Finding Hope Amongst the Chaos - Jayson Velazquez

What are your personal reactions/feelings on the continuous incidents of racial injustice in the country; how has it impacted you?

To make a long answer short, it is sickening. Racial injustice is embedded in every aspect of our lives from city planning and environmental hazards, to education, financial mobility, and beyond. It is so engrained in life that believing racial justice is an issue people can ‘agree to disagree’ on is beyond harmful.

As someone who identifies as a non-Black queer Latinx man, I have a responsibility to personally unlearn any conscious or unconscious biases I may have and use that information to educate my respective communities. In the Latinx community, it is important to understand how issues of racial injustice are perpetuated by non-Black Latinx folk and to hold those individuals accountable. My engagement with activism and advocacy work is personal as I take to the streets to protect and demand the rights of my family, my friends, and my classmates.

What changes do you hope to see moving forward?

I hope to see people continue educating themselves, their respective communities, and families to do and be better. Often in conversations about racial justice, the weight of education gets placed on the affected community which should not be the norm.

In terms of changes to be made, I don’t think you can reform systems that have been rooted in the oppression of groups and more specifically the Black community. However, there is still great work being done here at Ohio State, through the Black Caucus in the Undergraduate Student Government. Another point of advancement I’d hope to see would be a formal Land Acknowledgment by the University and commitment to Indigenous communities as related to our Land Grant mission. Across the board, I hope to see non-Black Latinx folk unlearning any biases they may hold and to challenge those around them in uncomfortable times to do the same.

Do you have any tips/advice/guidance for fellow Buckeyes in navigating racial injustice and engaging in advocacy?

Some advice specifically for other non-Black queer-identifying Latinx folk would be to acknowledge and use the privileges you may possess to protect and provide the necessary time and space for communities to speak on behalf of themselves. Then turn around and take that message and amplify it in your personal, professional, and academic circles. Make sure you spend time unlearning any conscious and unconscious biases or harmful thoughts and behaviors you contribute to and challenge those around you to think bigger and better.

What are your personal reactions/feelings towards the current political climate and how has it impacted you?

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t upset, anxious, and frustrated about the current political climate. Managing school, work, research, while also waking up for online class wondering if my rights and the rights of those I love are valid is mentally and physically taxing. It is nearly impossible to think of a way the current political climate has not impacted an aspect of my life.

What changes do you hope to see moving forward in the area of political discourse and discord?

I know the call to action has been to vote but that won’t solve our issues. Voting only extends the potential livelihoods of marginalized groups an extra day. I hope to see people continue educating themselves, their respective communities and families, and using that knowledge to do and be better. I hope to see more people realizing that racial justice and political discourse and discord are linked.

Do you have any tips/advice/guidance for fellow Buckeyes in navigating political disarray?

Take time to recharge as you need and don’t ever feel bad for doing so. If you’re able, be your authentic self unapologetically in any space you occupy. Surround yourself with people who value you and your identities. Make sure you are investing in relationships that are mutually beneficial and ones that can help you weather storms.