FOCUS: #MSWelfare/TANF Scandal • Jackson Water • Abortion • Race & Racism • Policing • Incarceration • Housing & Evictions
MFP Contributor
Advikaa Anand, 18, writes that abortion is a complex moral issue, but choosing to keep one’s baby is just as difficult a decision to make than choosing to have an abortion—a difficult decision only pregnant persons should make.
Advikaa Anand writes an open letter to her imposter syndrome and its impact on her own mental health as a young woman of color with hearing loss. Imposter syndrome plagues successful role models such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Albert Einstein and Maya Angelou, too, she writes, encouraging others to remember that they are not alone and that they are enough.
Advikaa Anand reflects on times in her life when she was bullied, remembering the effect it had on her self-esteem and overall mental health. She encourages parents, teachers and neighbors to proactively validate children’s experiences, protect them and provide just consequences for bullying.
“The pen is mightier than the sword” is a metonymic adage created by English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839. Advikaa Anand agrees, saying that written words are a more powerful tool for communication compared to violence, and our language should be cultivated for love and inspiration, not to perpetuate profanity.
These words are my America—the America that remains a nation bound brokenly and beautifully, not by a shared identity, but by a shared ideology. Upon taking my very first breaths, I inherited this legacy defined by liberty, freedom and justice for all.
I take immense pride in my Indian heritage. To be born into the crossroads of a culture that encapsulates the epitome of tradition and a country that represents a beacon of freedom has afforded me the liberty of drawing from both in order to cultivate the perfect individual character. But my extended distance from India over the last two years has compelled me to ponder the nuances of inheriting the former legacy. I began to ponder a crucial question: To what extent is it my responsibility as a first-generation American to uphold my cultural traditions?
Could it still be possible for someone to sexually assault in the midst of a global pandemic? Could perpetrators that depraved really exist? As I delved into the internet to satiate my curiosity, my supposition was confirmed. In fact, since the pandemic has started, female victims have been locked in with their abusive partners, with no means of escape.
“I began twirling in my bathroom as I realized the fundamental truth that had evaded me years earlier: I was a swan, St. Andrew’s was my flock, Mississippi was my lake, and this would be only the beginning of my story.”
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