TEDxTucson

“I am a dream and to be a dream it is something… ELSE” - Tére Fowler-Chapman. When asked what Tére wanted to be when They grew up, They said a sidewalk - a dream only as good as the ground people walk on. They said this first metaphor at 5 years old and have been speaking poetic tongue ever since. As an educator They questioned how They can ask students to speak their truth when what is taught about equality isn’t being represented in the world these students live through. In order for them to live our their dream, Tére shows up to teach as They are and how They feel, rather than appeal in our binary society. Tére is part of the 17% of educators that are people of color.

Check out Their full TEDxTucson Talk on our Instagram bio link or by using the link: https://bit.ly/3cBuBNA

Andrés Portela grew up celebrating community events for Juneteenth and Black History Month. However, he shares a memory on the TEDxTucson stage of how he experienced being in the back of a soccer bus and his teammates thinking it would be funny to put on a McDonald’s bag and emulate the K*K. That moment led him to want to study diversity in college and dive deeper into finding what race, identity, and culture meant to him and how his community made a huge role in that journey of discovery.

Today while the deaths of Black Americans cycle the news on a reoccurring basis, Andrés poses the question “when does Black trauma turn into collective action outside of the black community?” Check out his full TEDxTucson Talk on our Instagram bio link or by using the link: https://bit.ly/3cwQg9z