An introduction

~Assata Shakur:A revolutionary woman; my hero~

What is the beautiful struggle you ask? The beautiful struggle represents and characterizes my experiences as a college student, poet, and my development as a radical activist. As a first year student in a predominately white institution, I'm experiencing first hand all the joys and challenges of what many claim are "The best time of your life". Even though I've barely completed my first semester, I've had many moments of despair, a few failures(two math exams to be exact) and poor decisions as a result of the party scene(another post for another day..). I can now say I've dipped my toes into college life and as I delve deeper into the water, I'm looking to fuel my passion for social justice. Growing up in West and Southwest Philly, as a youth I saw up close the varied facets of black urban life, from the struggle on the block, the rundown public schools, to the everyday beauty and vast potential of my people for greatness. When violence and poverty happen to be the strongest forces in your community, one can either choose to succumb to the negative environment or they can resist, which is what I've been committed to doing since my eyes were opened to the larger systemic oppressive forces that function to keep the black community uneducated, unemployed and mentally enslaved. There is an invisible war going on. Different from the blatant racism my grandparents faced in the 60's, this sneaky system lurks in the budget cuts and mass closings of public schools, the poor quality of food existing within our communities, the increase in funding for prisons, the epidemic of lives lost due to gun violence, the execution and brutality of blacks by the hands of police,  and countless other instances of systemic oppression that are being used on communities of color. Yet where is the public outrage? Where are the protests? Where is the movement? I'm yearning to build and learn from those who are active in the struggle and share the knowledge I gain along my path. I invite you to follow my journey and join the movement. ~Peace,Love and Liberation