Opinion

“I don’t like being black.”
Samantha Sims 2/20

I don’t like being black.
Growing up, I quickly understood what society expected from me. The word “black” comprised a strong, negative connotation, commonly associated with impurity and wickedness. It symbolized being at the bottom and, innately, at a disadvantage. Before uttering a word, I was a villain, a ravenous monster up to no good. My intellectual capabilities were insufficient compared to my white counterparts. My intentions were tainted. From birth, I was ugly and everyone was on the edge of their seats, waiting for me to fail.
Flattened by a thousand tons of pressure to fulfill the black identity designed so kindly by society, the immense weight left me defenseless in an internal war with who I wanted to be and how I should present myself in a white world. My strategy was to peel back my hideous, black layer, beginning with my vendetta against my hair.
I had always been known for my braids. Colored beads and bobbles swung from their ends like ornaments on a tree. When my mother finished braiding my hair every week, I would go to the mirror to study the girl looking back at me. She didn’t look like the other girls at school with silk hair, strands of gold that grew down to the floor and danced with the wind. Her hair said it all; she wasn’t one of them.
In fourth grade, I stumbled upon the remedy—hair relaxer. With my straight, chemically-tortured hair, I had snuck into an exclusive club; my hair was my disguise to hide the brown skin I didn’t want others to see. I was falling joyously into a hole of self-deconstruction, internalizing the centuries of self-hatred that filled the consciousness of the smiling women of color on the boxes of Curl Out and hot comb ads.
It wasn’t until my freshman year that my understanding of black hair shifted. In high school, I was suddenly surrounded by black women with volumes of curls and confidence. I found myself totally captivated by their poise and mettle. I wanted to be one of them, comfortable in my skin where there was room for me to be articulate and black.
That year, I decided to end perming treatments for good. By the summer of my sophomore year, I cut off the straight ends of my hair and became officially natural. Immediately, I was elevated by having curls. No longer was I dependent on a thick, cold cream to define my beauty.
Something deep inside was awakened. The black beast everyone feared was unleashed, not hungry for chaos or social affirmation, but for education, personal growth, community, and having more to contribute other than the fear of being an outcast. I saw the versatility of my hair and identity.
Without the chains of age-old racial stereotypes, being black was no longer a liability. Doors opened and I began to take advantage of every leadership opportunity I could. I now see myself as a trailblazer, not the follower I was for many years. Considering what I was able to accomplish in a few years once my blinders were removed, I am energized by what is to come. As a college student and beyond, I will be able to define myself by my abilities rather than external measures.
My hair journey is a narrative of my growth and self-acceptance. For years, I tore down the girl in the mirror. I was trying to “fix” her. I should’ve told her she was beautiful and valued. I should’ve told her not to let herself get in her own way. Today, I owe myself an apology for misdirecting the anger I had towards the antiquated racial hierarchy that swallows minorities whole.
It’s true that I don’t like being black; I love it.

