By Kealani Smith and Jarrett Webster
We have been exposed to civil unrest, a transition to online schooling, and many more changes that have flipped the normalcy that we knew prior to this new world. With this in mind, we hoped to spotlight the marginalized voices in this edition of Imprint. Inspired by the collected works of Cherrie Moraga and Gloria Anzaldúa, the anthology, This Bridge Called My Back, we aim to mold our own drawbridge between communities in the way that these editors have done so successfully. The line that so notably inspired our theme this summer reads as,
“We each are our sisters’ and brothers’ keepers; no one is an island or has ever been… We are each responsible for what is happening down the street, south of the border or across the sea… it is the responsibility of some of us who tap the vast source of spiritual/political energy to help heal others, to put down a drawbridge…” (xxviii Anzaldua).
In the following issue, you will find stories of self-acceptance, UCF’s community outreach, and concepts of family. While we understand the narratives represented in this edition are not indicative of all marginalized communities, we hope the 20th edition of Imprint will be the first of many steps that go beyond the lip service of public university “diversity” claims. Let this be another imprint as to who we are as UCF students, including the identities and experiences that make the collective call for action and representation at large. As the community at UCF, we create this “drawbridge,” which can only be built if we lay its foundation upon acceptance and the acknowledgment of all identities. In publishing this series, there is a drawbridge drawn between professors and students, the LGBTQIA+ community, ethnic backgrounds, and disabled communities.
Throughout history, several groups have failed to overturn and outmaneuver the institutional flaws within governments, education systems, tyranny, and oppression. One sure reason was that these institutions were far too large and controlled. Any inkling of outside “thought” was immediately shut down. The institution of education and the academic pinnacle of universities may be among these outdated perspectives. It is from within that we can evoke and empower change. It is together that brings an inclusive future. No future was ever built without there first being a discussion about what NEEDS to change. Let’s build together, soon. First, let’s talk together. Enjoy Imprint magazine Issue 20.
Surely, there are many more to be built, and we are grateful to have a hand in the first of many bridges.
The Imprint Editors
