America, The Beautiful In Spite of It All!

Spring 2015: Issue Two

Unit One: Saved By An Epiphany


METAMORPHOSIS by Meagan K. Belvin

Land of Mine by Jeremiah Rogers

Battlefield of Life: Redeemed from the Curse by Scott Huffman

Queer by Logan Kinamore

One Life Lived: Moving Past … My Past by Thomas Berkley

My Inner Struggle by Lawrence Lodriguss


Unit Two: Scarred, But Unscathed


Fifty States of Mind by Nigel Williams

It May Be a New Day, But It’s Still the Same Issues by Desirée James

Secrets Out by Mary Catherine Breland

Switching Social Lanes by Rontrell Gaines

The Start of My New Life: A New World … New Changes by Mario Barrera

Go Greek or Go Home by Nicole Chung


Unit Three: Treated Like A Stranger in One's Own House


The Pretenders by Desirée James

Black-Hearted by Jeremiah Rogers

I Can Only Be Me by Colemanic Cyrus

Being the Draw Four Wildcard by Christopher Pitts

Nothing’s Changed, but the Years by Latreka Emery

Moving On by Ambrea Wright

I Will Not Be Who You Want Me To Be by Kayla Thomas


Unit Four: Through the Eyes of My Family


We Are One by Terrell Alexander

Loc Love by Takara Abuwi

When Memory Speaks by Aaron Ellis

Perseverance through Adversity by Ashton Warner

Born to Lose, Built to Win by Orlando Matthews

The Power in You by Raven Thomas


Unit Five: Challenging the Politics of Gender


Being A Man in America by Michael Brigalia

The Woman Underneath the Mask by Melissa Smith

Behind Closed Eyes by Zachary Kilshaw

Womanhood, Today by Teresa Bruno

An Image I Don’t Want to Be by Antione Lacey

But, You’re a Girl by Alexis Sevario


Unit Six: The Chronicles of Faith


Faith by Antira Jackson

Off the Chosen Path: A Story of A Wanderlust from Religion by Karlie Gauthe

The Sheep versus The Wolves by Laketa Smit

First, Get To Know Me by Amanda Zaben


Unit Seven: An American Awakening


Embracing the Struggle by Antione Lacey

外国人: Foreigner by Gabriel Medina

Beyond the Sand by Norah Bin Khanfour

Double Vision by Jimmy Douglas

America, The Beautiful In Spite of It All!

Spring 2013: Issue One

Unit 1: Shifting Selves While Trying to Forge an Authentic Identity in Ever-Changing Social Environments


An Empty Basket by Benjamin Guitreau

One Morning by Joseph Triche


Unit 2: Conceptualizing an Authentic Identity Despite Being Stereotyped by Others


Take Me As I Am by Sierra Richardson

Tracing My Roots: A Life on a Distinct Pavement by Sebastian Stampley

Wrapped in Amber by Amber Shaffer

The Skin I’m In by Sharika Gaines

But, I was Only Ten by Kevin Guzman


Unit 3: Reflecting Over the Role of Life Experiences in Challenging Racial Constructs


I Am Beautiful by Janice Mitchell

Being Confident in Who I Am by Shandrolette Burrell-Walker

Embracing My Ethnicity by Beatrix Fabre


Unit 4: Facing Conflicts with Family in Formulating an Authentic Self


My Path by John Reno

The Other...Lion King...of Valley Ranch by Ronnie Reese


Unit 5: Celebrating Familial Heritage and One's Ties to Generational Traditions


True Acadian: My Cultural Awakening by Lonnie Parra

Food for Thought by Nick Martin

The Circulatory System of My Ethnicity by Jessica Parrish


Unit 6: Discovering a Sense of Self, Family, & Community After Experiencing Tragedy


A Tale of Two Families by Morgan Bueche

A Lesson Taught by Katrina by Stanley Porche


Unit 7: Embracing Global Cultural Differences with the Familiarity of American Life and Culture


Waste Not, Want Not: The True Croatian Lifestyle by Matthew Tesvich

Born in America: But, Jamaican by Blood by Floyd Johns Jr.

A Southern Gentleman by Russell Landry

~Poetry Selections~

"Apple Pie" by Antira Jackson

"One Nation" by Terrell Alexander

"The main thing is the YOU beneath the clothes and skin...the ability to do, the will to conguer, the determination to understand and know this great, wonderful, curious world."

~W.E.B. Du Bois