The Power of Words
Dyesha Sanchez 11/19

“I love you.” “I do.” “We need to talk.” “We the people.” I believe these are just simple, limited words combined to represent an idea. I believe that words carry power and value. I believe it is possible for the dialogue between humans to go beyond their intentional meanings. I believe that through words, peace can be achieved. I believe words are not simply just letters written on a sheet of paper; they can inspire, motivate, and evoke certain emotions. I believe words can also influence what people believe and how they act if used correctly. I believe you can use words as a way to make people like you, respect you, and even love you.
As a little girl I grew up listening to words all around me. I used words to make a positive impact in my life and other people's lives. When my aunt was in the hospital back in February, I used to go to the hospital every day and I would stay there until 10 pm. As I was there I would talk to her using my words and I would always try to make her smile no matter what. I used to lay in the bed with her and I would just hold her and I would sing to her while she slept. Until one day when I was singing to her, she never woke up and I knew she had passed away. I feel that I literally sang her into the next world.
I believe the negative outcome of words is that some people use them as weapons to brainwash and manipulate others in order to accomplish what they want. I believe words in the wrong person’s mind can mean chaos. I believe words are so powerful that they can make someone sad or upset about how people talk about them. I believe words can even make people think about suicide if they take them too personally. For example, a bully at school can say how ugly a girl is, and that makes the girl’s self esteem go down, which causes depression. Then suicidal thoughts can come. I believe that is how powerful words can be. There is a metaphor that says, “speak only if your words are more beautiful than your silence.” I believe this means that everyone has thoughts, but you have to know how to keep words to yourself if they are too dangerous.
When I was in middle school and all the way into my sophomore year of high school, words made a negative impact on my life. The kids used to make fun of me all the time because I had glasses or because I was “ugly” or because I didn’t understand the work. On top of that, a lot of stuff was happening at home. My life became a mess because of words. Words affected me so badly that one night I got into a big argument with my dad. I couldn’t sleep so I went to the bathroom and I filled up the tub. I started cutting myself until I saw blood and my body felt numb. At that moment I felt like I was good for nothing, but the blood coming out of my wrists. I lost my identity. Ever since then my life has never been the same. I told my parents using my words; they got me help and I went to therapy. As I went every Wednesday, words somehow started making a positive impact on my life. Now when people try to hurt me with words I know what I’m worth. I know who I am. I know how to take care of myself.
I see how words have changed my life. I believe words can influence someone in a positive way and they can also destroy someone. I believe people need to be careful with what they say and how they say it. I try to use my words to make positive change.

The Head of The Table
Speech by Raven Joseph 9/19

As Du Bois sits with Shakespeare, I now sit with Aristotle, Thucydides, and Plutarch, authors of great works that have managed to shape my thoughts on the past and its influence on the future. They offer me a seat at the head of the table; they don’t dare to frown. They welcome me with open arms, lifting the veil that once covered the eyes of my ancestors and now attempts to shield me from reaping the benefits that I must rightfully sow.
Du Bois sits across from me, grinning as he witnesses a living, breathing testament of the future he longed to see. A future where a little black girl like me gets to use her voice and it is heard by millions, where a little black girl like me will receive an exemplary education from an institution built by people who look like me - FOR people who look like me, where a little black girl like me seeks out opportunities to gain her own sense of self-consciousness, self realization, and self respect. He grins, as I sit uncomfortably through a journey he knows I will never escape as he acknowledges that though we have come far, there is still much progress to be made. As we engage in conversation, these forefathers urge me to seek happiness, to honor the lives of those before me, and to foster my own community of changemakers. Today, they have called on me to relay this same message to you, hoping that this here group starts an uproar, a new wave of progressive co-workers, understanding co-workers, unified co-workers in the kingdom of culture. We must work diligently to fulfill their wishes and create new ideas they would be proud to watch unfold into radical change and historical movements.

Welcome to Coffee and Conversation with Navi. Nadia Gaskins hosts a show designed to get students thinking deeper about issues that are normally considered taboo. Watch as she invites guests to discuss a variety of thought-provoking topics.
Episode 1: Student Voice in Education
Episode 2: LBBTQ+ and Misleading Stereotypes

