A Case for Shapeshifting: A collection of essays, literary analysis, interviews, and poems [that] identifies beings and the world around us as “shapeshifters”. By recognizing our capacity to be changed by the world and each other, the avenues for cultural transformation are laid bare. This acknowledgment of change enables reflection on our ability to act towards love and liberation.  

In my time in New Orleans, my most frequented destination was without a doubt the Community Book Center, an African centered bookstore on Bayou Road. I had the pleasure of meeting and eventually interviewing the bookstore’s co-owners, Mama Jen and Mama Vera.  

New Orleans as a city, a home to various communities, and a site of natural and manufactured disaster, is a shapeshifter itself, shaping and being shaped by cultural history and action. Amidst the chaos, Mama Jen and Mama Vera rooted themselves and built their center to remind readers of our collective histories, our shapes, and strategies to build power. I am many things, but when in New Orleans, I am a sweaty young writer, swinging my tote bag around, in awe of the plants around me. The connections we formed enables us to uplift each other and strengthen our work. My project would not be what it is without them and I am doing my best to return the favor.  

The stories we tell and share, fictional or not, become part of our lived experience. We absorb the messaging, good and bad, and strengthen our ability to discern our place in the world and how we’d like to move forward. For the majority of my life, I’ve read white authors talking about their white communities with their white perspectives. While many stories have been exciting and thought provoking, it did not reflect the world my family or my peers lived in. In my time at K, I have been supported and encouraged to read from individuals with a deep, holistic understanding of our world’s issues. The Combahee River Collective’s analysis remains true: the most logical way to transform exploitative structures are by centering the needs and visions of those who experience the most marginalization.  

Stories have been my greatest teacher in empathy, connection building, and critical thought. My relationships to others magnifies its complexity. I’ll be honest, humanities hasn’t taught me how to interact with others (only interacting with others does that). I’m pretty awkward and have developed my confidence and leadership skills through years of trial and error. Still, the humanities has offered a significant abundance of strategies and tools for community building. My perspective on the world has only been possible through the analysis and narratives I have engaged with. The power of [the] written word, our languages, are indicators of our experiences and influence the cultures we produce. By engaging with the humanities, our web of interconnectedness and desire for better conditions become more tangible.       

New Orleans is incredibly indicative of the challenges of inequities. One of my favorite facets from my summer research is that each interviewee shares their distinct way of knowing within New Orleans’ circles of community. You must know where you’ve been to know where you’re going.