Tags: Boricua, Puerto Rico, el general, Panama, reggaeton

An excerpt of Maya Adenihun 's storytelling project is below. Experience the work in its entirety via the social network platform, Are.na. https://www.are.na/share/axtLkIC The platform allowed Maya the opportunity to present daily observations and journal entries as one collection that show a year in the life of a college student. Excerpt 1: I Never Thought about Them before, September 23 A lot of my suite mates and girls I talk to talk about boys. I realized that I don’t think about them that much (unless it’s about compulsive heterosexuality). Like they talk about how there are no cute guys and about guys they think are hot a lot. And when I think about conversations I’ve had before, I never talk about boys. I never realized how prevalent physical attraction is for people. It reminds me of how my best friend in high school said she could see how I am lesbian because I never talk about boys I think are cute. Excerpt 2: Small Earths, October 5 Excerpt 3: December 21, Alternate Universe (A Dream I Had) I’ve been having this reoccurring “middling experience” where I feel like I’m in an alternate universe. Usually I don’t remember them, but this time I did a little bit. I was awake, fully, but then I heard a low blaring siren like *BLAAUUWWWHHHH. Then i sink into my bed. That’s always how they start. Then the world spins in the swirls that I draw (think Vincent Van Gogh Starry Night). And I felt the presence of angels and demons in my room. It didn’t feel like a dream at all. I was awake and conscious, but the reality of the world around me was breaking. These experiences have happened several times, but they could just be weird middlings between reality and dreams.

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Meet Mia Prince Mia Prince is a student at the University of Kentucky majoring in Sports Communications with a double minor in Journalism and Fashion Merchandising, Mia hopes to aid in the diversification of male dominated fields through her efforts in becoming the representation for young Afro-Latina women. Mia hopes to one day launch a nonprofit to support and mentor those within her own community who are hoping to enter fields lacking Black and Hispanic role models. Experience Mia Prince's work My purpose and motivation in completing this project was to bring myself to my most vulnerable and uncomfortable and pinpoint the message I would like to convey to the world in having the opportunity to do so. Through doing this, I uncovered a story I didn't even realize I remembered and feelings and emotions I did not even realize I held onto so strongly. I believe the hardest part of this project was determining the exact memory I wanted to focus on. As I started to brainstorm, I began to have an overwhelming amount of ideas and struggled to determine which I would like to be the focal point of my project. I believe the easiest part of this project was, once I got in the rhythm of what I wanted to focus on the words, thoughts and feelings came easily!

Tags: Black women, History, explorer, trans, artist, twins

Not seeing oneself or one’s community represented in narratives can make you feel like you don't belong. It can also give an inaccurate representation of history and reality. We are here to help you learn the art and craft of storytelling so you can tell whatever story you want to tell and bring your voice to life. We look forward to experiencing your amazing stories! Dr. Elizabeth Santiago Victoria Alicea DelValle Founder Dr. Elizabeth Santiago found The Untold Narratives to elevate underrepresented and under-heard voices. She is a fiction writer, learning designer and writing teacher living in Boston. Her debut novel, The Moonlit Vine is available in English and Spanish (Claro de luna ) and tells the little known narrative of the Taíno people, the native people of Puerto Rico, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba and Jamaica who are still here and a huge part of Caribbean culture and history. Website & Graphic Designer A visual artist and graphic designer, Tori is a recent graduate of New York Universit y's Tisch School of the Arts. She leads the branding and design for The Untold Narratives . Storytelling Coach Dr. Rachel Jessica Daniel is an Afro-Caribbean American writer, educator, and speaker. She founded Remix the Canon to amplify the liberation narratives of Black people and other people of the global majority. Rachel was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and now lives in Boston, Massachusetts. She leads our fellowship initiatives. Dr. Rachel Jessica Daniel Join our Mailing List!

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I am the Lamb By Verónica Zambrano Esquiuel I am the lamb I can see the trap You are the lion Just looking who is the next on your map I can see your lies I know your intention You only want to hunt And I never have your attention You just like copper When you can have gold I don't know what you are thinking But now my love is old I'm looking around Seeing you disappear in the shade Feeling my soul shine Forgetting the promises you made I'm going to stop waiting for you I have give you lots of hints I have lost my mind But now my body is not marked by your fingerprints

Photo borrowed from: Puerto Rican Day Trips The following poem written by Cristina A. Perez is an excerpt from a longer work. Read a sample of the collection now. The trees bear witness In Puerto Rico, there are so many trees on this tropical island of mine Trees that have remained for hundreds, maybe even thousands of years You can tell it’s been such a long time just by looking at them They are so large and thick– they almost look overgrown These trees must have been here for over 500 years at least These trees must have witnessed all the history of Puerto Rico Beyond the 500 years I try to research Because that’s as far as the written word can tell me anything beyond theory I imagine the trees bear witness to the true history of Borikén These trees remained after the first European invaders came The trees were there to witness the invaders genocide of Borikén’s people Through disease, battles, slavery, abuse, and more. The trees witnessed that some of the Borikén’s people remained like the trees themselves While others jumped into the ocean to avoid the inevitable The trees saw that too The trees bore witness when Borikén officially became Puerto Rico The trees heard when Borikén was renamed after it’s use, a rich port, to these invaders who began to live on this land The trees saw Borikén’s people number dwindle drastically and continuously The trees witnessed another group of people come with the invaders But most of these new people came in chains The trees saw the new people treated similar to the people of Borikén The trees became so horrified with all that happened in less than 100 years They could not look anymore They refused to look But they kept hearing everything– The invaders language become the language of the land The sound of bullets and bombs The anguish of the people who came in chains and Borikén’s people that remained The trees heard battles and revolts The trees heard pleas of freedom and mercy from the earth from gods from God The trees heard too much The trees begged God to no long bear witness The trees begged God to let them be cut down To burn in the breeze, or be thrown into the sea The trees could bear witness no longer God heard the trees Some he granted a hurricane to take them into the sea Some were pulled by their roots out of the earth While other trees pleas, God refused to grant He told the trees it was there job to bear witness To be a testament of history But more than the cruelty and evil of man, The trees were to be testaments of God To demonstrate growth, despite tragedy, Demonstrating strength and durability to remain and not bend to the evil of man To demonstrate hope and life that freedom can be found beyond what the world could ever offer The trees are testaments of God’s creation and his love For even the trees that bear witness can remain and endure How much more will God be near to us to remain and endure? How much deliverance and freedom is offered with the promise of Heaven? If the trees continue to bear witness to both good and evil, cannot we be relieved that our time to bear witness ends sooner than the trees? The trees remain to bear witness as they are some of the only things that can remain for over 500 years in this world Now, all the trees clap their hands rejoicing to their creator God for only the goodness of the land and the death of evil men The trees bear witness and clap their hands

Tags: Parenting, police, police relations, Black families, white families