My American Dream
By Samantha Sims 2/20

   I believe the American Dream should not focus on individual success, measured either by economics or fame. Rather, I think the American Dream should center around smaller acts that build up the country and benefit the whole. As Americans, our ultimate goal should be to become better versions of ourselves, creating a wide array of functional and safe communities across the nation.
   My American Dream begins with no violence. I wish to live in a country where we do not respond to disputes with anger. Instead of shouting and swearing at one another, we stop and listen. Instead of throwing punches and lashing out, we look inward and talk through our emotions. Wars go extinct. Mass shootings are no longer real-life, recurring nightmares. We do not want to hurt the people who hurt us. We want to understand one another and work through conflicts. We want to forgive.
I do not want to live in a country where I am anticipating the next war or making a mental note of exits “just in case.” I do not want to live in a country where a story on the news makes me shudder inside, because I think to myself “that could’ve been me.” Where I wonder when will I be in the wrong place at the wrong time? Where I am waiting for when I will be next.
   My American Dream consists of no division. I wish to live in a country where labels do not limit us and bar us from developing relationships with one another. Instead of focusing on what “group” we belong to, we find comfort in being beautiful culminations of different identities. Instead of locking one another away in societally-defined boxes, we break free from our cages and proudly represent who we are, whatever that may be. Diversity excites us. We learn more about new cultures, perceptions, and ideologies, which in turn, makes us smarter and stronger. We do not alienate races, sexual orientations, or religions. We embrace them and accept the complexity of people and their layers. We accept that nothing is black and white and see clarity in the grey area.
I do not want to live in a country where I am small and underestimated because others believe my skin projects stereotypes that limit who I am and write my future. I do not want to live in a country where immigrants are rejected by the “land of the free.” I don’t want to live within the borders of a perfect bubble, knowing those outside are suffering. Knowing I have more than enough to give.
   My American Dream ends with love. We show compassion for people in situations we do not understand. We extend a hand to the homeless, jobless, and hopeless. We do not walk past a cardboard sign or try to avoid the figure lying on a park bench. We give food, resources, and even a prayer. We give a smile. We offer what we have, so that little by little people in need can find their footing. We show empathy, putting ourselves or our loved ones in their shoes, because they could very easily be us. We help not to feed our egos or to gain profit. We do it out of the most genuine kindness of our hearts.
   My American Dream is for us all to work towards being better people--emotionally and physically stable, and generous--so that we can collectively be a better nation because of it.

“Boys Will Be Boys”
Nelani Mejias 1/20

“Girls be sure to cover up; don’t show too much skin.”
“Don’t walk alone at night.”
“Don’t be so uptight, it was just a joke.”
“Boys will be boys.”

From a young age, boys are taught that they will always have an excuse for the way they act. No matter how harmful, their behavior it’s justified, and girls are supposed to just go along with it. Society treats men as if they are superior; this we know. Men are supposedly smarter, stronger, and overall more capable. They are the gender of reason, however, when they do something wrong, suddenly it’s in their nature, and they couldn’t help themselves. Men are not animals; they do not lack self control. There is not something in their genetic makeup that makes them rape. It is not okay for them to drug a girl’s drink because they go by the pronouns he/him.
Women are taught that they need to change to accommodate the behavior of men. As soon as they step into a school, they must dress “appropriately,” making sure not to distract the boys from their studies. Because shoulders distract boys, and boys need a good education, that’s what’s important. But sexual harassment is not considered a distraction because what did you expect? If a woman is raped people ask her what she was wearing, and if it was a short skirt, well then, it was her fault because she was tempting the man. Boys will be boys; she should’ve considered that before picking her outfit. Once a girl steps up and defends herself, she is labeled as being emotional, but when a man yells and screams, he is brave and powerful.
It doesn’t help that the people in power, the people running the country, and the people in charge of justice, are the same people who can rape women and not get held accountable. “It’s a very scary time for young men in America.” This is a statement made by President Donald Trump. A statement that proceeded him saying that men should be considered innocent of sexual assault when allegations come up until there is evidence to prove them guilty. Even then, that’s sometimes still not good enough.
Women are constantly being criticized. If you wear a crop top, you’re showing too much skin. If you’re covered you’re a prude. Regardless you’re asking for it. If you talk openly about sex you’re a slut. Feminism has been confused with man-hating and hostility. Wanting to be treated equal, like a human being, is made to seem irrational.
We, as a society, needs to stop allowing men to get away with whatever toxic behavior they want. We need to stop telling girls to change in order to stay safe and we need to stop normalizing sexual harassment. Rape is not a type of sex, it is a type of assault, a violation of a person’s body. It will never have a justification. Gender does not excuse violence. If boys continue to “be boys,” then girls will continue to take notice, get angry, and bring these predators to justice. It’s a scary time to be a sexist, violent man in America, because girls are getting sick of it.

