Earlier this month I was selected as one of fifteen students to participate in a workshop facilitated by Harlem Stage, an organization dedicated to telling untold stories. This workshop was entitled
Freedom Riders Writing Master Class, and we were asked to come to the session having written a 1000 page essay responding to the prompt: "Imagine America being built from the ground up, where equity and justice are at its core. As one of its founding voices, what promises would you make to its people? Describe what you would see, feel, and experience in this reimagined nation.” All of us came to the workshop with different styles of writing, as the prompt allowed us to be free with our creativity. I wrote mine in the style of literary fiction, creating characters and providing descriptive imagery so that the audience could fully visualize the America I was creating. During this workshop, we also talked about the power of language and writing, and how much we can do with the words we put down on paper. This workshop was extremely inspiring, and reminded me a lot of the power I felt after completing ADW, as I was armed with the knowledge of where I came from and how strong and resilient my ancestors were. I am very grateful I got to participate in this exclusive workshop, share my writing, and learn from my peers and our workshop facilitator!
Kendall Johnson
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