Hispanic Heritage Month Invites Award-winning Poet Gabriela Garcia Medina
Phillip Vázquez
Issue date: 11/4/09 Section: Campus
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Student Activities office invited award-winning poet Gabriela Garcia Medina-whose poetry combines Hispanic culture with social justice and empowerment-to share the spoken word with the Middlesex County College community on Oct. 19.
In one of her poems, Medina said, "I am grounded in strength for the things I believe and will fight to the death till my goals are achieved… whether I'm… organizing against an apartheid wall… performing for young Latinas in East L.A., or teaching literacy in juvenile homes, whether I'm marching with students down the ghettos of south central cuz they don't feel their schools take them seriously at all… know that when the revolution comes I will be prepared."
Medina describes "Extensions of My Poetry" as her confessions to the world. "You can't light up the world until you've paid your light bill, and you can't bring forth change if you've got no change…," she said.
Medina, who volunteers at a program for at-risk youth called Girl Republik, said, "These were beautiful girls, [but] they were stuck in their present realities.
"I realized that in order for us to be the best versions of ourselves… and in order for us to fulfill our purpose and make a real difference in this world, we have to love ourselves completely and compassionately, and forgive ourselves of anything we may be holding onto from our past that could be embarrassing or ashamed about that could be hindering us from moving forward."
She said it was hard to be so honest at first, but feels compelled to be real in order to connect people to her art.
"Aside from having good poetry," Patricia Daly, Director of Student Activities, said, "Medina has an ability to connect with a younger generation."
In one of her poems, Medina said, "I am grounded in strength for the things I believe and will fight to the death till my goals are achieved… whether I'm… organizing against an apartheid wall… performing for young Latinas in East L.A., or teaching literacy in juvenile homes, whether I'm marching with students down the ghettos of south central cuz they don't feel their schools take them seriously at all… know that when the revolution comes I will be prepared."
Medina describes "Extensions of My Poetry" as her confessions to the world. "You can't light up the world until you've paid your light bill, and you can't bring forth change if you've got no change…," she said.
Medina, who volunteers at a program for at-risk youth called Girl Republik, said, "These were beautiful girls, [but] they were stuck in their present realities.
"I realized that in order for us to be the best versions of ourselves… and in order for us to fulfill our purpose and make a real difference in this world, we have to love ourselves completely and compassionately, and forgive ourselves of anything we may be holding onto from our past that could be embarrassing or ashamed about that could be hindering us from moving forward."
She said it was hard to be so honest at first, but feels compelled to be real in order to connect people to her art.
"Aside from having good poetry," Patricia Daly, Director of Student Activities, said, "Medina has an ability to connect with a younger generation."
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