Look at the Valedictorian
by be.
This is such a great speech. It’s inspiring to see someone speak out about their immediate surroundings, ignoring discomfort and conforming to expectation for the sake of agitating thought amongst her peers and more importantly, those who mold the education system.
This video was sent to me by my homey Tai in response to this morning’s tweet.
- Bryan 'be.' Espiritu
great, great video. i’ve had many discussions about this- with my peers, professors and mostly with myself. i never thought of myself as an “academic”, but as i’m about to throw myself back into the education system, i’m faced with this “paper-chase” yet again. and it definitely isn’t lost on me. one thing i will say is that, whichever classroom i find myself in, whichever institution squeezes my pockets for the next chapter of my life, i will not waste the opportunity to make people uncomfortable and to complicate discussions around privilege and power. and where we fit into this mold.
there was a point last year when i was really struggling to decide whether i should throw myself back into this system. i had just completed a program with a faculty that actually demanded that we ask tough questions, challenge the same institution that we were about to graduate from, and hold both them and ourselves accountable for maintaining a system of privilege.
long story short, i may be selling my soul to the devil again…. but my excitement lies in challenging myself to impact the way other students, professors and bigger-ups see themselves in their environment and to bring a different sense of critical self-awareness into an establishment that is firmly opposed and resistant to change. wishful thinking? maybe…. but i’m not trying to break down walls, just make people really think about the process we are putting ourselves through and what that means for our future and the people making money off our paper-chase. this fucked up education system and institution of “higher-learning” will continue whether it’s challenged from the inside or out. hopefully, from the inside, i can find a few pillars to shake.
Wow. Maybe not ALL of the youth are doomed. There is still Hope!