As children, our parents always remind us to look both ways when we cross the street. As kids, we always ask "Why?" and our parents say it's for our safety. For me, I've always looked both ways. Not just for crossing the physical street, but for crossing life's difficult streets. I look to my right and to my left and see people who are hurting and need someone to lean on. After crossing a few roads myself, I've learned to help others have the courage to cross. I remember holding back tears as I hide my head behind my friend's lunchbox. As a white classmate continued to belittle the girl next to me about her tight-coiled hair in front of our entire 5th grade class, my heart burned in hurt for her. Even though the comments weren't directed at me, I still burned with a passion to gain justice for her. This idea of me carrying others' burdens towards has stayed with me all throughout my life. During my junior year, I participated in my high school's musical, "The Wiz". Throughout the production process, a few black castmates and I had witnessed multiple wrongs done by the director of the musical. We decided to write a petition to voice our concerns and demand changes to the production's handling. This petition gained over 150 signatures within 24 hours within our community. Although some of our wishes within the petition weren't granted, the wrongs that we wanted to address were resolved. This was due to me representing the group in front of the director and my school's administration regarding the petition. Throughout the entire process, we faced animosity from a couple of our castmates due to "disrupting the peace" of the production. As the writer of the petition, I saw how the comments discouraged those who were in support of the petition. I took the opportunity to uplift them and remind them that you shouldn't let anyone attempt to bring you down in the midst of you getting justice. This experience has shown me that I have a deepened care for black artists' wellbeing in performing arts spaces. Looking back on that period, I've been told how people have felt empowered by the words I not only wrote in the petition but also expressed to others who opposed our cause. I aspire to help cultivate spaces in which black artists and creatives can navigate these environments in a safe and productive way. I will continue to be mindful of those around me when walking the roads in this life, and look both ways. I strive to not only protect myself when crossing, but also those who crossing with me.

The tears running down my teacher's face after I gave my speech on racial ignorance in 8th grade made me realize my gift for public speaking. Public speaking to me was breathing. I needed not any lesson or lecture, I simply did it. Words come into my mind and out of my mouth as if taking a single breath. After my speech, I was urged by my teacher to join the speech and debate team. In that year alone, I placed in the top three in almost all of my declamation competitions. This inspired me to continue to pursue speaking in high school. Although, as great as my middle school program was, the debate program at my high school possessed less than half of the resources of my previous program. In spite of that, I stumbled upon the poetry club. It was as if the breathing that had once ceased had begun again. I loved how the other black poets refrained from using standard, proper speech, and spoke with a twang that rang your ears. It was different from what I had previously been doing. Similar to breathing, public speaking didn't require much effort from me on a deeper level. I didn't have to search myself or my heart in order to do it. Yet to improve my poetry, I had to dig deeper and become bold. I fell in love with this new method of expression as it helped me understand poetry as an art form, something that requires the skill of imagery and vulnerability. Poetry has also brought me amazing opportunities. After performing all over my city, within my church, and throughout my school, I was offered the opportunity to perform at the National Black Nazarene Conference, where the black members of my church denomination gather from across the country. With all of these amazing opportunities, and more to come, I can see how it's easy to grow complacent with the gifts we often possess. Yet, I make an effort to allow my talent to cause growth within me as well as the people around me. I strive to take the deepest breaths. After high school, I hope to continue taking up opportunities to perform poetry and grow my love for it. I hope to pursue project management and nonprofit management to work in organizations dedicated to black artists pursuing their dreams. By interacting with other talented artists, like the ones applying for this scholarship with me, we can develop a community of creatives that would take the world by storm. When doing public speaking, I lacked on the inside what Marques had. To ability to brighten others up and have passion. Through poetry, I was able to gain these qualities in common with him, and I plan to continue the legacy he left with the earnings from this scholarship.

As we sit and converse about the effects of mass incarceration within our communities, I notice the burrow in my grandfather's brow. He expresses his deep concern about how my generation will develop solutions to issues like these and offers his idea as to how we should do it. As I am always curious as to what his take is on current issues, his concern with whether or not my generation can handle it leaves me with thoughts similar to those mentioned in the Ode: "Don’t worry, Grandpa. We're aware, and we are ready to take this issue head-on!" I have seen my generation accept this call of duty being placed upon us. A duty to not back down against difficult conversations about our past, a duty to stand and demand ceasefires from the gangs that refuse to see eye-to-eye, a duty to establish safe spaces of unity, ones that were as strong as the older generation's as they fought for their equality and livelihood. As I continue to co-host and produce this podcast, I will keep the words of this Ode in mind. As it provokes the thoughts of anyone who reads it, it truly transcends color, culture, and community. I hope to come back to this ode when I'm older and can take the opportunity to read it from my grandfather's perspective. I look forward to the day I can reflect on the results of my generation's rendezvous with destiny.

Every morning, I let my dog outside to roam around my backyard and use the restroom. I usually take that time to soak in the fresh air and enjoy the views I'm given. The trees that stand tall, the open lake with all kinds of critters, and more. Although I wouldn't consider myself a "nature person" my love for it is pure. This pure love of nature stems from our dates during quarantine. The overwhelming thoughts of sickness, the stuffiness, and the stress would simply overwhelm my days. A good word-search outside, or walks with my family seemed to be what I was missing from my quarantine routine. The tall trees always comforted me. The wide lake continued to glitter, and eased my worries. When man-made activities and beauties couldn't satisfy my eyes, nature knew the recipe to satisfy them. That is why I love it so much. I try to appreciate nature by preserving my love for it. Why try to uphold and protect an environment you give no care for? My love for nature might as well be fake. However, when I remind myself of the intricacies of nature, I remind myself to recycle. To reuse. To reduce. When I remind my family that they will not be the ones to see the harmful effects of nature, but I and their grandkids; they, too, recycle their empty cans. They're learning to appreciate nature as well. As you can see, when I keep my love for nature pure, I keep my environment pure. When I see how much nature's complexion alone did so much to heal me, I will do my part as well. We, as humans, would do whatever it takes to uphold our own beauty, why not do our best to uphold the beauty of the world?