I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep easy. My anxiety was at an all time high. I'd been waiting my whole like for this moment. CNN was coming to film an event I'd worked extremely hard on to plan. All I had to do was get a quick nap, wake back up, and start my morning. But then in the middle of the night...

NYPD releases surveillance video, 911 calls in police shooting of Brooklyn man

My mind started spinning again. Flash backs of hearing George Zimmerman's Not Guilty verdict came. The feeling of helplessness and a loss of hope in a country I so desperately desired to love rushed over me. My morning would now be more complicated. In that moment I was ready to risk it all and throw out everything I planned. I wanted to take to the streets. Scream. Cry. Fight. I wanted to do everything I could to get rid of this feeling. But this is the moment I was prepared for. This is why the universe put me on this earth. In the midst of chaos, it was my job to begin creating a new path. A new way forward. Thus, BROOK-LAND was birthed.

Since leaving the classroom, I've been able to find ways to bring youth together to discuss and deal with some of the social ills of the world. Police brutality, structural racism, interpersonal violence, and gentrification are just a few of the topics we've focused on. This youth leadership summit was my first foray into creating a platform for youth to speak out about how they felt about the recent school shootings that took place this year that sparked the "March For Our Lives" movement our youth have picked up. What was missing from that movement was black and brown faces and voices. This was my way of making sure our youth have a seat at the table. Now they do!