Voices are powerful. Within the words voiced, there is a lesson, an opportunity, a connection. The words of Asha Sudra, San Jose educator, poet, artist and activist embody the power of one single voice. As an advocate of radical change and a warrior for justice, Sudra seizes the opportunity to have her voice heard. She prides herself on taking up space and encourages her audience to do the same, especially those who have been written out of history or today’s dominant narrative. Originally from LA, Sudra learned from an early age that history books do not include the history of marginalized groups, including her ancestors. In a small excerpt of her 6th-grade history book, she discovered her family name, Sudra, was considered low-caste in India’s caste system. “My family story is so much more rich than that.” Due to British Imperialism, her ancestors were forced to leave West India to work on building the East African Railroad. Prior to her birth, Sudra’s mother and her family were then forced into English Refugee Camps, until at the age of 17 when she was sent to America. “Colonized, displaced, but still rooted in ancestral soil, she spoke, knowing others would have to stop speaking for her” Through her poetry, Sudra dispels the myth of a white-washed history. She explains, “writing poetry, I’m taking these things that have hurt or harmed us from the past and learning from them.” Sudra aims to ensure that not just her story is shared. “Often what I am trying to say is much bigger than me.” Her voice is a voice for all who have been forgotten or removed from the common understanding of our global, social world. In her classroom, Sudra is no less revolutionary. “I wanted to become an educator to legitimize the identities of my students. Enabling, specifically, my students of color to have space and access to learn about themselves, their family…” Her students are given the space for their words and the push to know that their words are just as powerful. Her commitment to a just educational system for all students is evident, through how she conducts her classes, respects the identity of each student, and prioritizes the needs of students within an educational system rooted in institutional racism. “and I’ve committed to seeing children for just that, children, to allow them to not lose themselves in play, to not grow up too fast, and to not trip over their own racing feet, and for those who have been running their whole lives, you’ve asked me to be a mandated reporter, to wear untrained hats, fitted with snugness of compassion, and I’ve searched for signs, for bruises and marks, I’ve looked and listened, though, not because you demanded, but because my student’s lives mean more to me, than a job description or antiquated amendment” Sudra makes no apologies for her authenticity and rawness. In her recent TedTalk, Sudra shares the challenges with identity she had in her youth. She describes herself as a chameleon who changed to fit the social group she was with. She explains how her journey to being comfortable in her own skin, can be represented in her struggle with her hair. Sudra beautifully depicts her inevitable defeat from her battle to control her baby hairs. A visual depiction of her unique identity that mimics her entire being; untamed baby hairs refusing to conform are symbolic of the strength she embodies in her words and her being. “instructed to be trained, taught to lie flat, taught to forget the past, ancestral stories long forgotten, like Peter Pan refusing to grow up, baby hairs remain in infancy, terrified of society’s products, designed to make its visibility, reduced to tired long days and excuses for being angry” The activism and fight for justice that Sudra brings to our community is powerful. Sudra’s voice naturally demands to be heard. Her voice is one of power and persistence. As Sudra herself said, “Artists in society have always been the ones that challenge societal norms.” Whether writing, speaking, teaching, creating, organizing or rallying, Asha Sudra brings her voice and insists that we all do the same. “Play your role,honoring and recognizing the role everyone else is capable of. It’s time to show up” “I’m calling on you to speak up. We have to. Find your story. Find your history” Sources: www.ashapoet.com https://www.kqed.org/arts/13838466/asha-san-jose-artist-educator-and-revolutionary-wants-you-to-speak-up https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKmNukrHmJtir89wqvAnA8Q #WomensActivismNYCAmbassador