Looking forward to the next 40 years…

Juan “Nito” Morales 

Editor, Class of 2013

As a student and current editor of Que Ondee Sola, I have been captivated by theorist Frantz Fanon’s statement: “each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it.” This speaks to the ongoing struggle, displayed by past and current members, to build responsibility for each other and the community. We have continued a legacy in which new possibilities are imagined and made a reality through collective struggle.

I remember first reading QOS when I was a student at Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School. The articles were inspiring and uplifting for me. I explored through its pages, which spoke to who I was as a young Puerto Rican man from Humboldt Park. As a high school student, I was eager to learn more about my own history and was also interested in socio-political movements that empowered countries toward their independence or that uplifted communities. Thus, QOS has provided me a foundation to be actively engaged in issues relating to and impacting Latinas/os.

This includes advocating for the release of the Puerto Rican political prisoners, working with high school students, and building an organic pipeline from the community to the university. In essence, QOS was the start of a collective consciousness that continues to inspire generations of students to participate in a process towards a more free and just world. I am looking forward to the next 40 years.

 

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