A Little History, A Lot of Hope

During college, I visited Berlin's Memorial to Murdered Jews. In the info centre, I walked by walls and walls of sepia portraits. I made eye contact with people who I could never know. They played audio of the voices of the victims of the Holocaust, and I stood in the center of the room with tears spilling out of me, grateful and ashamed to hear the words of the people we left behind. I made a promise to myself: If I had been alive, I would have done something even if it meant risking my own life, and if it happens again, I will act. Perhaps this promise was nothing more than a self-centered affirmation of my own character and morality, but I hope that it was more than that. It was my personal commitment my fellow human beings, because if there is anything worth fighting for, it's the value of human life. I tell this little story not to pat myself on the back, because I think that commitment is the most basic tenet of human decency, but because I think most people have had this moment. Certainly yours was in a different room, with different tears, and different voices ringing in your ears. Maybe you remember the exact scene, or maybe not. Maybe you knew exactly where to go from there, but maybe not.

Of course, I should have walked out of that room in Berlin and gotten started, because there has always been and always will be people who are being targeted, hurt, and dehumanized. It took the photographs and stories of Syrian refugees to rattle me. I donated money, though I could only spare a little. I asked myself what exactly I had to offer, and like always, I came back to literature. I am a writer who is lucky enough to have a wonderful network of writers and artists built through my high school, college, grad school, and the internet. I knew we had folders of drafts sitting on our laptops and ideas in our heads that were ready to be ripped out. Why not slap them together and call it a magazine? Why not exchange that magazine for donations to organizations that are on the ground doing the hard, necessary work? This literature magazine aims to highlight literary voices, but it was born to support these organizations.

I want to be clear: I came up with the idea, but that's where I end. Anything that came after has been a team effort, and my participation has been matched and surpassed by my talented friends and classmates. The first two issues--the first, to benefit Syrian refugees and the second to benefit the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting--were incredibly collaborative. The product was, admittedly, mediocre, not because of the content but because of my inability to format and promote effectively on my own. It was a learning experience, and I still think the issues are beautiful (if not aesthetically pleasing). This time around, however, we have a small but effective editorial board and we've been meeting biweekly to shape the future of this publication. I have Google Sheets filled with names and emails of people who are willing to be editors, readers, and contributors. We have big ideas for this, including local community involvement, a national network, and a larger staff, but we want to take it one step at a time and do this right.

The Fall 2017 issue will benefit the American Civil Liberties League (50%) and the American Civil Liberties League of Massachusetts (50%). While the two organizations are closely tied and share resources, information, and donations, they are independent factions working towards separate, targeted goals. If we’re going to ask for your art or your donations, we will always do our research to ensure (to the best of our abilities) that the organization we are supporting is trustworthy and effective, and through Crowdrise 97% of your money will go directly to the org. I don’t think I need to tell you how trustworthy or effective the ACLU is. They have been tirelessly working to end discrimination against Muslim, GLTBQA, and other marginalized people. They are actively working against mass incarceration, unfair voting practices, and invasion of our digital privacy. They’ve been in the spotlight during this presidency, and as a result they’re seeing support in ways that were previously unfathomable. It's a wonderful thing.

In March, I attended an ACLUM volunteer orientation at the Boston Public Library. Matt Allen, Director of the Field Department for the ACLUM, welcomed us with a big smile. “Last year on this date we had 10 volunteers at this orientation,” he said. “Today? There are 400 of you.” Allen said that he felt encouraged that so many were galvanized to take action, and highlighted their dedication to protecting the liberties promised to Americans under the constitution. The ACLU uses the courts to change unfair or broken laws, and only takes on cases they believe could lead to these changes. They are working at local, state, and national levels. They are in the trenches of the judicial, executive, and legislative branches. The ACLU and ACLUM have proven to be hard working, intelligent, and compassionate organizations. It is an honor to support them, even if it's only with our pocket change.

In the spirit of the ACLU and the work they’ve been doing, and in honor of immigrants we respect and cherish, we chose the theme “Home” for our upcoming issue. We want to know what this word means to you. Is your home a country? A person? A state of mind? Be literal. Be figurative. Be sincere. Be whimsical. Through fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or art, tell us what you want to tell the world. We can’t wait to hear from you.

To sign up as an ACLU volunteer, visit your state's local ACLU page. To volunteer in Massachusetts, click here.

To submit to Pocket Change's Fall 2017 Issue, check out our guidelines here