Dear friends,
We—Giannina Callejas and Samhita Kudva—are excited to introduce ourselves as the new co-directors for the Center for Participatory Change (CPC). As women of color with many intersecting identities, we navigate systems of oppression on a daily basis. Being part of an organization whose mission is to transform these systems through collective power, action, and healing feels vital to us. It’s a dream come true to learn from and contribute to a radical, community-rooted nonprofit that centers Black and Brown leadership, practices shared power, and truly walks the talk.
If this work feels vital to you too, please take action and make a donation today.
As a supporter of CPC, you know why this work feels vital to us. In the last year alone, we have seen local Brown and Black communities targeted and terrorized by ICE raids, police brutality, and gentrification, to name a few. State-sanctioned violence isn’t new. In fact, systemic oppression in this country is as old as its “discovery.” To work toward our vision of collective liberation, CPC practices racial equity, popular education, and language justice to inform, galvanize, and inspire our communities.
If you want to help us create a paradigm shift—away from the 500-year-old status quo and toward collective liberation—please take action and make a donation today.
CPC has accomplished a lot in the past year…
Language Justice
- Trained interpreters through a two-day workshop, monthly practice sessions, and a Young Terps Club
- Expanded its language justice work to include a podcast. Listen to Se Ve Se Escucha
- Held spaces for healing around language loss and provided resources for language reclamation through Serpent’s Tongue, a Spanish class for native Spanish speakers
- Organizing a Gathering for Speakers of Native Languages in December
Popular Education
- Offered youth programming at 45 events through our Seeds of Hope program; about 250 youth participated
- Engaged youth (ages 1–12) on themes including language justice, racial equity, economic justice, LGBTQ rights, community building, immigrant rights, and healing justice
- Trained 13 additional popular educators to provide age-appropriate programming for children to build skills and structural analysis around systems of oppression
- Created space for single mothers to overcome barriers, such as language and transportation, to build a supportive network
Racial Equity
- Held Black Love, a monthly circle focusing on healing and community building
- Started the Black Love Learning Exchange, a capacity-building circle that meets monthly to build facilitation skills and share knowledge around structural racism, racial equity, and healing internalized racial oppression/superiority
- Worked with Faith 4 Justice to support racial equity learning and movement in local churches
- Convened the Black Healing Circle in partnership with Our Voice Rape Crisis Center. The four-part series offered a healing space for Black people affected by sexual and racialized violence
As co-directors, we are determined to sustain and grow CPC’s vital mission—to ignite collective power, transform systems of oppression, and heal in community. If, like us, you believe in and want to work towards collective liberation, be part of this movement and make a donation to CPC today.
With Love and Solidarity,
Giannina Callejas & Samhita Kudva
