– Nathaly Trinidad Flores, Solidaridad intern
This poster can be found in the hallways of the W.G. Pearson Center, home of SAF's office. Every week when I go get my lunch from the kitchen I pass by it and most times I stop to re-read it. ‘Hayti’ is a central part of history in North Carolina. It was a rich and vibrant district made by and for the Black community of the area. The unjust removal process of key structures that attempted erasure of this vigorous community was due to the high presence and tolerance of white supremacist values. The story of ‘Hayti’ is one that has happened all over our country. To learn about the true history of the areas we work, live, and profit off of is the start of change.
At our SAF mid-retreat we continued our training on anti-oppression. During that time I learned more about the past and current systems of oppression that have been a part of the daily lives of so many unprotected groups. Due to those systems, and the acceptance of them, some of my peers had stories of times they felt oppressed. Hearing these stories made me upset, and made me want to continue to do more in my daily life to build a world where these are no longer experiences people have to live through and process.
What people teach and share with us matters. How we learn and listen matters. The actions we take matter. Personally I take this information to heart and work internally to make sure I learn from them, but of course that is not enough. We need to learn and teach. We need to listen and speak. We need to make changes in our life and help ensure others do the same. The work we do can make change, but we have to be persistent and constant.
This new year I want to take more action. SAF is a part of big change and I know I have learned a lot in this past semester. For this second half I am excited to be part of more actions. Especially in seeing events that we have been preparing for come to life, such as National Farmworker Awareness Week. Having this focus will guarantee an impactful end to my time in the Solidaridad program.