From DM’s to Deep Care + Intentional Friendships

Gardenia slid into my DM’s one day, and now we’re super close friends. She supported our last cohort with the Cultural Leadership Fellowship, where our friendship really took off. Gardenia is intentional, kind, generous, and leads everything she does with love. This episode is a dive into who she is as a friend, community member, and mental health advocate. It’s the first episode I've recorded in person since before COVID, and you can definitely hear the excitement–prepare for lots of laughter. Enjoy!

This piece is made up of memories where my anxiety manifested into a persona. I refer to my anxiety as she/her, throughout. This written piece will be featured in Minneapolis at an undocumented art exhibit.

Carlie is deeply driven by a desire to help others, whether she’s volunteering with the Florida Student Power, tutoring students, or creating content for first-generation students on her platform Dreamersuccess_! She is always looking for ways to build resources and apply herself for opportunities across the nation. She migrated to the US from Haiti with her mom in 2018 and has been faced with many difficulties in her life, yet she always attempts to grow and look forward. Prepare to be deeply inspired by Carlie on our new episode.

Let’s go back in time—seven months ago—to my last adventure abroad with the Cultural Leadership Fellowship. In all honesty, recording this was hard. I wrote most of it just days after returning to the U.S., then let it sit in an open tab for months. This journey was filled with laughter, spiritual moments, and heartbreak. Join me as I revisit the moments in Peru and Mexico that moved me.

The LEO podcast and Shot of Truth Podcast presents Undocumented and Unafraid: Protests, Power, and Surveillance an episode unpacking what we are experiencing as immigrant folks in this country. We discuss the real-life impacts of these ongoing immigration policies rooted in dehumanization and exploitation.

People are coming together—learning, organizing, having difficult conversations, and speaking out against daily injustices. As immigrants, we know that staying informed, having resources, and leaning on our community is how we keep moving forward! Tune in to Shot of Truth for a roundtable discussion, co-hosted by Yuriana Garcia, with Alma C., Ronnie J., Jose C., and Priscilla A. We’ll talk about organizing, how we’re taking action to protect our communities, and how we’re navigating these challenges ourselves. Listen on Apple Podcast, Spotify and at shotoftruthpodcast.com.

Carolina joins us with an open heart to discuss healing, embodiment, and creating intentional spaces while honoring self. She talks about her role being a mental health therapist and balancing that with her identity and other aspects of her life. We talk about the harm of isolating yourself and how important it is to be with community right now. Carolina is the Founder of Healing Vibraz, which promotes healing and mental wellness through a social justice and liberation-based perspective that aims to bring a space for individual and collective community healing. Check out this episode on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and our website.

In this episode, I sit down with Cheska Mae Perez to talk about balancing our wants, family needs, responsibilities, and optimism in tough times. We discuss so many things including growing up in poverty and breaking generational cycles, redefining community in 12+ cities, healing, and finding liberation. Cheska’s story is one of resilience, self-discovery, and hope. You won’t want to miss her powerful message to start the year with purpose and connection. Thank you Cheska for your vulnerability and all the things that drive you to be the beautiful person you are.

We love our undocu soccer babes—it's true! In this episode, we highlight Mario, who poured his heart into connecting with others and sharing his journey of turning dreams into reality. Mario reflects on the role soccer and family have played in shaping who he is today, and how his curiosity, desire to learn, and connections with others have expanded his view of the world. A huge shoutout to everyone who made this series possible and to those who joined us on this unforgettable Cultural Leadership Fellowship Summer 2024 journey in Portugal. It's been an honor to witness your stories and growth.

Ronnie James calling in from New York! Ronnie joined the Cultural Leadership Fellowship envisioning how he could create opportunities like this for Undocumented Black folks. Believe it or not, we recorded days before he took off to Trinidad to lead his cohort with UndocuBlack Network! We shared many laughs and moments we enjoyed together and in community. He also shares about reconnecting with his sister in London, traveling abroad with his partner, and returning home to Saint Lucia for the first time with his mom! Tune in to this special episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or the Shot of Truth Podcast website!