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How I Deal with Stress and Heal from Trauma

Black, Latinx and Native American people make up 30% of the population of Grand Rapids. In integrated spaces, patterns of white dominance are inevitable. ... With social media covering stories of police brutality and discrimination daily, we as people of color cannot escape society’s negative narrative and dehumanization of Black and Brown lives. Five years ago I started my healing journey to cope with my own anxiety and depression caused by experiencing complex trauma, homelessness and microaggressions.

What Can You do in 15 Hours? Rest, Refuel and Recharge on a Roadtrip!

If you’re ready to relax, refuel and recharge, join us for our 2nd annual Refuel Roadtrip to Flint. In just 15 hours you’ll learn, fill your cup and come back inspired and ready to work. Come to ‘just be’, unpack stressors and struggles of workplace life, enjoy uninterrupted time in community and glean professional development. Read more about Roadtrips are designed to help you relax, refuel and recharge!

What's Next for the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan

The Election is Over, Now What?

These past months brought a lot of excitement as people debated and voted in (or out) a new class of elected representatives. We saw large voter turnout across the nation and many first time voters: 18-year olds, new U.S. citizens and those who felt compelled to be more involved given our current political climate. But even if you didn’t vote, you’re an important part of what happens next.

Transformational Leaders Program: finding strength in my identity as a person of color

In the fall of 2015, I was honored to be chosen as a member the Transformational Leadership Program’s third cohort. TLP was designed to create a pipeline of leaders of color and equip them with “critical skills and knowledge required to fill positions of influence across Grand Rapids to support systematic change and to achieve racial equality.” As part of our graduation requirements, we had to write a final reflection paper answering several questions about our learning and experience with the program. The following blog post was my response to the question, “What has been your most significant area of growth of the course of the program?”