Nia L. Blog #2

Hi everyone! My name is Nia Leilani Lundkvist. I was born and raised in Oakland, California and lived there until I left for college. I went to an arts school for high school where I studied theatre. Since graduating, I haven’t done any more acting, but I may pick it up one day again in the future. I also am a spoken word poet. I started performing in my freshman year of high school and kept with it until my sophomore year of college. I still write in my free time, but I’m taking a break from performing.

I am a rising senior at Spelman college majoring in sociology and minoring in comparative women’s studies. Spelman is a small private historically Black college and liberal arts school located in Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating from Spelman, I want to go straight into a Ph.D. program either in sociology or women’s studies. My goal is to become a professor, and I would love to be able to lecture internationally.I love to travel and have had the privilege to visit 10 countries outside of the US and 24 states thus far. I hope to travel to many more places in the near future (next on my list is Cuba or Brazil!).

I’m a huge Golden State Warriors fan and as of last night we are 3-0 in this NBA finals series so I’m very excited! Also, I love food! I don’t think I could pick a favorite, but some of my top picks would be burritos, french toast, chocolate oreo milkshakes, mangos (with tajín), and bbq ribs. I don’t think I have a favorite song, but I listen to mainly Hip-Hop, R&B and Neo-Soul Music. My favorite movie right now is Moonlight. Though it’s not a movie I will watch over and over again endlessly, in my opinion every element of the film is exceptionally executed (the directing, acting, cinematography, writing, concepts, etc.). Here’s a link to the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH5C-UEmvIM

This summer I will be working with Dr. Burns gonna project entitled “Engaging Young Men in Reproductive Health”. The population focus is a group of recruited participants at a clinic in Detroit. My role is to conduct more research into positive deviance and how that has been applied to how young Black men preserve their own reproductive health outside of traditional resources like a clinic. While reproductive health is not my primary area of interest in search, it is a branch of social justice I have been exploring in recent years through an organization I am part of called Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity (URGE). This organization focuses on engaging primarily young women and LGBTQ+ folks, so this research would fill a gap in my knowledge and experience in learning how men handle their own reproductive health.

Lastly, my birthday is July 23rd (so mark your calendars 🙂 ). I am a true astrological cusp, my birthday is on the first day of Leo, but I was born at 1 in the morning so I am right on the edge between Leo and Cancer. This is interesting because Cancer is a water sign and Leo is a fire sign so I carry a very strong balance of conflicting energies. I also find water and fire equally calming. One of my favorite places to go is Lake Merritt in Oakland.

Looking at the water is very relaxing and setting for me. I also like to burn candles and incense in my room to achieve the same energy. To be honest, I don’t really know if any of this actually means anything, just some observations about myself!

I’ll end this post with a quote that inspires me to stay true to myself and not settle for anyone else’s limitations:

“Know your worth, or have it passed out to you.”

Well, that’s all for now. I am very excited to be here and get to know you all!