April 26, 2021
Today is OUR Day
BY TALAR SARKISSIAN
Today is OUR day, today is your day, today is my day. Let today be the beginning of a new chapter where everyday is our day. We have dedicated over a century into the rebuilding of our identity and the reclaiming of our history.
Today, we are witnessing what our grandfathers deserved, dreamed of yet deemed beyond reach. I want to personally thank brothers Aram and Raffi Hamparian and the ANCA for carving a path from our collective dream to our national reality.
The struggle of our forefathers has finally been validated and we have attained the right to heal our wounds, making room to discover a new sense of self and group identity. Liberty is freedom and freedom is responsibility.
Now, our chapter of recognition gives way to a new chapter of re-identification where the world can see us for who we truly are, and see that we are a resilient, persistent and surviving people.
Today I felt a sense of relief I had not known before. A whole century of protests, educationals and seminars have finally paid off. Although we still have a road ahead of us, this step gives us the momentum Armenian volunteers have earned for the rest of us.
Thank you, President Joe Biden, for having and showing the courage your predecessors have lacked. Thank you for granting my brothers and sisters in the Armenian community this day, and for educating the world on the importance of our remembrance. To my people, this is what we have been yearning for.
To my generation, it’s our time to step up to the mantle to carry the torch to the next important steps; Restitutions and Reparations. Join me and let’s make everyday our day.
Talar Sarkissian is a sophomore from Rose and Alex Pilibos.