You may not have heard of the artichoke capital of the world—Castroville, California—but you definitely need to hear and know more about Denise Padín Collazo, a leader, advocate, director and author who coincidentally was born in Castroville. Senior advisor for external affairs and director of institutional advancement at Faith In Action, (formerly PICO National Network),…
Aviso: Éste articulo menciona la violación, la agresión sexual, y violencia contra mujeres. En mi familia, y probablemente en la suya, la violencia contra las mujeres es generacional. Mi abuela Lela llegó a su punto de ruptura hace setenta y cinco años en Las Marías, Puerto Rico. En ese día, mi abuelo Marcos le lanzó…
Trigger Warning: Mention of rape, sexual assault and violence against women. Violence against women is often generational In my family, and likely in yours, violence against women is generational. What violence against women looked like for my grandmothers My Abuela Lela hit her limit seventy-five years ago on the day my Abuelo Marcos threw…
As we reflect on the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the U.S. national mood feels unquestionably different today than twenty years ago. Then, we felt a collective sense of deep grief and unity. Today, we live in a toxically polarized environment which we all helped to create. Yet, I believe the current climate could…
Mi esposo Julio César tomó esta foto recientemente. Muestra tres señales de tráfico. Dos de ellos tienen las luces verde y roja encendidas, el otro tiene una flecha roja de “no girar a la izquierda” encendida. Es una gran metáfora para 2020. Por un lado, la imagen es inusual, diferente a todo lo que he…
My husband Julio César snapped this picture while he was driving. It shows 3 traffic signals. Two of them have both the green and red lights on, the other has a red ‘no left turn’ arrow lit up. This picture sums up the year 2020. The malfunctioning street lights in the picture send mixed signals…
On a hot, sunny afternoon, the week of July 22, 2019 I finally felt at home.
“Preciosa serás sin bandera, sin lauros, ni gloriapreciosa, preciosa, te llaman los hijos de la libertad.” “Preciosa” – Rafael Hernández En una tarde calurosa y soleada, de la semana del 22 de julio de 2019, finalmente me sentí en casa. Estaba parada en una esquina detrás de una barricada de la Calle Fortaleza en el…
During times of great chaos, innovation is key. If anyone would have asked you last October how you would be spending your 2020, neither you nor I would have been able to imagine how much our lives would have changed. Yet, I am encouraged by all of the women of color who are finding ways…
¡Hola! Soy Denise Padín Collazo, bienvenido a mi página electrónica. Crecí en Castroville, California. De joven me involucré en la lucha por la justicia social en este país. En mi camino profesional he tenido muchas experiencias como ser la primera Latina en formar una familia y tener una carrera como Organizadora Comunitaria en la red…