That typography though.

Yes, the movies were quite horrid, but the books were amazing and Theo James looks amazing... all the time.

Detroit is a city of innovative pioneers, booming creativity, and plenty of funky personalities. I decided early on as a child that I wanted to be among them. But first, I decided what I did not want to be and that was the stereotype of what many others think of when they see a teenager from Detroit. I did not want to be seen as uneducated, uncultured and poor. I knew that I wanted to do more, to become more. When I was younger I aspired to be an attorney, a singer, a writer or some sort of designer. By the time I was thirteen, I had taken courses in fashion design at the College for Creative Studies, community art programs and summer jobs with Community Arts Partnership, and ceramic classes at Pewabic Pottery. I was doing all of this because I knew that I wanted to achieve more than what was expected of me.            

In 2011, I took a three week credited course in Graphic Design at the College for Creative Studies. For my final project I was asked to choose a phrase and give it an emotion that could be viewed in the form of posters and postcards. The phrase I chose was “break away”; I chose it as a reflection of my childhood and who I ultimately want to be. I challenged my instructor and myself when I created my own adaptation of the assignment. Prior to this experience I did not have a clear idea of what I wanted to be, I did not know how or that I could break away to define, redefine and create new beliefs for myself. During the course it became clear to me that my instructor was encouraging me to develop an interest in graphic design, maybe even that I become a graphic designer. 

However, graphic design is not my passion. I came to realize that what others think or want for me, even if something positive, like being a graphic designer, does not mean that it is what I should want for myself. I realized that sometimes the “right answer” is not what is “right” for me. There was this doubt within me, doubt of my value, my city, and whether my final project would be good enough. The day before my final critique I took a risk and recreated my entire project from scratch. While everyone else sat around the bonfire roasting marshmallows I stayed in the twenty-four hour lab fumbling with Photoshop, a program I barely knew how to use. When I went to pin my final design on the board the class went silent, but they nodded in agreement and acceptance as I defined what it meant to me and why I chose the phrase “break away.” Choosing to push against what has been expected of me as a student from Detroit has not been easy. It also was not easy to do something different from what my graphic design instructor wanted for me. But I would make the same decisions a dozen times over. I learned that when creating a piece it is important that it represents me and what I want to stand for entirely. I want to be successful, honest, and influential, and I can break away to define and redefine what I want to be.

Yes, it's Friday the thirteenth. There's not much to this post, but Happy 18th Birthday to me!

This is one of my Gates Millennium Essay entries.

The most significant challenge that society faces today is the acceptance of people, cultures and places. Society needs to look past our preconceived notions and embrace cultural differences as a learning experience. Personally, I have experienced discrimination from being a woman and a young person.

I have become familiar with the stereotypes that come with being a woman, particularly being a black woman. I have noticed that when I am with my male friends I am often overshadowed by their dominance and the overall fact that they are men. These experiences have influenced me to become more assertive and outspoken. However, I have also learned that there is a thin line for women in relation to being assertive and being bossy.

 As a black woman when I am confident and assertive there are constant stereotypical comments that compare a black woman’s femininity to being masculine in a negative way. As a woman, I want to be taken seriously. Therefore, I had to step up and not be overshadowed by men, who work with me competitively. I am no longer afraid of being seen as bossy, I go for what I want.

I have experienced being discriminated against because of my age. In 2011, I had an opportunity to attend a screening for the film, “Race to Nowhere”. The film talks about the education system; focusing on the idea that high schools are pushing student to learn recall skills and not how to evaluate, analyze and synthesize.

After viewing the film I noticed a lot of similarities with my school. I shared the film with friends and I eventually ended up presenting the concept to the principal at the time. She heard us out, but it was obvious from the beginning of the meeting that her mind was made up and because of our age we were not taken seriously. I did not know then that this was an instance of Adultism. Adultism is the unjust treatment of someone due to experience or age.

Prior to these experiences, I had not been in a lot of situations where I felt treated unfairly. While my principal was not receptive, I spoke to others about the film and my experience with the principal. This sparked more opportunities, one in which I was able to travel and speak on a panel about the film and my presentation with the principal. I was able to inspire and educate other about adultism.

I did not let these experiences hinder me. Instead, I used these experiences as opportunities to better myself. All of these encounters with discrimination have shaped me into the woman I am now.

Dreaming In the Clouds

By: Bailey Morgan

I am innovation, I am spontaneous
I wonder what will happen as my future unfolds
I hear snow prance with gentle footsteps across my bedroom floor
I see buildings and remnants of what once were…
I want love and a reason to believe
I am innovation, I am spontaneous.

I pretend to happy and a proud
I feel snow prance gently across my bedroom floor.
I touch clouds full of dreams
I worry that someday I will no longer dream
I cry when I look at my reflections and no longer see… me.
I am innovation, I am spontaneous.

I understand what it means to live.
I say “Pure is Impure, and Impure is Pure”
I dream about distant planets
I try to imagine the worlds I see in the clouds full of dreams
I hope to visit a place where beauty runs free
I am innovation, I am spontaneous.

“For some of us books are important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that of these small, flat, rigid square of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are, and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean, they show us how to live and die” says Anne Lamott in Bird by Bird. Before I read the Divergent series I would’ve probably picked a simpler quote, one that was a bit more universal. I’d pick a quote explaining how important it is to read, or how reading is life. However the Divergent series taught me balance and understanding, my identity as a reader has changed my view on life and how the world functions.

            While reading the Divergent series I noticed a constant motif of a “lack of balance”. Many of the main characters throughout the series identify with one or two of the factions, the use the faction identity to determine who they are and what choices the will make for the rest of their lives. There is a constant backstory of Tris and her feeling misplaced in Abnegation sector with all the conflicting emotions and identities in Tris, guided by the fact that she is a “divergent”, she is often confused with finding balance within her world and herself. In a post-apocalyptic Chicago, their society struggles with balance and acceptance of one another.   

            The Divergent Series Checks and Balances changed my perspective of balance within oneself. Reading the text proved how balance is essential to human development, and without checks and balancing there would be chaos. The text also changed my perspective of myself as a reader. The text taught me to define myself in many ways, much like a Divergent. I thought I was always more of a nonfiction reader but Veronica Roth takes me to post-apocalyptic Chicago inside and out. Anne Lamott said “For some of us, books are important as almost anything on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us to understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to love and die”. I know this to be true. Reading about Tris’ adventures and how the factions struggle with balance of power helped me understand my struggles of balance and identity.