海角社区

Poet, public speaker, educator and memoirist, Richard Blanco served as the keynote speaker for 海角社区鈥檚 2020 Presidential Symposium on Diversity on Oct. 21 via Zoom. Blanco captured the attention of more than 325 students, employees and community members through his poems and thoughtful discussion about our nation鈥檚 current and past injustices, our individual stories and how the U.S. is a place where all narratives could come together. 

 Blanco started the discussion by talking about the background of his new book of poems, 鈥淗ow to Love a Country,鈥� and the obsession or core of his work, 鈥渉ome,鈥� and all that it represents including his 鈥渇amily, community, culture, sexuality identity and diversity.鈥�

鈥淚 was made in Cuba, assembled in Madrid and imported to the United States,鈥� he said, explaining he was born in Madrid to Cuban-exiled parents and then moved to the U.S., settling in Miami, Florida, where he grew up in a close-knit Cuban community. 鈥淲hen I was just an infant, I belonged to three countries and to none, which explains my obsession with home that has continued over into my writing.鈥�

When he was a graduate student, his first assignment in his creative writing class was to write about America. Full of doubts as a young writer, he took a risk and wrote about his Cuban family鈥檚 celebration of Thanksgiving. His family, as well as many immigrants, he said, didn鈥檛 understand the holiday and the meal with turkey. His poem 鈥淎m茅rica,鈥� describes their attempt of eating the 鈥渄ry鈥� meat and pumpkin pie, which in their culture, pumpkin was used as a homemade remedy for ulcers, not for dessert.

This poem, as well as several others he read, helps people to 鈥渂e conscious of things they may not see.鈥�

鈥淓ach one of our stories is part of America 鈥� out of many, one,鈥� said Blanco, who also was the keynote speaker at Montco鈥檚 2015 Presidential Symposium. 鈥淚t鈥檚 our duty as citizens to continue writing our stories for ourselves and for others who can鈥檛.鈥�

In 2013, Blanco served as the fifth inaugural poet, reading his poem, 鈥淥ne Today,鈥� at the second inauguration ceremony for President Barack Obama on Jan. 21. He shared the poem during the Symposium, and its words described how, as a country, everyone should be working and living together, united as one.

Among his poems, Blanco read and discussed 鈥淓asy Lynching on Herndon Avenue,鈥� a poem about the last reported lynching in the U.S. in 1981. The poem describes how calm and peaceful the street appears today, and how it is easier to 鈥渟tay blind鈥� to what happened and the life that was taken until, 鈥渨e dare to look hard and deep and long enough.鈥�

鈥淚 wrote 20 versions of that poem,鈥� Blanco said during the question and answer session that followed his readings. 鈥淚 never gave myself permission to write about racism before. After writing that poem, I can鈥檛 let prejudice pass. . . Racism is a fabrication for power and money and it鈥檚 also learned.鈥�

Following the formal Symposium, Blanco continued the discussion during a 鈥淐offee & Conversation,鈥� chat with 80 students via zoom, answering questions about writing, diversity, sexuality and current issues of racism and social injustice. He encouraged new writers to keep working on their craft. 

鈥淲riting is an art. Be humble to it and know that you are learning,鈥� he said. 鈥淗ave faith in your work. You will be great if you keep at it. Sometimes you have to fail and have minor setbacks before you succeed.鈥�

After Blanco graduated from high school, he went on to earn his bachelor鈥檚 degree in civil engineering at Florida International University. In his mid-twenties, he decided to go back to school to earn his master鈥檚 in creative writing.

鈥淚 was an engineer by day and a poet by night,鈥� he said, noting he continued this for several years until he published a few books and then started teaching. While his family did not encourage his career as an artist, his writing empowered him to share his sexual identity as a gay person.

When asked about how someone could learn about different cultures, Blanco responded by having conversations with people from other cultures.

鈥淒iversity and inclusion can get very abstract,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he best way to learn is by talking to someone and having genuine, honest conversations.鈥�

Following the Coffee & Conversation session, Blanco met with and heard the award winners of this year鈥檚 poetry contest read their entries. The contest was open to all students and employees, and this year鈥檚 theme focused on participants鈥� experiences and sense of belonging in the U.S.  The judges were Tom Powers, English Instructor; Mary Beth Parkinson, Librarian 鈥� Assistant Professor; Thea Howey, English Assistant Professor; Marie Ranselle, STA Public Health Instructor; Iain Campbell, Cultural Affairs Program Coordinator; and Luz Gamauf, Spanish Associate Professor.

The student selections and recipients are 鈥淪he is NOT Dumb鈥� by Omunic Butler, 鈥淭he Taste for Hate鈥� by Khalil Bullock, 鈥淐lose to the Nose鈥� by Owen Healy, 鈥淪elf-Acceptance鈥� by Victoria Emmitt, 鈥淗ome鈥� by Alexandra Brissett, 鈥淣ative鈥� by Shaquanna Morgan and 鈥淎merican Dream鈥� by Nicole McGee.

The employee award recipients are 鈥淗oney from the Rock,鈥� by Molly Hafner, Director of Marketing; 鈥淲hen the Eagle Flies Backwards鈥� by Justin DeForest, Instructor for English Second Language; and 鈥淗aiku #45鈥� by Don Block, English Professor.

海角社区鈥檚 annual Presidential Symposium was created as a capstone event that advances and facilitates ongoing public dialogue on diversity and inclusiveness among students, faculty, staff and community.