A Single Note
What’s up APC? My name is Ritika, and I am an incoming freshman at Duke University. I’m trained in classical Italian opera, but I sing pretty much anything and everything! Singing is a lot of things to me—an outlet, a hobby, a voice for change—and it’s one of the few things in life I know I’ll never be able to give up. Music has given me a place in the world to share who I am and being able to express myself in a way that is completely unique to me. I love singing because it gives me a way to connect with people, whether it be fellow musicians, theater…
Crush
Hey APC, my name is Tyra Hughes and I am a sophomore at West Orange High School. From a young age, I was surrounded by a heteronormative idea of love. In the movies I watched, to the books I read and even the relationships that my family members had, I had only ever seen love as being between a man and a woman. That lack of LGBT representation made it incredibly hard for me to understand and accept my sexuality as a sophomore in high school. Our society has always set straight as the default sexuality of the human race, and so when I first began to question my own…
“Different”
Hey everyone, my name is Jannat Chaudry and I’m a staff writer for APC. This piece I have written is an exploration of what it’s like to be different Be different; Be unique; Be yourself. These are quotes that girls all around the world grow up hearing and they start believing are true. That is, until a girl actually steps into her difference and actively lives a life where she embraces all the aspects of herself. Then, difference becomes dangerous. Honestly, it’s not all glitz and glamour being different. It’s hard and exhausting. Anybody who is different in any sort of way may understand this feeling; the feeling of standing…
To Be a “Lady”
Hello, it’s staff writer Isa Dominguez here! I’m so excited to share the following narrative that I wrote called To Be a Lady, which explores the role of gender norms in American society and how they impact a female’s relationship with the word “no”. Enjoy! She waved at him, rushing into the garage, thank God that ten-minute workout’s done – “Wait!” His eyes—there was always something strange in them—burned into her. “Can’t we go into your pool?” Immediately, her gut tensed, her mind whispered, No, no, NO, don’t you dare let him in, not without anyone home. We can come up with som- “Sure,” she sighed. At a young age,…
Princeton Prize in Race Relations Certificate of Achievement
Hi APC, it’s Tyler Newman. Tuesday evening I had the amazing opportunity to accept a Certificate of Achievement from the Princeton Prize in Race Relations for my work in diversity and equity. Among the several projects of which I was being recognized for, was Afro Puff Chronicles. I wanted to take the time to thank all of you in the APC community for being active supporters of this space. Being involved with Afro Puff Chronicles has changed my life in multiple ways, from making me more confident and purposeful with my life, to become more educated about the diverse lives and experiences of other young women in the world. I…
A Song for You
Hi, I’m Ume/Sheizaf! I’m half Chinese, half Moroccan Israeli and I’ve lived in Japan my whole life. I’m a singer-songwriter! I’ve always had identity and self-acceptance issues and music has always been there for me, helping me forget about my problems, giving me confidence. Because of music, I learned to love myself. I want my music to help and inspire other women, let them know they’re not alone, and to help them learn to love themselves. I’m releasing my first album in July. I’m super excited about it and I hope you all will love it too! Stay tuned by following my Instagram @sheizaf.ume.
One Lap at a Time
Hello APC! My name is Kouri Peace and I am an incoming freshman at the University of Florida. I have been doing track ever since I was seven years old. I have always been pretty fast and I find it thrilling to compete against other fast girls. The very first year I ran in a race, I made it to the Junior Olympics! After that day, I knew that running could end up changing my life if I continued to work hard at improving my times. At my high school, I was the only black girl on the track team. It made me feel so special when I would win…
A Well Penned and Equally Well Deserved Letter to my Genius, Idiot, Self
This is staff writer Emily Diaz here, back with a letter to all those men and women out there who doubt themselves, myself included! Hello. I am something of an intellectual. Well, I’d like to think. You see I’ve read Macbeth and I’ve taken AP Literature and AP US History and well, I work damn hard in my academics. I work so hard sometimes I forget. Sometimes I forget that on top of being someone who is considered by some (here’s me hoping) to know quite a few things and have good insights and yada yada yada… I am profoundly lost in life. When I say lost, I mean that…
My Own Beat
My name is Janele Forbes and I am a drummer and dancer! I used to be very self-conscious and insecure. Before the drums and dance entered my life, I was struggling through my own obstacles related to mental illness. I would have never imagined myself doing things like a drum solo in front of a mosh pit, or shaking my hips in a coconut bra. Being a drummer demands that attention from a crowd, and even more so when you’re a small Asian girl among a lineup of male bands. You get judged more. You get the weird looks, and the mansplaining. Not only did playing this instrument force me…
What is Justice?
Hi! My name is Ava Burroughs and I am a 6th grader at Kent Place School. Below is a story I have written about how I started to get involved in activism and question what justice means to me! “Daddy, what is that? Why do you look so proud? Why is that lady crying? Why do they have their fists in the air?” Asked a little-mixed girl with hair like spun sugar while tugging at a picture of her grandfather. The picture depicted a civil rights march. A march to make it so there could be such a thing as a little-mixed girl and her mixed father. “Daddy answer me…
Rewrite the Narrative
My name is Jessica Valadez Fraire and I am a queer indigenous creative who seeks to find “meaning in the ordinary”. I do not see an accurate portrayal of brown and black people in mainstream media. As an indigenous woman, I seek to create media that captures the complex identities of other marginalized people. Photography has been that medium for me. When I take photos of fellow brown and black individuals, specifically youth, I am rewriting the narrative set out for us. I want to show vulnerability and strength and happiness in our communities. It’s time to write out own stories.
Street Hero
Hello, I’m Yen Tran and I am a UC San Diego freshman from Vietnam. I have always had a knack for art, whether that’s digital or visual creation. I’ve lived in Vietnam my entire life and I get inspiration for my art from my friends, my family and the society around me. I’ve always been intrigued by the roles that women play in the society. In different cultures, the roles of a woman are perceived differently, both positively and negatively. The pressure placed on women by society is a factor that shapes them; either making them stronger or making them follow a certain beauty “ideal”. How do they transform, by…
