Janet Sebastian-Coleman

Janet is passionate about leading an intellectual, creative, service-based life. She loves art, history, language, stories, service work, and travel. She works for Native American rights, Women's rights, and equality for all people. Janet advocates for the use of art and education to create positive social change. Her goals for the year are to become a member of her community, to make lifelong friends, learn from a culture, languages, religions, and a way of life different than her own, and to be welcoming and open to every new experience that comes her way. She hopes also to have a positive and joyful impact on the community and family she will join. Janet hopes to return changed and inspired spiritually, creatively, and intellectually. "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Naande Woo

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2016-04-19

This is my daily life.

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2016-04-19

Here's a short film: https://vimeo.com/163405776 How many roads must a man walk down? How many roads did Saint Augustine travel? 42? I didn't keep count but I've seen a lot of roads this year (and probably many more emotional and spiritual ones than physical), I don't think I've been called a man nor become Saint...

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2016-03-08

March 7th: As I begin my final month of my homestay in Ibel, Senegal here’s a look at the people, my family, that have made this year all it is. Meet the Family from Janet Sebastian-Coleman on Vimeo.

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2016-03-02

February 9th I’ve often lamented that I would not be in Senegal long enough to see another change in season. The start of the rainy season seems far more exciting than its end; I can picture the clouds rolling in, shadows falling across the brown grasses, my siblings suddenly jumping up and dancing, the first fat drop hitting my nose,...

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2016-03-02

January 28th “Tell us about the American way of life,” the student asked, looking up from his notebook. “The American Way of Life?” I repeated back, stalling for time. I stood before thirty students, eyes looking carefully, waiting for a simple response. I sifted and stumbled through my own routine, my high school, my mother’s and...

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2016-03-02

January 19th 2016 Rama turned the page in my book, “Ca c’est cent trieze”. I look at the small number in the page corner, “O’o”, I flip back to the previous page, “ca c’est cent quinze, so…” I turn back to our page “Ca c’est cent… apres cent quinze, honnu aray?”. Rama pauses and studies the three...

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2016-01-31

January 29th I kept pedaling. Speeding past the soccer players, I answered calls of, “Mrs. How are you?” and “Nali Jam!”. Today I was not going push the bike up that little hill right before the compound – today I was pedaling. Why did I always get off the bike once I was off road? I ducked under the...

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2016-01-10

Since the beginning of my homestay in Ibel the landscape around me has shifted and changed almost every week. In this video I sought to capture a brief glimpse the beauty of both the rainy season, dry season, and the transition between the two. https://vimeo.com/151280174

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2016-01-09

A video of appreciation for my fellow fellows, it wouldn't be the same without them. https://vimeo.com/151225163

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2016-01-09

Mid-December: My dream fades and I am aware I am laying down, tangled up in sheets and wrap skirts; the morning has arrived. A silver light frames my closed window and a soft breeze sneaks beneath my door and ripples the curtain. I adjust the sweatshirt that serves as my pillow and wonder at the time, could I close...

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2015-11-23

November 6th 2015 I look over the cover of A Moveable Feast as my sister Rama and her friend Sally Ba dance into the compound holding out bowls full of guavas. There’s a guava tree down the hill from the compound; when I go to the well to get water for my bath I can just see it,...

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2015-11-23

November 18th 2015 I held on to the metal bar above my head and watched the deep orange earth fly by me; our driver was pushing this truck as hard as it would go, occasionally the exhaust would squirt out black but we moved on fast enough that I barely had time to register the foul smell. We...

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2015-11-01

November 1st 2015: In this film I sought to show a glimpse of the sights and the daily life of my first month in Ibel, my community placement. When I showed the film to my family they were extremely excited, they were clapping and screaming. The Senegalese love photos and I think the ability to...

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2015-10-31

October 28th 2015: My four-year-old brother Moussa loves to quiz me in Pularr. His favorite after dinner entertainment is to point to various body parts and say honnu o innete? (What is this called?). He always starts with his personal favorite, tinde (forehead). So I’ve got that word down pat. I learned pretty early on if I’m feeling...

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2015-10-31

October 18th 2015: The romance of travel often rests in the food: the scents, tastes, spices of another part of the world. In Ibel, I live constantly surrounded by food. The okra that will be in today’s lunch is less than ten feet from my soodu (hut/room). Right now my compound is full of corn, okra, and millet...

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2015-10-31

October 16th 2015: About a week ago, I pulled myself out of bed hoping to have a little time to myself before being totally surrounded by kids and food. When I pulled open my door I was greeted by a pale blue morning and a magically empty compound. My family had gone to buy bread. Amazingly, I was...

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2015-09-29

At five in the morning on September 19th Abby and I hustled through the dark streets of Dakar. We crossed the familiar highway, now void of the car rapides, taxis, horses, and buses that usually zip by as we make the trek to school and the office. Abby and I reach the office early and sit on the stoop...

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2015-09-12

Early Thursday morning the pouring rain began. Normally, I sleep straight through thunderstorms and torrential rain. But on Thursday, I drifted in and out of sleep, when I awoke I was not quite sure if I was awake: there was endless drumming of rain in reality but the sound of water also flooded my dreams. My alarm brought me...

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2015-09-08

Since my decision to be a Global Citizen Year fellow, people have asked “What are you going to do?” quite a lot. I answered the question by laying out the program structure. But that answer isn’t personal, people asked “what are you going to do?” And I answered, “The program does this…” or “Fellows have worked on these type of projects”....

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2015-08-31

Well, I’ve made it. I safely arrived in Senegal on Friday, although it seems I’ve been here much longer than that. Perhaps its the sun, or the importance of greeting each person you pass, or the streets made of sand, tiles, cement, and paving stones, but its easy to fall into the rhythm of Senegal....

Janet Sebastian-Coleman

2015-08-26

My anticipation for travel has been building up for months, then suddenly the date and time of departure are staring me in the face, shouting “I'm here!”. And I stare blankly back. “You're here? You look like tomorrow, but are you real?” But it must be true for I have a schedule that says “2:30am...