Has New Haven Actually Been a “Sanctuary City?”
Thomas Small 10/19

I’ve lived here forever. Well, that’s not entirely true. I have lived in East Haven and West Haven a bit, but my heart has always been in New Haven. This is especially true because I have always been in the New Haven Public Schools and I can say that New Haven hasn’t been even close to a sanctuary. Safety, for someone like me, isn’t the city’s worry in any sense.
Why worry about some middle-class kid when they have to worry about 10,000 rich Yale students? The only thing that saves this city, financially, is Yale. Yale brings many of the business aspects to New Haven’s art and culture. Yale does cause a great social and economic divide--one that may not be able to be fixed. The average income for a Yale student’s family is $192,600 (nytimes.com), compared to the average income of a person that lives in New Haven, which is $39,191 (datausa.io)a year. For me, this divide has always been clear and present in my life. I haven’t let it affect me, but it's still there.
The state and local governments, and associated services, don’t even want to fix this divide. Instead, they give Yale tax breaks, making them pay virtually no taxes even though Yale owns so much property in New Haven. Yale University is worth an estimated $29.3 billion (thebestschools.org). Keep in mind, this doesn’t include Yale New Haven Hospital or the Yale New Haven Health Overview system. Yale New Haven Hospitals have assets that add up to an enormous $6.1 billion dollars. Yale hospitals grossed about $4.6 billion in 2017 alone (ynhhs.org). Money like this is enough to change the entire scope of the city, but this will never happen because all they care about is improving the Yale Legacy. Of course, the government has played an enormous part in allowing Yale have three of the most profitable companies in New Haven. They have been supporting Yale in many obvious and not-so-obvious ways for their mutual financial benefits. For example, on almost every block where the campus is, there are buttons you can press to quickly get the police there if necessary. Why not have these buttons all over the city? Wouldn’t this be helpful to everyone, not just Yale students? It’s obvious why the buttons aren’t all over the city. The people of New Haven aren’t valued.
Another way that city government has shown that they think their people don’t matter is the obvious gentrification that has been taking place over the past decade. For instance, there are two Starbucks downtown, even though they’re only about three blocks from each other. There are new artisan stores, shops, and cafes opening every other week. Of course, all these places are extremely pricey. To most Yale students cost will not matter. All this isn’t bad. In fact, I think it’s good that all these diverse shops are opening because it makes lots of visitors to the city feel welcome. But this is part of the issue. While these new “hip” shops make visitors feel welcome, they also drive away the local people with average salaries who have lived in this city all their lives.
In many ways, New Haven has improved on paper. But ethically, it’s not even close. From what I see, New Haven seems to be a mini-version of every major city in the country. This explains why factories have closed and become luxury apartments and business is booming in this city. Clear class disparities, dicrimination, and shady business deals are the new regular.

