Learning with Others

By: Chris Griffith

This week I’ve had the pleasure to be onboarded and begin my internship at the Anti-Racist Commitment Coalition. I’ve had the opportunity to meet with great people, like President and Founder Donzel Leggett, who has grown the organization to what it is today. As part of the Summer cohort of interns, we have the special opportunity to enroll in ARCC’s anti-racism education course.

The course is broken up into several short sessions once a week throughout the Summer. There interns and other participants discuss the detailed history and intricacy of racism and anti-racism in the modern day. In our first session, we met the wonderful instructors who took time out of their lives to educate us and talked about our backgrounds and identities. In that first short session, I quickly bonded with my fellow learners. 

Each time someone spoke of their life and connection to the discussed topics, I could see part of myself in them. For example, as someone who was raised in a multi-ethnic household I’ve struggled with how my identity and how I present myself do not align with most who meet me, so many others were able to relate to that feeling. While we all have different backgrounds, live in different cities and countries, and live different lives, we are so bonded by our struggles and passion. That session demonstrated how ARCC brought together a group of dedicated, kind, and diverse youth to grow this organization’s membership and capabilities in a way that brings infinite hope.  

I am beyond eager to see what this summer has to offer both me and ARCC. My hope for this summer is this crew of interns and passionate staff makes this organization something bigger than any of us could imagine.