Brotherly Love

by Langston Hughes

[Dr. King and Langston Hughes maintained a friendship for years. Hughes wrote this poem in 1956 during the 13-month Montgomery bus boycott. Day after day, Negroes walked miles to work instead of riding the buses, and Dr. King first emerged as a leading force in the civil rights movement.]

A Little Letter to the White Citizens of the South

In line of what my folks say in Montgomery,
In line of what they’re teaching about love,
When I reach out my hand, will you take it
Or cut it off and leave a nub above?

If I found it in my heart to love you,
And if I thought I really could,
If I said “Brother, I forgive you,”
I wonder, would it do any good?

So long, so long a time you’ve been calling
Me all kinds of names, pushing me down –
I been swimming with my head deep underwater,
And you wished I would stay under until I drown.

But I didn’t!  I’m still swimming!  Now you’re mad
Because I won’t ride in the back end of your bus.
When I answer, “Anyhow, I’m gonna love you,”
Still and yet, you want to make a fuss.

Now listen, white folks!
In line with Reverend King down in Montgomery –
Also because the Bible says I must –
I’m gonna love you – yes I will! Or BUST!

The central theme of the narrative is that we are all members of one people, one nation, and one destiny regardless of our skin tone, racial background, or place of origin. Even though he had talked about the difficult love, it is still very difficult and challenging in this country today because there is still violence, crime, racism, and fighting between individuals. However, our identity is not defined by the people around us because one day we will all stand before God for judgment and give an account of ourselves. God doesn’t consider flaws, eyes, skin, or immigration status in this country, nor does he consider any other physical characteristics.

However, this poem and Langston Hughes’ “I, too, sing America” are comparable because they both describe how white people discriminate against him. When they have guests, they make him leave the room, and they wish he would stay under the water until he perishes. Both poems demonstrate how he rejects these kinds of discriminatory behaviors and thoughts despite tolerating them. As stated in the poem above, he can laugh about it and “keeps swimming” even though the white people wanted him to perish. He strives to make the most of his current circumstances by finding strength, hope, and goodness in them.

Brotherly Love, by Langston Hughes, is a poem about the discrimination of blacks by white people in Montgomery.

What matters to him most is the heart and what is inside. I’m glad I had the chance to choose a poem and speak about it because this really resonates with my idea of what brotherly love ought to be like. The biblical concept of brotherly love is an extension of the natural affection associated with close family members toward the larger community of fellow believers. It goes beyond the simple command in Leviticus 19:18 to “love thy neighbor as thyself” and manifests as “unfeigned love” from a “pure heart,” which extends an unconditional hand of friendship and loves when not reciprocated, gives without expecting anything in return, and constantly seeks out the best in others.

The tenet of brotherly love states that “Wisdom is man-loving, and the righteous must love ALL MEN.” The love of God and the love of all people are taught in the Patriarchs’ Testaments. addressing the directive to love one’s neighbor.

Thank you!

My name is Rayon (Ryan) Chan and I have been living in Queens New York for the past 6 years. I was born and raised in Guyana South America. I am currently an upper Junior at CUNY York College. I am now earning my second degree in Bachelor in Community Health Education and a minor in accounting.

I must say that I have had the opportunity to come to this country, and it has significantly improved my life. However, it is not easy because I do not have a father because he is deceased and I am living with my mother and three other siblings is not easy, but anything is possible if you put your mind to it. I must add that this nation has been helpful to me in terms of my education, for which I am thankful, but at the same time, I am not financially stable, and it is quite difficult for me as an undocumented student but determination is the key to success.

I was able to graduate from a two-year community college with the little assistance I had, but I will be attending a four-year institution this fall and will not be receiving the same level of assistance that I had at the two-year. I should also mention that I am the sort of student who is ineligible for government financial assistance, which makes things much tougher for me.

My life is far from easy because I began working at the age of 13 to pay for my schooling. I sobbed I shouted, I wept, I stumbled, I fell, but I got up and went again, and I’ve never given up because “knowledge is power,” and no one can take it away from you once you have it. I must add that I work with people in my community just to help myself because back home it was not easy at all. Growing up in an abusive family made life extremely difficult for me. However, if we pray and believe God, things will happen, and he will never see his children begging for bread again. He is God, and he is in complete control of all circumstances.