The New Year
Thomasine Fletcher 1/20

To be honest I don’t have high hopes for the new year. Every day more and more people are dying and I’m not talking about from car crashes or illnesses. People are dying every day from gun violence and suicides. I personally think it’s a waste; people have so much life to live and they end it or it is stolen from them. How is that fair to them or the people that care about them?
Gun violence has gotten worse and worse over the past decade. Giffords Law Center reports that ”In 2017, gun deaths reached their highest level in at least 40 years, with 39,773 deaths that year alone.” I understand that we can’t control the number of suicides that happen, but we can try to do more to help the people who feel like they don’t have a voice or can’t speak up because no one will listen even if they do.
We can do more than stand aside as people are bullied into taking their own lives. I understand that some people feel that the only way out of the pain they're feeling is death, but we can show them that it isn't. We can show them the pain they would cause to the people they leave behind. We can show them that they’re not as invisible as they think they are. And that there are people that care about them and will miss them if they decided to end their lives.
We may not be able to control the amount of suicides but we can reduce people’s need to escape in this way. I know that gun violence is a big topic right now but I don’t think it’s big enough. So many lives are lost because of school shootings or people opening fire at concerts but what are we actually doing to control gun violence? Making it harder to legally obtain guns? That's not actually stopping anything. People are going into churches and opening fire and now they have armed security guards in some churches. We’re so instilled with fear that we’re becoming paranoid. My mother is now too scared to even leave the house. What good is this doing us? What good is worrying about every possible horrible scenario?
What good is carrying a gun on you when you might be mistaken as a danger and shot down and killed? Would you really rather be the one to take a life than be the one whose life is taken? Can you bear the guilt of taking a human life even if people call you a hero for doing it? I don’t think I could. I would rather be the one facing the barrel than the one pulling the trigger. I know some people may say I’m stupid for saying this, but it’s my honest opinion. I couldn’t bear the weight of having taken a life--a child from their parents, a man or woman from their kids. Or even a person from their friends. If being strapped means being ready to take a life, is protecting yourself really worth it?
If being aware of gun violence means being too scared or paranoid to leave the safety of your own home as if someone couldn’t break in and shoot you down anyway, is it worth it? Sometimes I really believe ignorance is bliss because not knowing means not being scared. It means not having to wonder if today you could be gun downed or repeatedly stabbed for walking down the street. But then again I think it is better to know than to be ignorant of what could happen. I would rather know that a school was shot up than not know at all, because what if someone I know or knew was there? What if I knew the shooter?
Is it really worth it, though? Is knowing that this world and its people are becoming darker and more evil by the day, no the hour, really worth your innocence? I can’t be sure. All I know is I couldn’t do it I couldn’t take a life.

Excuse me SIR, can YOU teach ME how to be a WOMAN?
Nelani Mejias 1/20

From the Women’s Wall in Kerala, India, to the Women’s March in D.C., women all over the world are fighting for their rights and to be treated equal. Still, the inferior treatment of women exists every day. Walking by a group of men, they are subjected to comments detailing what the men think about them. Women have to fight to have a say over their own bodies. There is sexism in the work environment; as of 2018 women were paid 82 cents for every dollar a man made. And on a more severe level, 1 out of 6 American women has been a victim of attempted or completed rape. That covers just a miniscule portion of what women have to face on a daily basis. And just what every girl needs at a time when they are trying their hardest to have a voice that is heard and taken seriously...a convention is created by men telling women how they should be.
In Orlando, Florida, there is an event held called the 21 Convention. This is an event that boasts the “best speakers on earth for men and masculinity” according to their website. This year they will be holding the 18th convention. However, this is the first year they same group will hold the 22 convention, for women. Contrary to what it may seem like, this event is run completely by men, their slogan being, “Make Women Great Again.”
On their website they list the points they will be addressing, one being that women wanting to be treated like human beings is “pushing women to act like men” and denying them “their own feminine nature.” The more you read about what they are trying to accomplish, the more it seems like it must be a joke. They body shame women, and have the ideology that women are only meant to be mothers and wives. They are trying to tell women that feminism is toxic and unaccepting. On their official website, under the section Beauty And The Obesity, it says, “At The 22 Convention, you’ll learn how women have been lied to about ‘body positivity’ and how you can embrace #beautypositivity right away!” That followed them saying how men are “sizing you up for reproduction.”
Both events, which will be held in May, will have only male speakers. This will involve men preaching to women that they are inferior and do not deserve to be treated like human beings. The organizers expect women to pay $1,000 to go to an event where they are belittled and told how they should act. The 21 convention is something that, although it may seem like a work of satire, is very much real, and disturbing to see in a time where women are hoping to see progress.

