I am an American
Rochester, N.Y., woman fosters unity via art
Each week, this series will introduce you to an exceptional American who unites, rather than divides, our communities. To read more about the American profiled here and more average Americans doing exceptional things, visit onenation.usatoday.com.
Mawia Elawad of Rochester, N.Y., attends Alfred University and is an integral member of Art Force 5, a small group of students working to facilitate conversations about race, poverty and social justice through community art. She was born in Sudan, came to the U.S. as a child and found that community service and justice efforts have helped her discover her cultural identity as an immigrant and an American.
What does it mean to be an American?
“To be an American means to be someone that understands privilege but doesn’t shy away from it. Being an American means taking all the different cultures and ways of life that we experience, and saying, ‘How do I fit into that?’ ”
What moment touched and motivated you to take part in this effort?
“When I did my first classroom visit, it was to a third-grade classroom. I liked that we engaged the kids, and it was refreshing and humbling to see them having fun and learning at the same time. We get to be a part of that process and growth, and that’s the larger part of the picture in what we try to do with Art Force 5.”
What gives you hope and what concerns you?
“The one thing that concerns me is the fact that people are so quick to neglect the other pieces of other cultures that they have within them, and only embrace what they see through tunnel vision. Programs like Art Force 5 and the work that other community members do are what give me hope. It only takes that 1 percent, one degree, to change someone’s mind.”
What do you hope to accomplish with your efforts?
“What we hope to get on a personal level is our own growth and development, but also knowing that we empowered one person through one interaction to maybe do something different that day, or in the long run to learn something different about themselves.”