparing me for life outside of
school preparing me for life outside of the classroom space is it life for me
the classroom space is it life for me
the classroom space is it life for me ain’t been no crystal stair what is your
ain’t been no crystal stair what is your
ain’t been no crystal stair what is your story and how is it connected to a
story and how is it connected to a
story and how is it connected to a larger struggle take a moment and think
larger struggle take a moment and think
larger struggle take a moment and think about it I remember when I graduated
about it I remember when I graduated
about it I remember when I graduated high school I remember my dad literally
high school I remember my dad literally
high school I remember my dad literally pressing his pride into my long black
pressing his pride into my long black
pressing his pride into my long black graduation gown you see I was the last
graduation gown you see I was the last
graduation gown you see I was the last of my sisters to graduate from high
of my sisters to graduate from high
of my sisters to graduate from high school and my success was their success
school and my success was their success
school and my success was their success I am because they are I remember when I
I am because they are I remember when I
I am because they are I remember when I walked across the graduation the stage
walked across the graduation the stage
walked across the graduation the stage no one screamed louder than my family in
no one screamed louder than my family in
no one screamed louder than my family in the audience I mean there was so much
the audience I mean there was so much
the audience I mean there was so much excitement it was another chapter that I
excitement it was another chapter that I
excitement it was another chapter that I was completing but after all of that
was completing but after all of that
was completing but after all of that die down and after all the confetti
die down and after all the confetti
die down and after all the confetti cleared the next question came okay so
cleared the next question came okay so
cleared the next question came okay so how are we going to pay for school at
how are we going to pay for school at
how are we going to pay for school at that moment it felt like all of the
that moment it felt like all of the
that moment it felt like all of the possibilities that once seemed endless
possibilities that once seemed endless
possibilities that once seemed endless were being crushed one by one by one I
were being crushed one by one by one I
were being crushed one by one by one I mean I had gotten and maintain good
mean I had gotten and maintain good
mean I had gotten and maintain good grades I studied for and passed all of
grades I studied for and passed all of
grades I studied for and passed all of my region’s some on the second try um I
my region’s some on the second try um I
my region’s some on the second try um I remember poring over databases trying to
remember poring over databases trying to
remember poring over databases trying to find ways to alleviate the cost of
find ways to alleviate the cost of
find ways to alleviate the cost of attendance so much so that I lived in
attendance so much so that I lived in
attendance so much so that I lived in the college office my advisor nicknamed
the college office my advisor nicknamed
the college office my advisor nicknamed me midnight because if it took until
me midnight because if it took until
me midnight because if it took until midnight to get that work done I would
midnight to get that work done I would
midnight to get that work done I would be there I mean I had done everything
be there I mean I had done everything
be there I mean I had done everything right right hard work pays off right so
right right hard work pays off right so
right right hard work pays off right so then why did I feel like I was being
then why did I feel like I was being
then why did I feel like I was being punished because of my socioeconomic
punished because of my socioeconomic
punished because of my socioeconomic status why did I feel like I was being
status why did I feel like I was being
status why did I feel like I was being penalized for not being able to afford
penalized for not being able to afford
penalized for not being able to afford my dream school life for me ain’t been
my dream school life for me ain’t been
my dream school life for me ain’t been no crystals there what happens when life
no crystals there what happens when life
no crystals there what happens when life beyond the classroom impacts your life
beyond the classroom impacts your life
beyond the classroom impacts your life within it Ben Kirchner and shun jian
within it Ben Kirchner and shun jian
within it Ben Kirchner and shun jian right they co-wrote a piece and they
right they co-wrote a piece and they
right they co-wrote a piece and they frame young people as agents of change
frame young people as agents of change
frame young people as agents of change they talk about youth organizing and the
they talk about youth organizing and the
they talk about youth organizing and the ways in which young people from working
ways in which young people from working
ways in which young people from working class and poor communities Latinos and
class and poor communities Latinos and
class and poor communities Latinos and African American students came together
African American students came together
African American students came together and recognized a need in their community
when they talk about youth organizing
when they talk about youth organizing there’s three features that they discuss
there’s three features that they discuss
