Thank you for your time and consideration throughout this open dress rehearsal process of the project notes from a native daughter. It carries on and slowly growing at the right pace and evolving as I do with it. This was a self-imposed exercise that gave me industry at a time when I needed to strive for a purpose. I was a broken lady then, a year and a half ago. And it worked, and the work, the time, the listening, the writing, the research, the people and their stories have made me a better woman and a better person. 

Today, at year end and eighty-something weeks and episodes later I can sincerely say that NFAND is a "must do" for me, every week, from the bottom of my heart. It's raw and one-on-one, and it is that intimacy that I stand by. And, I stand by all these talks. These people are thoroughbred people. Noble. Tall order. Our stories. 

In gratitude:

Adriana Teresa Letorney

Alex Rodríguez

Alfonso Díaz

Angel Manuel Soto

Aris Mejias

Arnaldo J. López

Bill Aguado

Bobby Sanabria

Bronislaw Czarnocha

Carlos Gutiérrez

Charlie Vázquez

Claudia Norman

Daniel Maldonado

Danny Rivera

Fernando Guzzoni

Fran’ Ferrer

George Emilio Sánchez

Honorable Congressman José Serrano

Honorable Fernando Ferrer

Howard Jordan

Jane Gabriels

Javier Gómez

Jorge Merced

José Morales

Joseph and Gloria La Morte

Judy Mam

Julia Solomonoff

Kim Sanabria

Lew Levine

Liz Guerra and Hector Gerardo* 

Luis Fernando Coss

Malín Falú

Manny Vega

Maria Nieto

Maria Torres

Marlena Fitzpatrick

Melissa Rendler-García

Native Nations March

Paola Mendoza

Pete “Bariman” Miranda

Rhina Valentín

Rokia Diabi

Rosalba Rolón

Rosary Solimanto

Rosie Berrido

Sarah Sandman

Tere Martínez

Veronica Sánchis Bencomo

Wallace “Waly” Edgecombe

Willie Perdomo

Yaraní Del Valle

End of Year repost of Episode 37 #ADayWithoutAWoman. 

Blessings and providence for 2018.

I look forward to January 20, 2018. I'll be marching with BrickXBrick. Sign up. 

Thank you again. 

Be safe. Be good to you. And stand against Neo-Facisim.

Sol

NFAND

* Correction: Last week, in the share for Episode 84, Liz Guerra was erroneously presented as Liz Torres for 1Freedom. Since corrected on the platform.

If the legendary Puerto Rican educator, writer, and patriot Don Eugenio María de Hostos were alive today, I wonder what he’d think of the community college in the South Bronx named after him, that no one thought would make it. Alas.

Just this past Thursday, Eugenio María de Hostos Community College launched its 50th Anniversary Season.

I can't help but believe that Don Eugenio would be proud of what one of the most marginalized and disenfranchised communities to have ever been in United States history did for themselves.

The story of Hostos is deserving of a lot more attention than it has ever received. It truly is an amazing story. A story about the Bronx, New York City and a reveal of margnalized communities. My relationship with the College is long and now very profound. Life changing really. And I’ll share that story as the year unfolds.

But for part one, for the past 8 months, I’ve been coordinating, conducting, and editing an oral history project for and about Hostos Community College - Hostos50. To date, I have interviewed well over 100 people and counting for a grand goal of 200. From former College Presidents Cándido de León and Flora Mancuso Edwards, to Congressman José E. Serrano, and former Bronx Borough Presidents Fernando Ferrer and Adolfo Carrión, to young students with a promising future like Rokia Diabi.

Once a month, for the next year, I’ll share some of these testimonies if you will. The testimonies are moving, sincere, revealing, courageous, some devastating, others empowering, and the story of triumph over adversity. And more relevant than ever.

Which brings me to Tere Martínez. I wanted to start with her because I love her because she has been nothing but noble to me and because her purpose is beautiful and her testimony open and to the point.

Like the song says, I must have done something good, for the grace of God gave me the opportunity to work on this project when we have, arguably, the most despicable crew of racists, sexists, homophobic, fear mongering, science deniers, xenophobes and troglodytes leading the world order.

The point indeed is that the voices emerging from this Hostos Community College oral collective as I’ve heard it first hand, confirm to me yet again that the leaders have it all wrong.

Ignorance judges the so-called “moochers” for being good for nothings. The truth is you find moochers and good for nothings at every level and anywhere you go, is not an exclusive club of poor people of communities of color.

The bottom line is that the power of education is real and access is imperative.