Shavaun Sutton: “here”

I’m Shavaun, a doctoral student in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. I feel so fortunate to be a part of the Reckonings Project.  It aligns with one of my research interests – recovering lost Black narratives, experiences, and histories through the sociological lens although my work is, increasingly, becoming transdisciplinary. This is a taste of who I am, my research commitments and how I approach my work, the work, and the Reckonings project. I share this poem, entitled “here”, as a reimagining of an “I Come From” poem (Tannenbaum &Bush 2005) that acknowledges my roots (“I come from”), recognizes where I am now (“I rest”) and looks to the future (“I go to”). The repetition is an intentional refrain, reminder, and demand (Dill et al 2022).

here

I come from ground provisions, flying fish, “woo-oo” calls, notes on the stairs to signal presence and absence
I am a first-gen West Indian American
Far from the sun and clear ocean
I come from New York City purgatory- heaven nor hell, not quite urban, not quite suburban
The forgotten borough of Staten Island where we move to our own beat and are overshadowed by
the City
I come from a loss
A lack of recognition
Erasure
of Blackness- our narratives, lives
Lost
To a sea of whiteness

I “rest” in academia
Until the tide comes in
A momentary stop to recover what has been erased
I rest in a love that
Respects
Acts
Nurtures
Witnesses
Returns knowledges from whence it came

I go to the Black communities I love and respect to be held accountable
To be held
As a mirror and amp for those unseen and unheard
I go to places of revolution and restoration
Outside of these hallowed halls and cold classrooms
I go to hold space for reclamation and recovery
Taking back what was stolen
Stories and hope, chance
I go to be held and to hold
lovingly
community
Safe and secure from institutional harm.