“How To Build Community When You Feel Isolated” by Chitra Aiyar

On her speech about “How To Build Community When You Feel Isolated”, Chitra Aiyar addressed the importance of surviving the feeling of seclusion by the middle, high school, and college students, cited a few examples referencing to the isolating and competitive experience of Black students in Xavier University in Louisiana, and imparted three ways on how to achieve the sense of belonging, not only by the students but by the community as well.

Chitra Aiyar started her talk by sharing her experience in a singing class that she signed up for with her two friends in New York City, acknowledging what a lousy singer she is and expressing how she felt out of place considering she’s not up to par with her class mates. In order to get over their fear, her instructor gave them a task which is to sing solos for each other and to write down constructive comments on their index cards. By the end of their class, Chitra realized that they are not inevitably in competition but instead she “found this lived experience of actually being invested in other people’s success” (Aiyar, 2019, 03:11). As someone who is working for a non-profit project who’s main objective is to support low income, young women and youth of colors, Chitra claimed that she decided to bring what she learned from that in her work. She recommended to encourage sister circles for students who feel alienated in the campus and introducing them together since “people always underestimate how other people feel” (Aiyar, 2019, 05:12). The speaker then commended the practice of the pre-medicine students of Xavier University in Louisiana, which is to look to their left and right, as a reminder that they all got each others back. Eventually, Chitra emphasized three ways on how to recover from the shame and stigma of being an outcast; a) focusing more on  an individual’s success as a community success b) allow yourself to be occupied with activities that will let you contribute and connect in order to avoid comparing yourself c) find the opportunity where you see yourself as an organizer, partner and a supporter and not just a part of marginalized youth.

Chitra stressed the responsibility of young people which is to convey that opportunity and wisdom not only in school but to every disparate place they journey considering that they still have plenty to pursue in terms of financial, political and academic aspect in life. Finally, she related the feeling of isolation that students discern as to her experience in that singing class in which she contended that everyone may go through such sentiment of being estranged but lending a helping hand to others by making time and making sure that they fit in in the process is enough to find that sense of inclusion as well (Aiyar, 2019).

Reference:

Aiyar, C. [TED]. (2019, May 28). How To Build Community When You Feel Isolated  [Video].https://www.ted.com/talks/chitra_aiyar_how_to_build_community_when_you_feel_isolated/up-next