Community Work
I am passionate about community work that empowers and inspires people, particularly members of historically marginalized communities. For example, I have worked with organizations to promote African development by Africans and the empowerment of African women and girls. Below I highlight some of the community work that are very dear to my heart, namely the Poderoza International Conference on Cabo Verdean women and the Cape Verdeans Of The Carolinas Association.
Poderoza: International Conference on Cabo Verdean Women
In 2015, along with my sister-scholar, Dr. Aminah Fernandes Pilgrim, I co-founded the biennial Poderoza International Conference on Cabo Verdean Women. Poderoza (Translation: “Empowered woman”) offers a safe space for Cabo Verdean women to be seen and heard. The primary purpose of our conference is empowerment. Together, through panel discussions and breakout sessions, participants accomplish the goal of remembering our individual agency and collective strength. This is an opportunity for exchanging information & resources, educating each other and the world about issues important to us in a format designed for us, by us. Poderoza welcomes everyone - the Cabo Verdean community of the New England region, the US, and the Cabo Verdean Diaspora; community leaders (Cabo Verdean or not, who may work with the women of our community); educators (K-12); academics and community-based scholars in various fields; high school students; and all others interested in supporting our mission.
Learn more here: Poderoza Conference
Cape Verdeans of the Carolinas Association
I am the founding president of the Cape Verdeans of the Carolinas. Founded in 2014 by a group of awesome Cabo Verdean-Americans and close friends, the Cape Verdeans of the Carolinas Association (CVC) is committed to preserving and promoting the culture of the Republic of Cabo Verde in North and South Carolina. The Association serves as a vehicle of engagement and support among the Cabo Verdean population in these two states. Our goals are to enlighten all interested people in learning more about our small West African island nation, shedding positive attention on and awareness of Cabo Verde’s vibrant cultural traditions. We want to foster an active charitable connection to Cabo Verde as advocates of children and education as well as contribute to the increasing multiculturalism of the Carolinas. Learn more about our work at our Facebook page with the same name. We welcome all people as members of our organization!