Reflect and Strengthen

January 30, 2012 Leave a comment

I asked my colleagues for suggestions about grassroots leaders and organizations doing great things in the world. One suggestion was Boston-based Reflect & Strengthen, which turned ten in 2011.

They describe themselves as “a grassroots collective of young working class women from the urban neighborhoods of Boston who take a holistic approach to organizing in order to create personal and social transformation. Our programming focuses are political education, healing from trauma, creative expression, community building, and organizing to end racial disparities in the juvenile justice system.”

What I find beautiful is that they got started because they needed a community in which to heal and think critically about their lives and communities and they didn’t see many resources that spoke to them. “[T]he founding members were determined to maintain a space where we could be our whole selves and process the violence, lack of access, incarceration, self-hatred, and trauma we experienced because of our race, class, gender, orientation, and citizenship status.” Ten years later, they’re still maintaining that space. All I want to say is “you go!”

Check out their vision, values, herstory, events and programs at Reflect & Strengthen.

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