A Place to Stand is Coming!

 Jimmy Santiago Baca was a name I first heard at the beginning of the semester.  During Spring 2017’s opening meetings, the lead librarian was thrilled to announce that the poet Jimmy Santiago Baca would be coming to Mesa Community College on Wednesday, March 8th.  She was beaming with pride.  In addition, the coordinator of the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) initiative added that his organization would assist in the visit because the poet wrote about Chicano issues.  Although I had not heard of this writer, because of the fuss that seemed to be put into his future arrival, I figured that I had better offer his lecture as an extra credit opportunity for my students.  After all, the timing went well with the content we were discussing in class: self-concept, cultural teachings, self-esteem, self-disclosure, and pluralism. 

A Place to Stand was the title that rolled out a few weeks later.  The campus community was invited to read the book, join the book club, and enroll in an online workshop.  Whew!  This was becoming a big deal.  I decided that if I was going to encourage my students to attend, I had better be knowledgeable about the topic.  I went to Amazon to purchase the book and was surprised to see the amazing reviews.  I didn’t get it.  Amazing reviews for a book of poetry?  I read some of the comments and then ordered the audible version of the book for a quick start.

Jimmy has been driving around the Phoenix area with me for the past couple of weeks.  For awhile, I was consumed with the sorrow I felt for the innocent child that was never given a real chance to excel.  Later, as he grew and made poor decisions, I questioned if he is the hero of this story.  Currently, as I am still in the part of the story where he is in the midst of his prison sentence, and I am wondering how he will redeem himself to be a man worthy of my college’s accolades.

Yesterday, I watched A Place to Stand documentary in a room with about 20 college students. It was silent before the show began because most students were attending upon teachers’ demands, but it was silent after the show because of the honest weight of his story.  Jimmy Santiago Baca’s story must be heard.  The still existing struggles of many Latinos must be heard.  As active citizens, we must step outside of our protective bubbles to see the world from different perspectives.  A Place to Stand provides that opportunity.   It is up to us to decide how we will handle the information and how we will act on our beliefs.   A trailer of the documentary is included in this blog below. 

Education is the action that will change lives and communities.  In the closing words of the A Place to Stand documentary, Jimmy Santiago Baca reads:

“I was looking forward to becoming a teacher, because I loved language so much.  I loved education so much. I didn’t know education could be such a beautiful gift.  I didn’t know that it could give you meaning, worth, faith, and a future.  I didn’t know education could make you see the world differently.  I didn’t know that education could make you dream higher.  I didn’t know that it could make you a better human being”.

First-generation Hispanic college students:

You are not alone!  

Enrolling in college will seem difficult at first, but step by step, through your desire, you will feel a strength you have never known before.  Look for the support systems offered.  Look for allies (people with information that you can trust) to help you find your way to a brighter future for you and your family.

Image 1: https://learn.maricopa.edu/courses/930264/assignments/4406253

Amazon Page:  https://smile.amazon.com/Place-Stand-Jimmy-Santiago-Baca/dp/0802139086/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487907077&sr=1-1&keywords=a+place+to+stand+jimmy+santiago+baca

Flier: https://www.mesacc.edu/intranet/sites/edu.intranet/files/uploads/events/2017/BacaEventFlyer_Official.pdf

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odE6Io-DEAE

Career Guide: https://issuu.com/maricopamarketing/docs/careerguide_2016_maricopacolleges