We are educators, reflecting the strength of scholar and professor Angela Davis, writer Zitkála-Šá, and poet Paul Laurence Dunbar; we use the classroom, social media, and our artwork to spark conversations and debates about the socio-political environment of our nation.

We are trailblazers, imbued with the hunger to learn how to mold a more just society like civil rights leader W.E.B. Du Bois, Black feminist poet Audre Lorde, and grassroots activist Huey P. Newton; we create and join organizations like Anytown Social Justice, Made By Us, and DoSomething Vote 2000 to deepen our knowledge of the historical inequities and barriers we face while also sharing resources to empower us as we make voting, education, and other rights more accessible and relatable.

This revolutionary spirit of ours has pushed me to reflect and re-envision America as a nation that feels like home — that makes me feel seen, listened to, and welcomed as a young woman of color. I envision a nation in which I know that my vote is being counted and not challenged or questioned; a nation in which Black and brown mothers don’t have to protect their children from “the protectors of the law;” a nation in which white supremacy and violence are not tolerated by its people or its leaders.

It’s up to us to create this home. We can start by reading our nation’s history to provide insight as we write the future chapters; we can re-envision traditional American holidays, like the 4th of July, not as celebrations of the freedoms only a few can access but as reminders of the change we’ve created and the change we will create; we can partake in Civic Season and recognize Juneteenth as an extension of Independence Day; we can create a nation that builds upon its past and current traditions to create a space that more closely reflects the experiences of all of its people. We can be the change.