 In terms of my educational goals or objectives, given that I have previously graduated from a two-year college, now I will attempt to obtain a bachelor’s degree, even though I am aware that it will be a long and arduous path. So, earning my associate’s in accounting is something I like rather than something I love since we must not listen to others or do what they want us to do, but rather what we want to do and what we love to do. People had encouraged me to do something I didn’t particularly enjoy, which I afterward regretted. But now I’m going to school for a bachelor’s degree in Community Health Education since I’ve always wanted to work in that profession or area because it’s what I enjoy and is comfortable with. Since I was a small child, I’ve wanted to be a doctor and assist people, and now I believe I’m the perfect age to do so. This nation has been generous to me, and I want to give back in some manner, and I believe that this would be an excellent opportunity to do so.

I must say that I am very thankful because no one in my family has ever had the opportunity to attend college, I am the first one/generation to do so. So, I made up my decision not to take it easy, but to work hard and push my way toward my dream, and yes, dreams do come true, and I must thank this county for providing me with the chance to fully utilize this opportunity. Words are not enough to explain what this country means to me and my family.

Thank you for reading.

There is a lot discussed in this video, and several points in the film are important for me to consider as I prepare for the interview and graduate programs.

 Everyone who shared their thoughts and advice for preparing for the interview seemed to have something to teach me. But, when it comes to mentoring, there is a lot we need to learn and how we can prepare ourselves for interviews, but it all comes down to mentoring, which I believe is very important. It all relies on our organization and what we deal with, and how we can work on it as a team.

Aside from that, knowing why you want to pursue a graduate degree and what school you are seeking to get into will help you better as an individual. This, I believe, should be considered when preparing for any interview: what the program’s strengths are or how it will help you grow.

I also came up with five recommendations to help us prepare for interviews and questions that we should have practiced.

1. Could you tell me a little bit about yourself and your background?

Interviewers enjoy hearing candidates’ personal stories. Make sure your story has a strong beginning, a gripping middle, and a satisfying ending that will make the interviewer root for you to get the job.

2. How did you learn about this opportunity?

Employers want to know if you are actively looking for work, heard about it via a recruiter, or were suggested by an existing employee. In a nutshell, they want to know how you got there.

3. Do you favor a certain style of work environment?

Before the interview, do your research about the organization and its culture. Your research will save you in this situation. If your chosen setting does not closely coincide with the company’s working culture, it may not be the appropriate fit for you. For example, you can discover from the company’s website that it has a flat organizational structure or that it values collaboration and autonomy. These are crucial terms to include in your response to this question.

4. How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations?

The employer wants to see if you can hold the fort or if you fall under pressure. They want to ensure that you don’t have a meltdown as the pressure mounts and deadlines loom. The capacity to remain calm under pressure is a highly sought skill.

5. Do you prefer working alone or in a group?

Your response should be informed by your study on the corporate culture and the job in question. Nonetheless, most work environments will feature some element of teamwork.

The highlights that I would like to investigate as I prepare for my academic and professional future are networking, practice, and perseverance. All these abilities make me realize how many projects I have to work on, which drives me to participate in more programs and internships.

Several aspects of the video are critical for me to consider as I prepare for the interview and graduate programs. Everyone who shared their thoughts and advice for preparing for the interview seemed to have something to teach me.

The students who spoke about their job-search experiences, as well as the faculty from the CUNY Graduate Center, gave a wealth of advice and recommendations to help us prepare for our careers.

Establishing a relationship with the college was the most stunning piece of advice from the seminar.  It is because, even if we are still unsure about our future jobs, our school professionals and teachers will guide us in the right direction so that we do not get lost during those times.

We might also leverage the college’s resources because they understand what students need and want. The most important technique to gather appropriate and efficient information for employment options is to communicate with professors, faculty, or even peers.

Hence, I learned a lot from this video.

Thank You.

