You made it through! And I hope you'll bring with you some of the spirit of Ethnic Studies.

This spoken word piece gives me goosebumps. Pieces resonating for me in this moment are below...

"When ETHNICS study Ethnic Studies,

It isn't school anymore.

It is a lesson in SURVIVAL...

Who chooses to walk through the war zone

if you are told that you don't have to

if you grew up believing that there isn't one

if what you don't know won't kill you.

...Race is the rent I pay for this skin...

You can't claim that racism doesn't exist

if you've never known what it means to survive it.

So it's easy to avoid confronting things that make us feel uncomfortable,

the things that make us feel guilty.

But comfort is what kills us in the long run

Comfort is sitting down

when you should be on your feet

Comfort is staying quiet

when you should be speaking up

Comfort is speaking too much

when you should be listening

Comfort is building borders for safety

and not bridges for healing

Comfort is celebrating diversity

but never discussing it

As if a Black president is enough

As if a heritage month is enough

As if Ethnic Studies is enough

As if this poem is f***ing enough"

May we be blessed with community, nourishment, fuel, and rest in this continued lifelong work.

You can follow the work of Terisa Siagatonu-- an award-winning poet, teaching artist, mental health educator, and community leader born and rooted in the Bay Area -- at https://www.terisasiagatonu.com.

Peace & blessings,
Prof. Nievera-Lozano