Today, l led a zoom meeting where I asked everyone to name an ancestor to bring to the table and a mentor who brought them to their first table. We shared stories of grandparents & war & historic trauma & resilience & possibility. It humbly reminded me of why we do our work.

We continue the fight generations of ancestors & mentors had fought for centuries. Though it’s exhausting & frustrating & painful, I am grateful that it is somehow less traumatic for our generation & I try to remain hopeful that we leave it less traumatic for future generations.

What many people in academia might not know is that many of us bring our ancestors and our communities everywhere we go. We are here because generations carved paths for us to have these opportunities. Our successes are their successes. Our failures feel like we have failed them.

When you’re the first or the only, you can feel like a lone voice or an impostor. We’re often viewed as the token, the angry one, the threat, or the one who needs to be put in place. But I hope you realize you’re never alone. Your ancestors and your community are right by you.