Ethnic Studies rejects the rigidity of a single discipline; it roots itself in an epistemological interconnectedness. Every form of knowledge production whether artistic, historical, scientific, or Political is touched by race. For this reason, Ethnic Studies resists the colonial stratification of knowledge. An Ethnicity & Race Studies journal, in turn, seeks to embrace the decolonial. Proceeding from the work of Paulo Friere, Roots aspires to an horizontal scholarship, in which no one source of knowledge is more valuable than another; nor is the input of one student or professor more valuable than another. The purpose of an undergraduate peer-reviewed academic journal for Race and Ethnicity studies at Columbia is to provide an interdisciplinary home for student scholarship, including but not limited to academic papers and creative multimedia projects. As the first publication for inter- and transdisciplinary studies at Columbia we strive to accommodate the capaciousness of ethnicity scholarship, along with the many forms it takes: essay, photography, creative writing, ethnography, visual art, interview, and more. We aim to provide students with an opportunity to publish their work in a journal, which would give students publication and editing experience while also creating an archive of students' scholarly efforts in Race and Ethnicity studies. The journal also provides an opportunity for students unfamiliar with the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race to learn more about Race and Ethnicity studies at Columbia, including the surrounding New York City community. Roots is committed to offering an interdisciplinary platform for students interested in exploring the intersection of race with gender, sexuality, class, age, ability, and nations. The journal serves as a valuable resource and platform for students at Columbia University who wish to explore the axes of marginalization with power structures of nation-states, (neo/post/settler) colonialisms, and empire.