
Iysis Ray :: Bodega Boys ::
Southern Legitimacy Statement: I was born in The Bronx Hospital, on Pelham. Those roots will last forever. I don’t act like I’m from the Bronx, my father agrees because I won’t eat a bacon, egg, & cheese, or a peanut...

Myasia Morris :: Fourth of July ::
Southern Legitimacy Statement: The south means family to me. Manning, South Carolina is where family is for me, every fourth of July where we have a block party. Food, socializing, fireworks, dancing, games, people of all ages are brought together....

Matt Cook :: Best Late Night Adventure ::
Southern Legitimacy Statement: I am a student athlete. This story is about a night with two best friends. Best Late Night Adventure James and I are cruising around after practice. Beautiful night out, we blast music and eat Raising Caines....

Sarah Parkinson :: Stupid. Dumb. Emotions. ::
Southern Legitimacy Statement: I have no true origin, I can claim no land, but I can claim it all, and most recently, the South too. I am a military child who moves every 2-3 years. I move so often that...

Kaiya Parkinson :: Torgi the Corgi ::
Southern Legitimacy Statement: As someone who grew up in the military, I’ve lived everywhere. Despite the military bases all around the world, my father’s job always seemed to bring us back to the south. From the south I’ve picked up...

Ghelka Ibarra :: When the Light Fades ::
Southern Legitimacy Statement: I grew up in southeastern Virginia, where the summers humid, the mosquitoes are relentless, and the history runs deep. I’ve spent evenings by the water, watched storms roll in off the bay, and driven down roads lined...

Carlos Ibarra :: Tragedy ::
Southern Legitimacy Statement: I grew up in eastern Virginia where people sit around a fire and love to talk about their feelings toward each other. Where people have different life stories and the fire in the middle never blows out....

Tayshawn Campbell :: Unyielding Passion ::
Southern Legitimacy Statement: The south is a unique region where tradition and heritage rule supreme. The south is completely different from the rest of the United States, its identity was formed from the migrants who flocked there in order to...

Anastasia Davis :: Change in the Tides ::
Southern Legitimacy Statement: In the cold eastern part of Europe just south of Finland, in a small cold orphanage in Russia, there was my mom. A small girl tucked in the corner of St. Petersburg. Eventually she came to America;...

Chloe Aquino :: We Never Really Know Ourselves Until We’re Raw ::
Southern Legitimacy Statement: What’s southern to me is something I could never be, and that’s myself. I never seem to act like or connect with other people my age, race, and even those who have similar interests. Don’t get me...

Amiyah Simms :: Band-tober ::
Southern Legitimacy Statement: Being in the south and surrounded by so many cultures of dance and music has truly impacted me. I have been able to use music and dance as an escape and a fun way to express myself...