Race. Class. Zip code. Gender. Education. Abilities.
I say yes.
I am black.
I am light-skinned.
I’m certainly not rich, but being an American, I have no real experience in what is known as poor.
I am a man.
Educated.
Christian.
I plead no.
Above all else: I am blessed.
Our identities are so much more than words recorded by pen.
We are friends. We are family. We are acquaintances, strangers, teachers, and students.
My students, and those who I serve are uniquely and beautifully made.
Their potential may be hidden, but it is certainly real.
And their potential is my potential.
It is faceless and featureless, but it is gorgeous.
Let me not live and act b the features or traits of my eyes.
Allow me to live in what brings true, pure, joy to my soul.
Let me live in the call to unleash the forceful and beautiful potential within myself.
The same potential within my students.
This is not just “one day,”
It is not about the gospel of TFA,
This is the good news.
This is who we are,
This is who we have been,
This is who we are becoming.
I rejoice, knowing my students are good.
Black. White. Hispanic. Asian.
Rich. Poor.
The noise of identity markers pollutes the air, but I beg for the reality.
They are good.
They are enough and so am I,
Together, we become a community,
With the Almighty we are unstoppable.
Let our reality overcome our ideality.
Let the heart of my reality beat potential.
Let my heart beat for students.
Let my heart beat for justice.
Let my heart beat.
Will yours?
Like The Bird 