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claudia

@caps.yesyear

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☁️the last year of my 20s, my 30th year alive, my Yes Year. (within reason bc .. hello lol)

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“I AM BROKEN BUT BUILT TOGETHER” 🌱 in July I had the immense pleasure of collaborating with the incredible @maleek_washington to give back to our home — the Bronx. The task was simple: get a group of dancers to write about their dream world.. it could be fantastical, personal, idealistic, anything! Any style! As long as it was true to them. They take their writing and choreograph it.
Was it simple? NO lolll when are kids (or nonprofits) ever simple ..
It was a phenomenal experience though.
My first teaching residency. In the Bronx. With a group of mostly girls. And these kids have DREAMSSSSS, baby!!! Big scary beautiful dreams.

I wanted them to understand and believe that their only limitation is their imagination. If you turn off the voices and outside pressures, get really clear and specific about exactly what you want, and you WRITE THAT DOWN, and you say it OUT LOUD, and you speak it into existence and you MOVE…… the world is yours.

I was once a little girl in the Bronx with dreams but no words for them. Thoughts, feelings, fears, but no words.
May every child I meet learn the power of their voice. 🌱

Thank you Maleek for this collaboration! Cheers to many more 🫶🏼 by @caps.yesyear

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Disposable film 2/2 by @caps.yesyear

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Disposable film 1/2 by @caps.yesyear

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👯‍♂️ by @caps.yesyear

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Go support your local library by @caps.yesyear

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The DIY Residency 🗒️ What was it? ~12 hours in a hotel room to actually work on my manuscript after years of “working on it.” It was a yes .. packaged in a no disguised as a yes. by @caps.yesyear

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I’m facilitating a free IRL workshop this Friday ! The theme is anti-censorship. We’re telling it like it is and getting sh*t off our chests. Happening at City Island’s library. It’s giving gay and white — perfect crossroad for disrupting a thing or two 🫶🏼 and prob getting some crab legs after cuz why not 🦀 taken in City Island Library - NYPL by @caps.yesyear

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🫧🧿💕 by @caps.yesyear

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So I like what I see when I’m looking at me when I’m walking past the mirror! Don’t stress through the night, at a time in my life ain’t worried about if you feel it. Got my head on straight, I got my vibe right, I ain’t gonna let you kill it! You see I wouldn’t change my life, my life’s just... by @caps.yesyear

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🥭🌸 taken in New York Botanical Garden by @caps.yesyear

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❤️‍🩹 .. TLDR: Another full circle moment of healing.

I spent four academic years on 131’s campus as a teacher in Success Academy. SA gave me very little to speak positively about. Except for the kids. I’ve never been loved as profoundly as I was in my classroom, IN SPITE of the pain inflicted by the “leaders” who failed us all.

I was treated horribly by my “leaders” and fellow teachers alike (surprise, surprise). I gave SO much to an institution that called my black students monkeys, devalued and humiliated staff and students for funzies, dangled carrots over my head, and eventually fired me unjustly while my “friends” and “leaders” stepped aside.

That was January, 2022. March, 2025 I returned to campus!!!! For 131’s Career Day.

I created a new career out of nothing, then returned.

🧿 I spoke to 8 different classes, many of which had my past students in them.
I got to talk about my life as a poet, publishing, performing, my role at the Nuyorican, and even told the true story of why I stopped teaching.

🫧 I strolled through the hallways that shaped much of my adult engagement in the world. Nobody said a thing.
I walked freely into my old classroom — the room I was “not allowed to be in” — just because I could. Funny .. the door wasn’t locked, and later that day, it was even propped open. Empty. Fitting.

Most importantly, that day was a huge step towards healing my relationship with being a classroom teacher. My first adult joy. ❤️‍🩹

To wrap this up.. Thank you to 131 for seeing me while pushed to the literal corner of my school, and remembering me for all I’m worth. Shoutout to Bullet for the invitation and warmest welcome. @bulletiswinning
May Samantha, Wanda, my co-teachers, and teacher “friends” have the lives they deserve. May they experience the success they dogged me out, abandoned, and/or ghosted me for.
May the few good humans I met there also have the lives they deserve, whether or not we speak again.
May I have more opportunities to shine in the faces of those who tried to snuff my light.
May you, dearest reader, experience the same closure. 🫶🏼
Love always by @caps.yesyear

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I have not stopped saying yes!!! Just protecting my bubble cuz somewhere in the spring, things started to flip.. iykyk. And life is toooooo precious and beautiful to be on eggshells bc people want to destroy your joy and success. 🫧🧿 excuse me as I catch you all up! 💕 from this point on, we’re all out of order but it’s fine. Nothing is real. Did you miss me? by @caps.yesyear

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