Through her experiences with activism during her undergraduate career, Alyssa Rivas has observed an emerging theme of "wokeness" within her peers, and has questions about its impact on the larger social community. From the TEDxTufts stage, Alyssa defines wokeness, allyship, and what it means to be part of a community where identity, background, and intention intersect.

Alyssa Rivas is a junior majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies; she created the major Youth Development, Ethnic Idea and Media Socialization. She will graduate in May and is working on a thesis concerning Positive Interventions in Ethno-Racial Identity Development. Alyssa currently serves as a Gerald Gill Fellow at the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy; her talk will be an extension of the research she has been conducting for the past year. She is the Co-Founder of Athletes of Color, an organization that supports and builds community for student-athletes of color. As a freelance photographer she works to support movements for social change working through the lens as a woman of color. Alyssa is interested in creative storytelling, reading, all of Netflix's new series, and good food.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx