Hi, my name is Aniyah Martin! I agree with Robin Williams’ quote. The arts have the power to bring people together, influence change, and make awareness. I wish that going to and being involved in the performing arts was still knowledgeable as a “Civic Duty”. I personally had the HONOR to grow up around artistic and power driven people my whole life. One of the things you notice when being in the performing arts atmosphere is that everyone is unique and each person collects different motives for why they do the craft they chose. My granny chose dance and being a Theater Director because she enjoyed bringing people together and bring about change. Every once in awhile I meet new people that knows my granny and everyone of them would say “Mrs. Gilkey, your grandmother is something else!” People would tell me that my granny was like a second mother to them because she would always push them to live up to their full potential which got them where they are today. My granny cared for her students and was devoted to showing children that there was more to life than what they knew. Even though I wasn’t born yet to see her choreographer career , I was blessed to see her as a Theater Director. Also, grateful that I played in a handful of her shows. Well, of course I did i am her “grand baby” (as she would call me) ! The production , the adrenaline, pulling all nighters , sleepless nights , the stage lights,— all the hard work leading up to the big debut is thrilling ! To see her work in action and for people to testify by saying how much my granny contributed to their lives , brings me joy because my granny has also been influential in my life. Im just glad other people got to experience how bright her light shines. My Granny has always been supportive of me. Especially, now that i’m opening up my own online Graphic design store. She has guided me into the direction of screenwriting and directing ! Because of her, I love the thrill of Producing art. One project that sits dear to my heart is when I wrote, directed, and starred in a skit for the Missouri History Museum about the Micheal Brown shooting, and it was also one of my favorites. It was voted the best skit of the segment by the Museum Theater Director. “by being entertaining, you make a connection with another person.” I’ll keep that in mind throughout my Screenwriting career.

I can definitely say that the possibility of having massive student debt has played a factor on whether or not I would attend college or not like many other students in general not just of inclusion, but sadly I believe that people of diversity have a higher disadvantage of factors and ultimately results in them not attending college. For me personally, It seems like I'm facing way more stress and obstacles throughout this college process than my white peers which pushes me to work hard more and more than ever for my future in entertainment. In the beginning of 2021, I moved to another state and transferred to a completely different school. I came from a small, black majority school, then to a large white majority school. Describing what an experience is like to someone who has not a clue what you're referring to feels like you're speaking a different language. It made me feel extremely lonely in my new environment because it was as if I moved to a different planet! I had to overcome a ton of adversity in the classroom, but more specifically with my teachers. I loved English class and English was my first class of the day. At first, the teacher welcomed me with a smile and a graceful tone and said, "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask me!". I couldn't help but ask myself If the reason she did that is because I was black. Nonetheless, I said to myself, If nothing else works out at least I'd have my English class. Her welcome felt so heartfelt, I heeded her advice. My favorite thing to do in class was to write papers and at my previous school, I got no lower than a "B" on them. I decided that I wouldn't let that streak die and I would ask for advice and every time I asked she would say "you're doing fine! You are right on track!"... she said this all the way up until the year ended. Yet, somehow my concluded grade on my report came up to be a "D" and I didn't find out until the beginning of my senior year. In the end my counselor told me that there have been several complains about her from colored students about their grades and her shady behavior in the classroom. While she was talking, my eyes were filled with tears and It took everything in me not to burst out in tears. I knew my skills didn't at all deserve the grade I got, yet for a slight moment caused me to question my true value and abilities. Most of all, I was in total disbelief that someone would actually do a thing that my counselor described. Truth be told that later on I heard from people personally that they experienced things very similar. For the remainder time I spent at the school in my senior year, I had two new English teachers and in both classes being one of the only black kids, I strived to do above and beyond the expectations of assignments so not even they could look me in the eyes and tell me I earned anything less than an "A"! I aspire to pursue screenwriting/directing in the entertainment industry where we see little to no people of color in powerful roles. I want to use my career to inspire others of the black community especially young people and children . I want them to grow up seeing influential figures on the screen so they won't ever feel like they're a minority.

