I’ve never been good at letting go or letting things flow so when you asked me to trust you my mind went down a black hole of early deaths and heartbreaks depression and defeats I couldn’t hear your speech but I felt your hand in mine you reminded me to breathe “I’m sorry… I don’t know what happened I’ve never been…” “ok it’s ok... you don’t need to…

I’m grateful for post-secondary institutions—such as HBCUs, community colleges, and tribal colleges—that consistently love and accept us and affirm that we belong. That have open arms, inviting us to “come home.” One thing I have learned as a Harvard graduate student is that we belong there, too—we belong at an…

the signs are a circular reference leading back (and forward) to you plus me ironically there is no error  message

By Galiba Anjum for The Leadership Journal (p. 51) The wind whispered my name as I walked through the vast field of flowers that were nowhere near-endless or golden as I chose to believe they were. The tall golden spheres offered a sense of security in burning shades of yellow…

i mailed him a prayer masked as a rare book hoping that it… that he would return to me  and my certainty would be enough  for the both of…

By Eana Shah for The Leadership Journal (p. 154) I ran to my mother with feather steps that gave me jitters and a clamminess I’ll never forget; she was bleached in tears. My 7-year-old mind was not ready, it was not ready to face a harsh reality. …

By Kiara Casseus for The Leadership Journal (p. 127) i always wanted to be the sun. to have warmth and light follow wherever I travel to have everything i touch be illuminated with my light to be what draws everyone to their consciousness a driving force that calls the earth…

By Vanessa Iwuoha for The Leadership Journal (p. 68) I was lost. I was whoever they wanted me to be until I couldn’t. When I was in kindergarten, if you asked me where I’m from, I’d proudly say, “Niger,” because it looked a lot like “Nigeria,” and I couldn’t tell…

we met on the longest night of the year i was mourning many losses but you were full of holiday cheer