I wonder how I acted before I became aware of my privileges. Before I became aware that one simple word, no matter the tone or intention, can bring a world of pain for another. Before I became aware that a simple misunderstanding can put a wedge between groups of people that need each other. Before I became aware that knowing our history is not just for the past, but it is essential for our present and imperative for our future.

I wonder how I felt about the world before my eyes were opened to the oppression, gaps and prejudice my neighbors experience. I wonder how I felt about the world before I was brought into a web where right and wrong are no longer defined, where grey is the most common colour and where compromise is fought for while at the same time feared. How do we create peace when the world all wants to control a different part of it, and how do we create unity when everyone has a different definition of what unity looks like. How do we create partnerships between communities when open wounds still remain untreated. How do we take care of a changing world, when in the change people are forgotten and left behind.

All in all, will I ever experience the resolve of tension in a world crying to be understood?

Photography By: Callie Allen