I sighed

I stumbled over the hill

I fell on my face, but I was still

Drowned in tears as if the ocean was overflowing

while I kept flowing with questions in my mind

Why is life so difficult?

Only God knows.

I sighed

Success was near as I shift my mind into gear

I am still here waiting to hear my voice in the air

I was ready to draw near to get rid of the fear

I sighed,

Determination is the key to success

I am blessed and not stressed

I am here to win not to fail

I am here, claiming the stair to success

I sighed,

Determination is the key to success

I am equipped and not ill-equipped

I am determined to accomplish all my goals

To see all of them coming to the post media.

I sighed,

Determination is the key to success

It’s a wonderful question to ask yourself what you truly want to do with your life. To be completely honest with you, migrating to this country wasn’t that simple. However, I didn’t give up and I will continue to move forward and strive toward my life’s goals.

I don’t regret coming here. I have a lot of goals for my future, both personally and academically, but I just want to show my family—and not just them—that everything is possible by improving myself on a personal level. When you set your mind to something, there shouldn’t be any ifs or butts; instead, you should have great determination, positivity, and perseverance.                      

First, I want to say that after finishing college and receiving my bachelor’s degree, I want to attend Columbia University to earn my master’s in public health. I will begin working toward this as soon as I graduate with my bachelor’s. However, receiving my degree isn’t the end of the road; I also have a long-term plan. Coming into this country, I know anything is possible, so I’ll be working towards that. Not only that but also listening to my mom and hearing her talk about accomplishing one at a house, I want to help her to get her own house as well as myself.     Furthermore, we didn’t have a good life; it was very difficult; and coming out of poverty without being able to live in a very nice, beautiful home is something that I’ve been eager to do. Returning to this country was difficult because coming here and not being able to travel at the moment is such a huge problem for me, but I’m hoping that in the future things will work out,  we all know and can agree that every day it’s so busy we have so many things that are going on we get overwhelmed we are all humans we are tired we’re exhausted we need vacations we need to go and relax we need to go and have a good time. But coming here and not being able to travel now is such a huge problem due to my immigration status.

Not only that, but I also want to leave a legacy here, which means that as an undocumented student who is unable to receive the necessary assistance, I want to demonstrate to everyone that goals and dreams can come true. I want to do this by leaving a legacy here in this nation and in this state to demonstrate that anything is possible regardless of your status, circumstance, level of education, or race.  

Not only that, but there are also a lot of things I really want to do in life, but coming here, learning about the career path, enrolling in college, getting to know new people, and learning from various mentors from various perspectives from various communities from various departments from various companies from various jobs have helped to mold and shaped me into who I am today,  and I am forever grateful for all of that.   

Since I was raised in poverty and in an abusive household and have experienced both, I will do everything in my ability to assist other students. I started working when I was 13 to finance my schooling and myself, and I have been working from then until now. These are some of my top priorities and things I want to do with my life because I want to choose a career sector that would believe in me and what I want to do in the future.                                                         

I’ll keep it quick, but these are some of my top priorities. It’s been a blessing until this day. I believe that determination is the key to success and once we drive the motivation and determination then it’s going to happen. Anything is possible once you put your mind to doing it.

“Determination is the key to success”

Thank you.

I especially appreciated and learned a lot from The New College Classroom event as an aspiring student and professor. Even though the event covers a wide range of academic concepts, I would sum up its core message there is a significant difference in the educational system, which will aid students in whatever they decide to accomplish. The way that colleges teach is outdated. The listlessness of the lecture hall and the uneasy quiet of the seminar room would be all too familiar to a time traveler from a century ago if they landed in today’s schools. But we are aware of improvements. To demonstrate how teachers at all types of institutions may support students in becoming independent, creative, and active learners, Cathy N. Davidson, and Christina Katopodis, two of the world’s leading innovators in higher education, turn to the most recent research and methodologies.

In addition, I believe that the New College Classroom supports educators in all fields in developing a setting that is supportive of learning. Modern schooling and learning science research are transformed by Davidson and Katopodis into ready-to-use solutions that may be included in any course. At community colleges and research universities, on campus, online, and in hybrid settings, these empirically supported, classroom-tested active learning strategies—from the participatory syllabus and upgrading to grab-and-go activities for every day of the term—have produced impressive outcomes.

