Growing up in Louisiana, the divisions were palpable—racial, economic, and social fault lines crisscrossed our communities like scars etched into the landscape. As an 18-year-old black male, navigating this fractured reality has been both a challenge and a lesson in resilience. In telling my story, there have been bridges built across, and roots planted in, a Divisive land. There has been a legacy of struggle from the moment I could understand the world around me; I was taught about the struggles of my ancestors. Their stories, whispered like secrets in the dark, painted a picture of perseverance in the face of adversity. They marched, they protested, and they fought for a better tomorrow, so that I could stand tall today.I had to understand that resilience in the face of adversity while living in a Divisive world means facing adversity at every turn. Whether it’s systemic racism, economic inequality, or the ever-present threat of violence, resilience has become my armor. It’s the strength to keep moving forward when the weight of the world feels too heavy to bear.