“I want you to know you are loved, welcomed, and exactly where you’re supposed to be.”
At a time where immigrants’ right to remain with their families are constantly under attack, it’s worth celebrating the moments that show us that we are not alone, and that people in our communities are here for each other. Sharing communal space enables us to connect, reflect, and contribute to shaping a better future together. One such moment took place on September 21, at the WTF Is Happening Community Event at which Maryam Sy, our Organizing Director, represented the Ohio Immigrant Alliance. (In this instance, WTF stood for Wellness, Transformation, Freedom.)
It was a space focused on art, healing, and action, featuring live music, hands-on art, wellness offerings, and opportunities to connect with other organizations doing meaningful work. Maryam was warmly welcomed by the community, and also got reaffirming messages that Ohioans indeed want immigrants to feel at home.
She said it was extremely heartwarming that person after person asked, “how can I help immigrants?” Maryam bonded with students from Kent State University, who use theater and improv to educate people and share messages of love and tolerance; practitioners of Reiki, Yoga, and sound baths; as well as many others who attended the event.
Maryam said that some of the most powerful moments came when she asked people to write postcards to their immigrant neighbors. View a gallery of photos from the event below, and read more after the jump.
Maryam’s nine-year-old daughter helped welcome participants by talking about OIA’s work, and asking whether they wanted to hear a poem in Fulani, a new experience for all of them. The poem is “My Dark Journey” by Souleye Ball, and it is about the dangerous journey people from Africa are often forced to take to find freedom in the United States. As the poem explains, they are not only seeking safety, but also hoping to be able to take care of their families and make them proud — something any of us can relate to. U.S. immigration policies do not allow most Africans to come to the U.S. with visas in hand, unless they have advanced degrees. Once here, they are forced to try their luck with a U.S. asylum system that was designed only to offer the illusion of justice, but not actually protect most people fleeing harm.
Maryam said that the beauty of the WTF community event was that it lived up to its name; she felt that it was a healing space for all the messages people wrote in favor of immigrants, helped us imagine what’s possible to transform for our communities, and pushed us to work towards what Freedom could look like.
It was also nice to get people to pose with our slogan, “Ohio is Home for All.”
As we continue to navigate uncertain times, we need to celebrate these moments that let us be in community with people who care about the safety of immigrants and our collective future as a compassionate country. We need to not only attend events like, WTF Is Happening and other creative and affirming spaces, but continue organizing them to make moments like these possible.
Now’s the time to continue on this right path for all of our communities — because together, we are powerful. And Ohio is our home.