Active learning tools outperform traditional teaching strategies, according to a large body of research. Davidson and Katopodis give thorough case studies of educators effectively implementing active-learning approaches in their classes daily, guaranteeing that their students are better prepared for life beyond college. They also explain how and why their strategy works.

Dr. Christina Katopodis and Professor Cathy Davidson have collaborated. Both reiterated the value of education and the necessity of caring for students both individually and in groups.

To effectively support students’ learning and place the student instead of the course in the center of our planning, Drs. Davidson and Katopodis make the following remark.

I’ll conclude by saying that this is a fantastic opportunity, and I sincerely appreciate each one of them. The book and presentation by Dr. Christina Katopodis and Professor Cathy Davidson felt like a real stride into a new era of higher education.

Thank You,

Best,

Rayon(Ryan)

The most memorable periods of a person’s life are both their school and college years, yet they differ greatly from one another. College life exposes us to a new world where we must learn new things and overcome new obstacles on our own, in contrast to school life where we learn everything in a safe setting. We attend school for around half of our formative years, so we become accustomed to it. However, college life is not forever until you want to, during which time we face new difficulties and learn valuable lessons. In contrast to how our instructors and friends constantly protected and watched over us while we were in school, in college we develop relationships with our mentors who don’t necessarily act in the same way. We don’t have as many restrictions in college as we do in high school, and we may choose how to spend our time there any way we like. In college, we meet new people and are immersed in a different environment where we must socialize. There, we meet new friends who become lifelong companions. We also can mold our professions by making wise choices and working really hard in school.

College life involves more than just academics; it also involves a person’s total growth through a variety of pursuits and difficulties.

One can choose their own path in college. Students can serve as class monitors while in school. An individual can nominate themselves for more important roles in college life, such as college president, vice president, secretary, and vice secretary. A person can develop his or her confidence through participating in many societies and activities that happen during the year, in addition to choosing the course and stream.

Everyone should enjoy their time in college because it is a great and important period in their lives. Our confidence to meet obstacles and struggles in the future is increased by the various lessons we learn from college life. It is important for students to engage in extracurricular activities and mingle as much as they can while in college because doing so will aid in their overall growth.

When it comes to the students that are less favored, have we ever considered what equality and equality mean?

What happened to those students who struggled mightily to enroll in a college in this nation but were never given the chance to do so?

What happened to those who worked so hard and made such sacrifices while we slept comfortably in our beds? We are creatures. We sobbed, we mourned, we felt, and we even dropped to the ground, but that wasn’t the end; we got back up and kept moving on. We are bringing about change and serving as an example for disadvantaged students and making an impact one step at a time.

 I want to spread this information because it is unfair how undocumented students are treated in this nation and because they do not receive the same respect as other students.

Greetings, my name is Rayon. I must admit that I have been a resident of this nation for the past six years, but when I first arrived, I had no choice but to stay since I needed to. It is unfair for me to not be able to receive resources and benefits like other students out there because I moved here, living in this century, and attending college full-time is difficult. What happened to those of us who pay taxes and make significant sacrifices for this country? What happened to the students who worked tirelessly to complete their college degrees?  What became to the students who put in so much effort to earn their college degrees? We are both people!

Living in our country and not being able to achieve your goals is difficult because of our constraints. Despite paying taxes, we are nevertheless unable to achieve our goals. However, we are traveling there rather slowly. It’s possible that we won’t achieve the status we need, but nobody can take your power away from you since knowledge is power! I would adore for the public to check into this and send someone to a place like us and advocate for our students who are not bold and courageous enough to speak up!

 Even though we will encounter hatred and division, we won’t be let down. Many students are speaking in class but standing up requires a lot of strength.

Since these students are less fortunate, we would want to suggest financing for them. Fund our undocumented students right away, and let’s work together to solve this problem. We are all involved in this. Let the changes take place! Equality and fairness for undocumented students.