I began writing as an outlet for my frustration in the summer of 2020 when the world as we knew it was actively collapsing in front of our eyes. The pandemic had taken a toll on everyone and true colors were showing – for better or for worse. From the normalization of mass death to the collapse of American infrastructure nationwide to white gen Z-ers posting black squares on Instagram, these traumatic moments in global history not only marked the demise of many of my friendships, my mental health and late-stage capitalism; but realistically, the end of the world as we knew it.
Topics such as racism, sexual violence and discrimination were no longer considered taboo because we all thought we might not live to see another day. People were speaking more openly and honestly in a sociopolitical landscape that seemed so pointless and bleak – and I was one of them. I found solace in my writing, as I had finally found a way to extract my thoughts from the dark void of my mind and project them onto an online platform.
Instagram was a place where I could be myself and reveal the inner workings of my mind without fear of judgment. A website full of like-minded people who support my ideas and goals seemed like the perfect place to unleash my strong opinions on the racial caste system and deep-seated inequality in this country. I started on my journey of rants and essays and realized they began to resonate with people — and now here I am.
Hi, I’m Jaize Francis, a 20-year-old college student with lots of disdain for this country and all those that run it. I know that I am not alone in this sentiment, so I thought it could be productive to join The Collegian as a way to “talk my shit” in a more eloquent manner, and communicate my oppression to those willing to listen. What better way to share the experiences of people in marginalized communities than starting with your own? Notes from the Margins seemed like a valuable way to shed light on the social issues that plague American society and campus life alike.
Through my position as editor, I aim to raise awareness about the experiences of BIPOC people (Black, Indigenous, and other people of color) through first-hand accounts from students. I am a strong believer that everyone has a lot to learn from their peers, and I am interested in having tough conversations in order to reveal the implicit biases that we all hold and to make the Richmond community a more accepting place.
Contact notes from the margins editor Jaize Francis at jaize.francis@richmond.edu.
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