He Doesn’t Ask Who I Am

And I don’t tell him.
He can see that I’m wearing a name tag 
which suggests that I might be someone—might even 
hold some authority over the grown up who just yelled at him, 
Or maybe not.
I am sitting by myself, in the Commons 
composing an email. One of those, where I keep 
changing my mind on if it should be “reply” or “reply all.”
I look up when I hear the voices, one raised.
And that’s when I see him, and he see me.
The expression on his face asks, Do you see this guy?
in reference to the grown-up, the one with the raised voice.
I am confident that my facial expression replies—just to him—
I do see. He seems really frustrated. Next, my facial expression asks,
Did you play a role in that frustration? and follows up with a,
Don’t get me wrong. I still see your humanity, guilty or not.
I know that he understands 
everything I am saying without saying anything.
I know this because he wears a smirk that is humble, and playful, 
and friendly, and responsible, all at the same time 
(if it’s possible for a smirk to do all of those things), 
as he walks to the office with the grown-up, 
the one with the raised voice. 

Re-Member

Education as the practice of freedom

Requires us to change our lens

Unapologetic truth speaking 

Social knowledge

Challenge dominant narratives

Historical contention 

Did everyone come back with answers to the universe?

Put our business 

On front street

Instead of all the lies, it should be transparent.

Everybody needs to know.

That’s why they call it public education, Right?





(This is just a poem that came to me today as I listened and collected various phrases and statements I heard around me.)

Inside Me is A Bridge

Inside me is a bridge— 
a meeting of two minds, 
two places, 
two stories.

Behind me,
there are miles of 
Resilience—
forests of fear 
valleys of hardship,
hills of victory.

I do not know 
how far back it goes,
as I can only remember 
Parts
of the journey from this lifetime,
and I do not know 
all of the generations 
who walked the trail before me.

Inside me is a bridge—
a place where
Who I Have Become meets 
Who I Am Yet To Be—
a handshake, if you will,
a passing of the baton,
a nod of understanding between 
the places I have already grown, 
and the new victories that stretch ahead.

Inside me is a bridge.
It is not a place for me to stop long,
just a place for me to
reflect, to take 
a moment, to take
a breath,
before I move ahead 
into my next adventure.