Try Again: Resilience Amidst Turbulence
Edafe Okporo
by Edafe Okporo
2M ago
As 2019 wound down, I had my GRE scores in hand and an application submitted to NYU for a master’s in human resources. The prospects for 2020 seemed promising. I set my sights on getting into NYU and wrapping up my studies by May 2022. The blueprint was simple, the goal achievable—nothing colossal enough to engulf me entirely. Frankly, I was content with where I stood in life, unfazed by the absence of an all-consuming ambition. I tossed my hat into the ring for a couple of awards and looked ahead to a splendid year alongside my boyfriend, Nicholas. Come February 2020, we embarked on a birthda ..read more
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A Refugee's Path to U.S. Citizenship
Edafe Okporo
by Edafe Okporo
4M ago
If I had told myself that this would be my story without living through it, I wouldn't have believed it. We all worry too much about the future, wanting to ensure that we understand what lies ahead and what our life's outcome will look like. Here is a story of someone with great expectations but was met with even greater surprises that exceeded his expectations and predictions for his own future. I took a leap of faith, embarking on a journey to leave the familiar place of my home country, Nigeria, for the unknown United States. At the port of entry, I was arrested, and I thought my dream of a ..read more
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Providing Support to Displaced LGBTQIA+ People
Edafe Okporo
by Edafe Okporo
8M ago
After months of being away, I though it might be helpful to explain my process to you. It might have seemed effortless to sit at my computer and write something clever or make sense of the world, the truth is, it hasn't been easy. But my unwavering passion has kept me going all this time. Since I moved to the United States, my life has undergone a remarkable transformation, empowering me to serve and impact the lives of many others. "I've always believed that in America, we shouldn't judge people based on their circumstances when they arrived, but rather on the potential they can achieve throu ..read more
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The Systemic Inequities in U.S. Refugee and Border Policy: A Call to Action
Edafe Okporo
by Edafe Okporo
11M ago
Recently, I had the privilege of speaking at Cornell University about the systemic inequities in U.S. refugee and border policy.  I stood in front of the students at Cornell University, ready to share my story. My journey to this podium began in Nigeria. I had always dreamed of attaining a college degree, getting married, having a job, and raising children. But when I discovered my sexual orientation as a gay person, I knew that my dreams were in jeopardy. After a few years of trying to hide my sexual orientation, I discovered my dreams for the future were no longer what I thought it wou ..read more
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The Brevity of Modern art
Edafe Okporo
by Edafe Okporo
1y ago
The War with my art is not the act of creating it or performing it, but the mere notion that I will abandon the circus the world provides to face it alone in servitude. The world rewards you for creating and the reward prevents you from going back to the source of your creativity. A time when all the prestige where nowhere to be found, a time where you did it for the sake of creating something someone would read or find entertaining, to trying to fulfill what the market says, creating for an algorithm being social media or financial returns. I love to make art, writing has saved my life, and ..read more
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My Firsthand Account of Navigating North America's Borders and the Urgent Need for Reimagining Borders
Edafe Okporo
by Edafe Okporo
1y ago
A Personal Journey Through North America's Border: The idea of borders between two countries is a construct to distinguish the social, cultural, and economic boundaries between two or multiple countries. Unfortunately, this construct has been used to fuel harsh border policies and the narrative that people are trying to take advantage of our resources most especially the U.S.A. The proposed legislation by the Biden administration, which was open for comments till Monday March 27th, 2021, aims to deter asylum seekers from coming to the US by creating obstacles for them to gain access to the asy ..read more
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TIME HAPPENS TO US ALL
Edafe Okporo
by Edafe Okporo
1y ago
We are all acutely aware of the passage of time. It is evident in the aging of our bodies, the growth of our children, and the changes that we see in the world around us i.e., climate change. But while time is a universal experience, how we each perceive and experience it is highly subjective. Some people see time as a cruel thief, stealing away their youth, their vitality, and their future. Others see it as a gift, offering them opportunities for growth, self-discovery, and meaningful connection. “Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve ..read more
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EVOLVING PERSPECTIVES: A.I. Algorithm, Chat GPT, and Bard
Edafe Okporo
by Edafe Okporo
1y ago
Let me tell you a story about how I evolved from a perspective I was dead set was the right way to do it and the only way it can be done. What I learned from it and why I am focusing on the question I asked, information received rather than the assumption I make of the situation. I’m a hero in the United States for fighting for the rights of LGBTQ people but a villain in my home country for doing the same thing. Imagine how humans from two different cultures view the same thing. According to the online Dictionary the word Evolve comes from the Latin word evolvere, "to unroll" — the perfect ima ..read more
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The promise of a life through Education
Edafe Okporo
by Edafe Okporo
1y ago
We tend to focus on the outcomes we believe would give us the greatest joy in life and forget the journey is more important than the destination. I shared my journey, and the lesson I learned along the way. Subscribe to the Newsletter here, I would keep you updated on new iterations of things as they happen. Speaking inquiries, I am being represented by Harry Walker and Literary agent Daniel Lanzar from Writers House ..read more
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A NEW STORY
Edafe Okporo
by Edafe Okporo
1y ago
Why do we write new year's resolutions? To analyze complex notions into simpler ones, to solve problems, to determine what is worthy of our pursuit, what to stay away from, and to narrow our focus. Most of us write resolutions to give us an opportunity to retell ourselves at the end of the year how much we have achieved so we don’t feel like a failure. This is a story we have been told repeatedly. Set goals, set clear goals in life, the key to success is to have a clear goal written down and work towards it every day while this methodology has worked for many people it's vastly a root cause of ..read more
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