I wrote my first piece in The Michigan Daily last year, discussing the hopes I had for myself and for Michigan in Color as a section. I was extremely grateful for the new opportunity to represent my identity as a Lebanese, Muslim American and connect with a diverse and talented group of PoC. I was eager, excited, nervous and unsure of what was to come. A year later I can confidently say choosing to join MiC was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my college career thus far. Time and time again, this platform proves to me that it is one of bravery, one of resilience and one of unwavering love and support. The positivity, encouragement and empowerment of each other and our unique backgrounds that permeate this space have made this large, white university much less daunting and much more ours.
It is not always easy to share your story or voice, but that’s what makes it so important. This space makes it easier for students of color to have a platform to discuss whatever is important to them, be it personal trials, reactions to news stories, expressions of joy, pain and strength. This community is so valuable and so are the people in it. I am lucky to have met the amazing people that have made MiC what it is and I am so incredibly excited to meet and get to know the new faces whose drive will take us even further as a section. Through this platform, we have explored our existing stories pertaining to our individual identities and we have created new stories to carry with us throughout our college years and beyond. MiC has provided more than a place to express our thoughts; it has provided a group of people who care about pervasive issues that circle our daily lives and issues that affect communities far beyond ours. It has provided support and solidarity, friends to go to events on campus with, faces to brighten up the newsroom and brighten up campus. It has provided us with something so special, and I am confident that we will continue to build connections and do valuable work.
To our previous Managing Editors, Ashley and Jason, your work for this section has been truly commendable, and I hope we all carry MiC forward with the strength that you both exhibited. I have always believed in the power of storytelling, and I can’t wait to see what stories we bring about this year.