Teens Talk Back: Reflection
“Our
voices often go unheard on this campus, our experiences are devalued, our
presence is questioned. This project is our way of speaking back, of claiming
this campus, of standing up to say: We are here. This place is ours. We, TOO,
are Harvard.”
Earlier in the year a group
of Harvard University students came together and created, #itooamHarvard.
#itooamharvard is a photo campaign highlighting the faces and voices of black students at
Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Black students make up 11% of Harvard Freshman class.
I
was fortunate enough to attend a college prep high school that was also a
boarding school. High school was great
because I've meet life long friends. Our student body was
very diverse with our international students but there was still a possibility
of being the only black student in some classes. I can remember one night at dinner when these white boys told my sister, I
and a couple of black friends how chefs made dinner for us that night because it was fried chicken, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese....…
At that moment I was in shock. We were all in shock. What was made to be a “joke”
was a very stereotypical joke and I did not think it was a very one. I am African American so I did not grow up
eating soul food. My skin is black but I am African.
These
Harvard students were fed up with the remarks and comments that were said to
them on campus because they were black or different. Some of them had been hearing these comments since they were
freshman and some of them are freshman. Being fed up with everything they took it upon themselves to shed light on this issue.
Here is the video below.....
The video is amazing and their Tumbler page is even more amazing. These teens choose a great way to speak up and talk back! Because The media was the best they to talk back. Media Matters and because of this they gained NATIONAL attention! They were reposted my BuzzFeed, USA today, NY times and they were recognized by many celebrities including Janelle MonĂ¡e. This started on campus spread worldwide, It made me think of the teens in #itooamharvard feeling like they were some kind of alien life form. Some did admit to feeling like they did not belong on campus so there is a connection there. These students were prejudged because they were black. I do not know how it feels to be a black teen on a college campus like Harvard but these students gave me a look into what they have experienced and I feel for them. The #itooamharvard play premiered on Harvard's campus this past March.
#itooamHarvard is Amazing and was a great way these students choose to talk back!
*********************************************************************************
Questions for class:
Did you ever feel like you were judged as a teen because of your skin color?
Can you connect being an alien life form to something else other than being a teen?
What do you think of #itooamharvard? do you think these Harvard teens choose the right way to talk back?