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Sigma Lambda Upsilon president Alexandra Larios-Garcia read Tupac Shakur’s poem “The Rose That Grew From Concrete” over Zoom to an 18-person audience at an event hosted by La L.U.C.H.A on Tuesday.

“Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams, it learned to breathe fresh air,” Larios-Garcia read. “Long live the rose that grew from concrete, when no one else ever cared.”

Shakur’s poem inspired the name of Tuesday evening’s event “Roses in Concrete.” La L.U.C.H.A., an organization that celebrates Latinx culture, history and community, hosted the event in collaboration with the Caribbean Student Association. Noeli Vasquez, president of La L.U.C.H.A., moderated the event, which focused on the shared experiences between the Latinx and Black communities on Syracuse University’s campus.

Students representing various campus organizations spoke about “concrete” — situations specific to a predominantly white institution that make it hard for Latinx and Black students groups to grow and succeed. They also spoke about “roses,” which are student creations, such as businesses and projects, that are blossoming at SU despite the challenges.

Vasquez began the event by saying that there is a feeling of “otherness” shared between the Black and Latinx community, which is expressed through their worldview as well the way they are seen in the world. Guest speaker Darren “DNice” Morgan, a co-founder of the barbershop Royal Allure, spoke about otherness and included anecdotes from his upbringing in a majority Latinx and Black community in Detroit.

“That is the power that we possess, no matter where we go,” Morgan said. “As soon as you see that melanin, most people get afraid because they don’t know how we got here, or why are we here.”

But the experience as a Black or Latinx student is one that encourages students at SU to push themselves harder to succeed, Vasquez said. In order to affirm their existence at a predominantly white institution, Latinx and Black students alike end up going above and beyond to get involved and establish themselves and their communities on campus, Vasquez said.

Vasquez said that when she speaks to an undergraduate who is a person of color, they often tell her that they’re heavily involved in many student organizations and jobs. This immersion into campus organizations isn’t always a choice, but it is almost a necessity for students of color, said Vasquez. Larios-Garcia, an SU senior, came to SU from the San Francisco Bay Area, and she suddenly felt more isolated than ever because of the lack of diversity on the SU campus.

“This was the first time I wasn’t the majority, like I was really a minority,” Larios-Garcia said. “I’ve always really known that in the grand scheme of things, but I didn’t really feel that until I got here.”

That feeling didn’t get Larios-Garcia down. Instead it continues to be her motivation to create a sense of community for incoming students, she said. She aims to make sure that other students of color have a reason to want to stay at SU.

During the event, Jocelyn Lindsay, the Raíces Dance Troupe administrative chair, screened a video from the troupe’s showcase to illustrate the enduring legacy of Latinx students on campus.

“We just like to celebrate Latinx culture through dance, which is one of the best ways to express it,” Lindsay said.

Guest speaker Domonique Charles founded her apparel company Basketball Royalty, LLC last July. She supports the Black and Latinx communities by offering special discounts for other Black- and Latinx-owned small businesses and helping these creators make apparel for their brands.

Since starting her business, Charles has felt that there are disparities between the expectations her business is held to versus what is expected of those that are white-owned, she said.

“There’s this really horrible stigma that Black-owned businesses, like the prices need to be cheaper and things need to pretty much be free,” Charles said. “That’s really unfortunate.”

Toward the end of the event, Vasquez prompted each speaker to share advice with their fellow entrepreneurs and creatives. Christian Medina, the co-founder of Burden Agency, a marketing agency for tech and e-commerce companies, elaborated on Charles’ point on the importance of supporting each other.

“Find love and find connections in your community.” Medina said. “Reach out in your own networks. By finding the connections in your community, whether it be Latinx or Black community or whatever it is, I promise you’re going to prosper.”

Published on May 12, 2021 at 12:25 am

Contact Sydney: [email protected]