there’s three features that they discuss the importance of identifying the social
the importance of identifying the social
the importance of identifying the social origins of our pain mobilizing and
origins of our pain mobilizing and
origins of our pain mobilizing and working
working
working you see my story is connected to a
you see my story is connected to a
you see my story is connected to a larger struggle of increasing access to
larger struggle of increasing access to
larger struggle of increasing access to higher education for students whose
higher education for students whose
higher education for students whose backgrounds are similar to mine but also
backgrounds are similar to mine but also
backgrounds are similar to mine but also for students who look just like me what
for students who look just like me what
for students who look just like me what are the tax and what are the splinters
are the tax and what are the splinters
are the tax and what are the splinters in your own life when they talk about
in your own life when they talk about
in your own life when they talk about identifying mobilizing and working what
identifying mobilizing and working what
identifying mobilizing and working what does that mean what are they talking
does that mean what are they talking
does that mean what are they talking about what does it mean to identify it
about what does it mean to identify it
about what does it mean to identify it means to name and establish what or who
means to name and establish what or who
means to name and establish what or who something or someone is have you
something or someone is have you
something or someone is have you identified the roots of your pain the
identified the roots of your pain the
identified the roots of your pain the roots of your oppression you see in the
roots of your oppression you see in the
roots of your oppression you see in the poem I recited earlier a mother is
poem I recited earlier a mother is
poem I recited earlier a mother is talking to her son about oppression
talking to her son about oppression
talking to her son about oppression about injustice a mother is talking to
about injustice a mother is talking to
about injustice a mother is talking to her son about a world that thrives off
her son about a world that thrives off
her son about a world that thrives off of the pain of other people have you
of the pain of other people have you
of the pain of other people have you identified the roots of your pain have
identified the roots of your pain have
identified the roots of your pain have you taken the time to critically think
you taken the time to critically think
you taken the time to critically think about what that might be when Jen Ryan
about what that might be when Jen Ryan
about what that might be when Jen Ryan kirschner talk about youth organizing
kirschner talk about youth organizing
kirschner talk about youth organizing they talk about mobilizing finding
they talk about mobilizing finding
they talk about mobilizing finding people and allies and friends and
people and allies and friends and
people and allies and friends and trusted adults in your communities and
trusted adults in your communities and
trusted adults in your communities and your neighborhoods who are also invested
your neighborhoods who are also invested
your neighborhoods who are also invested in healing who are also invested in
in healing who are also invested in
in healing who are also invested in making a social change and lastly they
making a social change and lastly they
making a social change and lastly they talk about work so once you’ve
talk about work so once you’ve
talk about work so once you’ve identified the roots of your pain once
identified the roots of your pain once
identified the roots of your pain once you understand once you understand it
you understand once you understand it
you understand once you understand it more deeply and you’ve gotten together
more deeply and you’ve gotten together
more deeply and you’ve gotten together with people to initiate some form of
with people to initiate some form of
with people to initiate some form of action get to work because there’s work
action get to work because there’s work
action get to work because there’s work to be done what does work work is
to be done what does work work is
to be done what does work work is movement towards an intended outcome
movement towards an intended outcome
movement towards an intended outcome purpose or goal you see life for me and
purpose or goal you see life for me and
purpose or goal you see life for me and for many of us here ain’t been no
for many of us here ain’t been no
for many of us here ain’t been no crystal stair it’s had tacks in it and
crystal stair it’s had tacks in it and
crystal stair it’s had tacks in it and splinters and boards torn up and places
splinters and boards torn up and places
splinters and boards torn up and places with no
with no
with no carpet on the floor bear but today I ask
carpet on the floor bear but today I ask
carpet on the floor bear but today I ask you to work with me as we engage in the
you to work with me as we engage in the
you to work with me as we engage in the struggle so that all of us can have a
struggle so that all of us can have a
struggle so that all of us can have a deeper understanding of the roots of our
deeper understanding of the roots of our
deeper understanding of the roots of our pain and so that all of us here can
pain and so that all of us here can
pain and so that all of us here can experience restoration from unhealed
experience restoration from unhealed
experience restoration from unhealed wounds thank you
wounds thank you
wounds thank you [Applause]
”
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