Firstly, we must acknowledge that this exhibit within the settler colonial institution of Yale stands on the traditional homelands of the Quinnipiac people. The 2010s represent the current state of Indigenous/Student of Color activism that honors and takes inspiration from their ancestors and the decades of student activism that preceded them. The impact and legacy of this decade continues to be written, and hopefully, will cement itself in a future archive one day. The recent nature of these events required us to focus on the living history by relying on our own personal knowledges, and the guidance and testimonies of friends, mentors, and student organizations. Despite the limitations of the exhibit, we hope that our choices will provide accurate insight and justice into the lived experiences of these activists over the last eight years.
This section highlights students transforming the campus space, as well as engaging with the world outside of Yale. We draw upon a wide array of protests and movements that characterize the 2010s as a period of both continuity and disruption. Our exhibit hopes to challenge the definition of “Indigenous/student of color activism” while drawing attention to the historical institutional barriers that complicate the simultaneous identities of “student” and “of color.” The Next Yale movement encompasses the reconciliation of collective and individual struggles through intersectional and intercultural solidarity, founded on a shared oppression that still recognizes unique struggle. These images are intentionally provocative, illustrating the strenuous physical and emotional labor that Indigenous/SoC activists undertake in their efforts to resist, to reclaim space, to center subjugated knowledges and peoples, and to demand change. Lastly, we highlight the importance of previous activists’ work and their movements in shaping the current generation, exploring how it validates and informs activism today. Ultimately, the famous words of Next Yale illuminate the overall theme of the exhibit: “We out here, we’ve been here, we ain’t leaving. We are loved.”