Spelman College Hosts Freedom University for Dialogue on Interracial Solidarity
On the evening of November 12, with the nation's eyes focused on the steps of the Supreme Court, Freedom University students gathered in a packed college classroom at Spelman College to deliver a panel presentation in the Difficult Dialogues Series, titled "Interracial Solidarity in the New ICE Age."
With open hearts, Freedom University's undocumented Black and Latinx students shared their different stories of how they became undocumented, what it feels like to be both Black and undocumented in the Deep South, and their experiences fighting on the front lines of the undocumented student movement.
In a powerful, tear-filled dialogue that followed, Spelman College students and Freedom University students shared their personal stories of growth in the process of seeing themselves in one another. The students discussed anti-Blackness in the Latinx community, xenophobia in the African-American community, and their shared experiences of losing loved ones to incarceration or deportation.
In a beautiful gesture of friendship and solidarity, the Spelman students presented Freedom University with a gift: a painting of interlocking black and brown arms in a circle stating "Spelman Supports DACA" surrounded with personal messages of love and encouragement.
It was an unforgettable night, and one that was made possible by the hard work of students Asia and Autumn, and the collaboration of Dr. Laura Emiko Soltis and Dr. Fernando Esquivel-Suárez. Thank you, Spelman, for your warm welcome and for showing us what solidarity looks like. No matter what happens with DACA, we know that we will continue to fight together until all of us are free.