Most times more often than not , I find myself uninspired; even with the normal things I love to do on a daily I am just not motivated and It’ll be easy to just blame it on my manic depression and go on with my day blindly watching Netflix and binging on Carmel Cookie Crunch Gelato and blaming the world for my shit that happened yearssss ago, but continuing to live through it as I relive it in my mind bitterly. Oftentimes I feel empty— dissociative between my body and mind making me lose touch with reality and the most important people in my life. I sit alone at night in my room in the dark listening to 60’s folk music with my earphones, and mid-way into my cry session, I realize: not one person on earth right now, not to mention in my house knows that I am struggling this very second—... Nonetheless, I know that when that night is over I will have to face the world like everyone else with a mask, and it’s a matter if i’m able to keep it on until the night comes or else if I’m not to do so I will be ridiculed or judged in a sense. At least that’s how I feel, and because of this I dread the daylight. So what keeps me going ? It’s the fact that I know what I am feeling isn’t forever. Sometimes I force myself to “GET UP ! “ That’s not exactly what I tell myself in my head when i’m in a funk, but for the sake of this I will withhold my self-motivational speech... What truly inspires me is my little brother Jeremiah. I want him to grow up and not feel alone like I did— still do.

I have seen the mental and physical abuse that people of color are victims of from not having the proper care resources to become proactive in this attack. According to the Heart Foundation, African Americans are the #1 victims of heart disease due to a poor diet and it has become an unbroken habit forced down generation to generation. While someone is to blame for this corporate systemic genocide, it is my responsibility to help us learn for ourselves, educate in our communities, and provide the appropriate care for my people. There are advocates of these establishments in our communities who claim to help people within the community who are not able to pay for fruits and vegetables consistently and that this is a quick fix-- which is not true. This issue is worsening, and the more I am learning for myself, the more linked additional problems surface. The problem is we continue to leave the fate of our people in what is becoming the inevitable genocide and motivational gentrification of our existence. This goes beyond police brutality and black on black crime although highlighting relevant contemporary concerns, but above all this is psychological warfare and for our us to overcome I believe the first problem to be tackled is the necessity of nutrition among our schools and stores. We haven’t gotten anywhere working with the system nor side by side, and mostly because Black people love to announce every move we make to the public. To simply address the problem of nutrition and our other concerns, let’s move in silence. Let’s organize lunch meal programs for students during the school days with health options for all. Instead of the GMO and processed foods that are handed out on a daily with a nasty small carton of room temp milk. Let’s go even bigger by planting 40 acre community gardens in every district. We have the land for them. Vacant houses, fields, plazas, parks, etc are all waiting to be torn down to become a new Whole Foods right next to the Urban League given to us for good behavior, yet no one enters and no significant progress has been made from the looks of the loss of tax dollars. FUBU , we create our own sense of financial health care. What i’m proposing may seem far fetched to some who don’t envision more for our community because we’ve achieved what was deemed the impossible for centuries. Once we mental health care for ourselves, we will unleash the spell we’ve been under for thousands and thousands of years. A spell that tells us we can’t overcome without the sanction of others.

My mother gave birth to me when she was 18. So I basically grew up with her throughout what was supposed to be the peak of her young adult life. For a long time, all we had was each other and now even though our family has expanded, no one can get in between my immediate bond with my mama. Other than being a mama, she's been my best friend, my mentor, and like a sister. My bond with my mama is completely indescribable, she's my whole world and my rock. Although she may not recognize it, I've seen her struggle, sacrifice, and adapt to every obstacle that came in her way headstrong. My mama has pursued so many things in her life and one of the things I've learned from that is that I can truly do anything I put my heart towards with hard work and determination. It wouldn't sit right in my heart fulfilling only half of my potential when my mom gave her all so I can have everything. My mama has never ever pushed her beliefs/values on to me, yet rather simply placed the information and all the possibilities along with the consequences in front of me so that I can make the most informed decision. I say all that to say that she never pushed the need to go to college, just made it known to me that it was a possibility. I am my mama's number one fan!! My love for her gives me the courage to pursue whatever my heart desires and to gracefully fulfill them requires me to attend college. She is one of the strongest women I know following my nana and even both of their support has uplifted me through hard times during my childhood. My mama only wants the best for me and by her actions followed by her words of encouragement I know this to be true. My mama is a huge part of who I am and I am extremely blessed to have one as phenomenal as she is. Our relationship has influenced my decision to attend college because my love for her and her life has motivated me to love myself and want bigger and better things for myself. Obviously I can say I believe we're so close because she had me while she was nearly a child herself and we had 16 years with just me and her. That would be the overrated answer, but other than that I'll infer that she managed the courage to raise me above all odds based on her mama's love, because there's nothing like love from a mama.

Untitled When everyone wept, my face remained bare. People in shock, still in pain Grieving the child that was lost that day. To me the day was ordinary, it was all the same Instantly running vulgar with not 1 person to blame. Even though I submitted a poem, my dream is to screenwrite and to overall become a generational beacon of my community. I want to kindle their passions and open new doors for people who have never dreamed of opening them. This money will not only be a start of something huge for me, but also for the people I want to touch with my art forms.