Never Again
Makayla Chambers 1/20

In the sixth grade someone was shot and killed near our school. It wasn't during school hours, but enough people knew him to be affected by his death. We were told during breakfast. We knew something was wrong the moment the adults raised their hands for silence. After they told us it was like we were running on auto-pilot.
We had band practice that day and it was the quietest practice I could remember. The obnoxious drum solos and random renditions of Careless Whispers I had grown accustomed to were nowhere to be found. On a normal day, we’d be rowdy and rambunctious. We barely sat down and would shout out vines that would irritate our band instructor to no end. But this was no normal day. Percussion were silent, brass were somber, and winds were subdued. I remember red eyes. The kind of red that looks like your skin was mad at the tears. I remember crying that day. I didn't know who he was, but I remember crying for him.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that wasn't even my first experience with gun violence. I remember going into school one day in fifth grade being confused. It felt like we were in mourning, but I didn't know why. The teachers were whispering between classrooms and everyone looked spooked. I saw more green ribbons and code reds after that day. It would take a few days before I learned about what happened at Sandy Hook, but it would take a few years before I understood the true significance of it.
When predominantly white, middle class children in Connecticut aren't safe, is anybody? A highschooler in Parkland? A gay man in Orlando? A shopper in Walmart? A pedestrian in Dayton? A driver in Odessa? When will “9 dead in 32 seconds” start sounding insane? When will the words “Latest massacre” not be applicable? According to the Gun Violence Archive “The number of mass shootings across the U.S, thus far in 2019 has outpaced the number of days this year.” The U.S has spent too long ignoring the problem and squabbling like children to find a solution. After each mass shooting, we complain about politicians giving pretty speeches and lengthy apologies. We complain that they do nothing. But that's not true. Their inaction encourages another person to compete for the title of “America’s deadliest mass shootings.” Their inaction teaches the next generation how to desensitize themselves towards violence.
We were kids. Kids who grew up hiding under desks.“Our parents had wars, but we grew up on mass shootings.” (Eugene Lee Yang) In elementary school, we were terrified of active shooter drills. We’d cower in the corner and turn hysterical at the sound of our custodian knocking on the door. As if a school shooter would knock before coming in. In middle school, we didn't care. It was just another excuse to not do work. And in high school we laughed when we realized the 4th floor doors don’t lock. As if it was a joke that we would've been dead had that been real.
America used to be the land of the free. Now it's the land that breeds school shooters. We used to be the home of the brave. Now it's the home of children who are accustomed to injustice and emboldened by their mortality. Its inhabited by children who expect mass shootings and joke about their own deaths. America is where you learn to countdown the days since the last mass shooting and hashtag your condolences. “After Sandy Hook we said never again. And then we let it happen 2,206 more times.” (Vox) America is where you lose hope for the future, and laugh when you see the words “Never Again.”

Women, You Know Who You Are
Tynasiah Cloud 12/19

From my perspective as a minority female in America today, I would say that the “American Dream” for a girl in today’s society is to be the “man.” What I mean by be a “man” is that women have to do for themselves, meaning paying bills, taking care of the household, and other priorities that she has to handle as a woman.
Women who do not depend on men have to do everything on their own. However, women still have a disadvantage also. Some people think that just because we're women we are weaker, we are hoes, and easy to manipulate. You have to change the way people think about you. People will forever think bad about women just because they think they know it all. Don't let people describe you. You know who you are, what you do, and how hard you have to fight to get what you want in this world.
People come to America from all over the world because they think it's easier and less work to do, especially coming here as a woman, having kids, responsibilities, and having to taking care of yourself. Although some people think badly about women, some people see them as strong, powerful, motivated, and independent. Some people won't take advantage of you, won't call out your name, won't speak down on you. Some will applaud you for all the hard work you did or do.
Men think they are tough and strong just because they can lift bigger things than you, get better jobs than you, but they don't know about or go through half of the things you do. They have pain, but they don't experience the same pain, frustration, and problems we go through. Being a minority female in America today, I will say it’s hard but not impossible to handle. You are strong and you should never forget that.