All photography provided by Teja Jonnalagadda
“There is middle ground to be found between the past and the present, the rational and the realistic, the natural and mechanical, free thought and fraternity.”
my Mission
This is a collection of essays, poems, and spoken word that I have written over the years. Decolonization is the personal and systematic approach to dismantling systems of European political, cultural, and socioeconomic systems that control, oppress, violate, exploit, and dominate all humans. There exists a global sociopolitical racial caste system which imbues worth, right, and privilege to humans based on race. This system uplifts and imposes the ideologies of "Whiteness" and Christianity on the masses of the world. As such it cuts all people off from their ancestral roots; and condemns and eradicates indigenous ways of thinking and being. It limits a deep understanding of self and severs our connection with the natural world. Decolonization is an effort for reconnection and enlightenment. It is to restore and empower the indigenous peoples, populations, and nations of this world beyond the myopic Eurocentric view. Such that, as a species, we can celebrate our diversity. We must remember our ancestry and the crimes committed. We must seek forgiveness and justice. Finally, we must seek reconciliation such that we can heal from the wounds and oppression. We can rise up together, and build a just, equal, harmonious, and ecologically sustainable world for all of us.
“So distant from yourself, that you forgot that there’s something elemental, beautiful, and powerful. It has always been there, and always will be there. In a fleeting glimmer you will see all that you are, and the true shade of the world.”
Who is teja jonnalagadda?
Teja is a second generation Indian American, that grew up in Northern NJ. He is a Mechanical Engineer and is currently a Masters student at Northeastern University. In his 26 years, he has traveled to many different countries and has experienced alot. His current passions include photography, poetry, books, cinema, food, the sciences, history, and rock climbing. He wants to reshape the entire world in three intersected and deeply related domains of sustainability, decolonization, and clean energy.