Women of Color Collective: Creating safe spaces for vulnerability, connection, and healing
Leslie Ramirez is an ASUN presidential candidate participating in a workshop at the Women of Color Collective Spring Retreat. As a candidate, she hopes that she can create similar spaces, and is striving towards creating praying spaces, a genders center, and disability resource guides.
On Saturday, March 5, the Women of Color Collective (WOCC) hosted their first retreat aimed at creating community amongst women of color at the University of Nevada, Reno. Throughout the day, attendees met with like-minded women, shared their stories, laughed and even shed tears.
Despite the university being more than 45% non-white, many students of color have difficulties finding a sense of community. Attendees expressed how important the retreat, and spaces like it are for students of color.
“I feel relief that I finally found a space to really be who I am and express my identity,” Leslie Ramirez, an ASUN presidential candidate, said in regards to her experience at the event. The retreat was Ramirez’ first WOCC event, and it helped her feel less lost and separated from her identity as a Latina.
Abigail Villa, an attendee who identifies as a Filipino American, found that the space allowed her to answer questions she had about her own identity.
“I think it just creates a safe space for women of color, because we don’t really have that in predominantly white spaces,” Villa said.
Women at the event were grateful for the space they entered over the weekend. A few women attested to their inability to talk about certain topics with others without having their feelings and experiences dismissed, but the collective listened to their stories without judgement.
“Having allies you can rely on is really important,” Abrie Smith, another attendee said. “I think this is really important because when a lot of spaces are dominated by, white majorities, having that sister hood so you don’t feel alone, or even that brotherhood is really important.”
Transcript
Lynn Lazaro: Why is this space so important for women of color?
Leslie Ramirez: I think this space is so important because it’s not offered everywhere on campus, and sometimes it’s really hard to find. And I think, at least for me, I felt very welcomed and supported and just happy overall. I felt relief that I finally found the space to really be who I and express my identity.
Abrie Smith: I think this is really important because when a lot of spaces are dominated by white majorities, having that sisterhood so you don’t feel alone, or even that brotherhood, is really important.
Abigail Villa: I think it just creates a safe space for women of color because we don’t really have that in predominantly white spaces. So this is, like where we can talk about, like, issues that we can all relate to in terms of our identity and intersectionality.
Lynn Lazaro: For more student news and opinions, check out our website, vibrantvoicesunr.com.
