This is dedicated to Shymala Gopalan Harris and all the mothers who pull down the universe so their children have something to reach towards.
“She saw what can be, unburdened by what is.” - Kamala Harris
It's time to reconnect to our deepest potential.
I created There is a Portal for the scared, sensitive child in me who felt incomplete and inadequate and didn’t quite learn how to dance in the light of her inheritance. The light of her people.
As I was thinking about what I could offer at this point in time, in our historical trajectory, for youth who feel hopeless, cornered, on the verge of giving up, it made sense to offer my story of transformation and making home as a portal to the multiplicity of stories that are out there.
It is almost 2021 and we desperately need models of teaching and learning that create transformative space where encountering ourselves and each other, creating meaningful relationships, is central to educational success. Many programs and institutions use language such as "student-centered" and “cultural competence” yet fall back on methods that re-inscribe assimilative values which uphold notions of us/them.
As we move into new cycles of possibility, with new images and visions of leadership, we need to make sure that the stories and voices at the grassroots are nourished.
This is something I wish I had growing up as an immigrant child.
SEE THE TRAILER HERE (best viewed on computer): https://there-is-a-portal-trailer.netlify.app/cover
Will you support There is a Portal and help me meet this moment?
There is a Portal is an immersive, culturally resonant digital performance piece and set of transformative tools that can reach thousands around the globe to catalyze new definitions of belonging and build networks of care.
(Want details? Go here.)
There are many ways to support:
Donate to the crowdfund
Do you know groups and people who I can share these tools with? I’d love an introduction.
Can you connect me to folks who can amplify the work? (anyone know Brene Brown, savvy marketing folks, social media advisors?)
Can you encourage FOUR other people to do one of the above?
There is a Portal offers tools to help young people bring out the multitudes they hold within and shape their identities with dignity and joy.
See trailer HERE (best viewed on a computer not phone)
And, as always, please reach out with any questions or ideas!
