April 2026 Issue 2
- Cultures Connecting
- Apr 15
- 5 min read
Guiding Youth in Polarizing Times
When events such as ICE raids, wars, or protests occur locally or nationally, children and youth often respond with questions, fears, or misunderstandings. Young people are forming ideas about race, power, safety, and belonging. Ignoring these moments can unintentionally reinforce stress, misinformation, or othering.
Our Cultures Connecting team developed Guiding Youth in Polarizing Times to provide developmentally informed strategies to help you respond with honesty, care, and intention. At the heart of these conversations is a commitment to dignity, humanity, and belonging for all people.
Download the PDF guide below so that you can have these hard but important conversations about current events with youth.
Equity Leaders Workshop on May 7th and 8th
May is fast approaching which means out next workshop, Leading Equity Work in Shifting Times (formerly Equity Leaders), is coming up! This workshop brings together equity leaders, formal and informal, who are committed to sustaining belonging-centered organizational change even in shifting political and institutional climates. Participants will learn directly from Cultures Connecting’s seventeen-plus years of experience supporting hundreds of organizations through multicultural organizational development, resistance, and long-term culture change.
Leading Equity is facilitated by Dr. Caprice Hollins and Ilsa Govan and will take place on May 7th & 8th at 8:30-12:00pm PT /11:30-3:00pm ET on Zoom. Visit the button below to learn more and register!
Join our List for 2nd Edition Train the Trainer Book Previews!
The second edition of our book, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, that we use for our Train the Trainer workshops is being released this year. The new edition called Facilitating Conversations on Race has several new sections on topics such as facilitating virtually, anchor questions, co-facilitation, and more!
We've been sharing early previews with our Brave Space Builders list including our book cover and release date! Join our list for insights, highlights, and special offers for our upcoming release. Just reply to this email and let us know you'd like to join!
A Conversation with Estela Ortega of El Centro de la Raza
Estela Ortega, Executive Director of El Centro de la Raza, doesn't describe her career in terms of titles or accolades. She describes it in terms of what needed to be done. "No task is beneath you," she says, "whether it's answering the phones, sweeping, mopping floors, cooking." For 53 years, Estela has shown up for El Centro de la Raza and she's still showing up.
The organization began not with a board meeting or a grant, but with a peaceful occupation. In 1972, a group of community members and students took over the old Beacon Hill School, a building that had been abandoned in favor of more modern facilities.
Today, El Centro serves over 20,000 individuals a year through approximately 43 programs spanning emergency human services, education, workforce development, early childhood programs, and affordable housing.
El Centro’s work has never felt more urgent. In response to the current political climate, the organization has ramped up emergency safety planning by helping families designate backup caregivers for their children, document their assets, and know their rights.
To learn more about the important work of El Centro de la Raza and the ways you can get involved, read our full interview with Estela on our blog.
Nature & Corazón Workshop at The Fishbowl
Our Project Manager Judy Lee is curating a community art show titled, Between Borders and Belonging on the immigration experience. As part of this show, Mexican American artist Marisol Morales will be facilitating Nature & Corazón, an amate painting workshop.
This creative, heart-centered experience uses traditional Mexican amate bark paper and guides participants in painting their own corazón (heart) inspired by the land, memories, and imagination. Handmade by Indigenous Otomi (ñhañhus) of the Sierra de Puebla artisans, amate bark paper is created using methods dating back nearly 3,000 years.
This session centers on reflection, storytelling, and connection. No prior art experience is necessary, and all materials and snacks will be provided. The workshop is offered sliding scale between $10-$35. Register here to attend the workshop and to see the art show.
Pierce County Regional Opportunity Fair
Collaboration for a Cause is organizing a regional opportunity fair on April 23rd at Clover Park featuring over 70+ resources including employers, community organizations, and workshops throughout the day. Workshops include "Navigating Barriers," "WorkSource Orientation," and "Tacoma Public Schools" all designed to help you access resources and opportunities.
To learn more, visit the event website and register!
Ways to Take Action for Change
Participate in May Day May Day, which is on May 1st, is also known as International Workers' Day. The May Day Strong coalition, a network of hundreds of organizations, is organizing a nationwide day of collective actions including boycotting work, school, and shopping. Their demands include taxing the rich, no ICE, no war, and hands off our vote.
You can sign the May Day Pledge on their website, as well as use their searchable map for events in your area.
45+ Acts of Non-Compliance for Ordinary People
The "How to Resist" Substack has a list of 45+ acts of non-compliance anyone can take to resist our current administration. They include things like:
Refusing to comply in advance.
Delaying or obstructing harmful initiatives within institutions.
Investing in cooperatives or community-owned alternatives.
Archiving threatened, deleted, censored, or removed government content.
Correcting misinformation.
They provide links to more details and strategies as needed. Visit the Substack to read the list and start taking action today.
Consider Boycotting Companies that support Trump and Project 2025
Powered by Rainbows, an LGBTQ Education & Resources group, provides a list of companies that have supported Trump and Project 2025. It's a big list of companies most of us engage with so it might feel overwhelming to try to boycott all of them. Instead, commit to selecting a handful of companies to avoid and replace them with alternatives. For example, shop at Lowes instead of Home Depot, or use Lyft instead of Uber.
If you're on social media, you can also follow The Woke Ginger who regularly posts reviews of companies and suggestions for alternatives.
Upcoming DEIB/Social Justice Events
For details on these and other events, workshops and conferences happening in the social justice space, visit our Events Calendar. If you have an event you would like us to share, please reach out to us!
4/15: BIPOC Leaders Lab
4/15: Come As You Are: Mindfulness on the Spot
4/16: Race Forward: Building Racial Equity: Foundations Virtual
4/16: Duwamish Eco Tours
4/16: SURJ Abolition Action Hour
4/16: NAMI LGBTQ+ Support Group
4/17: Freedom Lifted: Shared Power in Supervision
4/17: Designing a Popular Education Learning to Action Process
4/17: Resistance Fridays at Common Power
4/17: Engage the Elephant: An Introduction to Processwork
4/18: NAAM Community Health and Resource Fair 2026
4/19: Nature & Corazón: An Amate Painting Workshop
4/21: NAMI BIPOC Support Group
4/22: White Privilege Conference 2026
4/22: Anima Leadership: Fire and Silence Chat with Daniel Quan-Watson
4/23: Seattle/King County Clinic Free Dental, Vision & Medical Services
4/24: Collaboration for a Cause: Regional Opportunity Fair
4/24: Step UP Conference
4/28: Race Forward: Power Building for Racial Equity
4/28: Antisemitism Explained
4/29: ToP Facilitation Methods Training
4/29: The Power of the River Book Launch
...and so much more! Visit our Events Calendar to see the most up-to-date full schedule.
*Cultures Connecting workshop.
