NAYA Many Nations Academy Celebration

Thank you for celebrating with us!

With your help, the 2023 Many Nations Academy Celebration was a wonderful event! Thank you again for joining us in changing lives through education! Your contribution to the Many Nations Academy is an investment that will invigorate and strengthen families and communities for generations to come.

Catch up on our celebration!

Enjoy photos from our Student Showcase & Kloshe Tum’-tum Hour…

About NAYA’s Many Nations Academy…

About NAYA’s Many Nations Academy Art Classes…

About NAYA’s Many Nations Academy Music Production Elective…

Enjoy poetry from Many Nations Academy student Alma T. Tapio…

the things I was told

By: Alma T. Tapio

I was told to apologize for the color of my skin
that it was my fault if I didn’t win
win more than 15 years of life that is
I wish it didn’t happen like that
I wish I could walk down the street with my friends and not fear of our lives short ends
I just wanna live in a world where my son can go get a bag of skittles
or my daughter can come home from a party in one piece
sometimes I wish my heart didn’t start pounding every time my dad got pulled over
I hate how my body tenses when I hear a siren
you know I was told what to do when I get pulled over at the age of 10
I was blinded by their flashlight at the age of 8
you don’t know what real fear is until its standing right in front of you
until you see death itself asking for your parents’ license and registration
the shake in my mother’s hand speaks louder than any “I’m not one of yo lil friends” or “watch yo tone” ever did
it’s the moments where the silence speaks louder than anything you ever heard
that makes your heart beat the quickest
and your breaths be the shortest
yet its only the moments that its too late
that y’all start to listen