When discussing the matter of undocumented workers and students living in the United States most people are uncomfortable and refrain from speaking on such a sensitive topic. However, it is this very fear that prevents us from furthering our relationships with people of color and different ethnic groups. There is now a need, more than ever, to break these boundaries and establish a sense of understanding. To develop empathy for people that are posed with challenges that originate from a political system built on oppression. On Tuesday, November 15, 2016, the “Undocumented Immigration Rights Movement & Black Lives Matter Forum” was held on the second-floor living room of the Marcus White building, hosted by president of C.H.A.N.G.E (Carrying Humanity As New Generations Emerge), Edna Maldonado. The forum was a group effort made possible by active clubs on campus, such as: LALOC, LASO, United Action Connecticut, Youth for Socialist Action, Black Student Union. CHANGE, and Lambda theta phi. On the panel, there were the following respected individuals: Jose Diaz, Kaylah Gore, Professor Johnny Williams at Trinity college, and Professor Antonio Garcia-Lozada at CCSU. Through discussion, the forum was intended for peers on campus to share their personal experiences with prejudice, raise awareness, and educate others that are ignorant of the issues within the Hispanic and Black communities.

At the beginning of the forum, Edna introduced the members of the panel and the rules of etiquette during open discussion. To ensure the discussion and question session maintained proper decorum, Edna proposed the “OOPS” and “OUCH” terms which were stated by others who felt the conversation was taking an insensitive or racially triggering turn. The type of environment the forum maintained would be considered a safe space, which called for consistent encouragement and comfortability. During the questioning seminar with the panel members, each member held a respectful and positive attitude towards one another’s different interpretations. Even when opinions differed, they maintained their composure and geared the discussion in a positive direction. A popular question that had gotten the most controversy among the panel members would be the following question, “ How can shared experiences unite the Black Lives Matter Movement and the Immigration Rights Movement communities?” The question itself is very broad and could have been easily misinterpreted, considering each individual's experiences are different. Yet, the panel members took to discussing the positive implications of each individual's different experiences and how engagement could further mobilize the two communities to unite. For example, when Professor Williams was asked to convey his thoughts on the topic, he discussed the laws that were installed by Bill Clinton during his presidency and how it successfully placed Blacks and Latinos within the same category to face scrutiny and mass deportation. In response to this, Black Student Union president, Kaylah Gore, in agreeance with Professor Williams stated that it was the imperialistic political tactics of our country, such as, mass incarceration and mass deportation, that unified the two communities due to experiencing the same kind of struggle. As the panel discussion continued, the panel members continued to thoroughly vocalize their intentions of political activism and the importance of mobilizing the two communities with radical leaders. After the panel discussion, the open question seminar took place with very outspoken audience members.

The majority of the audience were excited to share their stories and sympathize with panel members that have experienced similar backgrounds. The end of the forum consisted of a break away from the traditional style and led to the division of the audience and panel members into groups of three. Each group was responsible for answering a set of questions amongst themselves then later present to the rest of the forum. After heated debate and members sharing stories of their experiences with political activism, the groups came back to the floor to share with the rest of the forum. All of which were awe-inspiring and filled with love...if I could relive the whole event again I would do it three times more.