We Are Meant to Rise

Voices for Justice from Minneapolis to the World edited by Carolyn Holbrook and David Mura

“Until the lion tells his side of the story, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”

–Luvvie Ajayi

In these days and times, the above quote comes to mind. Those of us who are BIPOC are all too familiar with the stereotyping, framing, and racial profiling via the media, plus the systemic racism prevalent in our lives. As far as years go, 2020 was a piece of work, given the backdrop of COVID-19 and the murder of George Floyd on May 25.

It is in this backdrop that the anthology, We Are Meant to Rise, was created. Its contributors represent the broad spectrum of BIPOC authors and cultures here in Minnesota: Indigenous Dakota and Anishinaabe, African American, Mexican, Hmong, Somali, Afghani, Lebanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, Puerto Rican, Colombian, transracial adoptees, biracial, and those who are also LGBTQ. Each voice reminds us of his/her/their unique experience, debunking the myth that our cultures are monolithic. As such, many of these contributing writers were also part of a group known as More Than a Single Story.

The poems and essays are raw and unvarnished in speaking truth to power, not only in response to the events and trauma of 2020, but in memory of similar events past. Where white supremacy and systemic racism would seek to silence our voices, the shared experiences of these BIPOC authors demand to be heard. In these written words for social justice there is strength. There is resilience. There is power. In reading them, the words of Maya Angelou’s poem Still I Rise resounded in my mind.

In the words of David Mura, “Diversity is our strength. Each new voice who becomes part of America is our strength. The writers in this anthology provide us with individualized portraits of who we are, and in doing so they can help us to know each other, our neighbors, our fellow citizens. These writers prove we are indeed more than a single story.”

Carolyn Holbrook mentions the following anonymous quote in her essay, A Time for Healing: “Sometimes it’s not about the act of praying, or what you think or say when you pray. Sometimes it’s about what you learn while waiting for the answer.”

We Are Meant to Rise is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the University of Minnesota Press. In Maya’s words, “I rise.”