Dream with us
“As I reflect on another year of HOLLA and HOLLA School, I am reminded of why and how our impact happens day after day, month after month and year after year. There are a myriad of reasons, but most importantly, it’s because Black, Brown and Indigenous communities are resilient and resourceful, always utilizing the means within themselves to survive and thrive.”
People Change Lives
“…This is why HOLLA and HOLLA School prioritizes relationships at the core of our work. As Audre Lorde wrote in her book, Sister Outsider, if we “…start from a position where human beings are the core, as opposed to a position where profit [or programming] is at the core…how similar human problems are solved.” We at HOLLA and HOLLA School have set out to solve a problem of seeing, being, and achieving amongst our youth through a robust relational model that taps into their full power and potential and reclaims their abundance, brilliance and creativity.”
Power in Proximity
“Proximity provides a path for mentors and mentees, educators and scholars, to understand each other's nuances and contexts. Proximity reminds us that nobody is the sum total of one thing; we are complicated beings that are shaped by our own stories that have attached to them a history, culture, family of origin and the systems, institutions, and narratives that reinforce dominance of one people group over the other. Liberation must be done with, not for, one another as the brilliant Brazilian philosopher Paulo Freire states.”
The Joy of Being
“To BE means that you see your full self, warts and all, in order to show up in the lives of Black, Brown and Indigenous youth as your full self. This means you are in tune with your whole humanity, which is incomplete and nuanced, in order to love and work alongside our youth for both your and their liberation. This means we examine Eurocentric systems, structures and institutions that exist in ourselves, and have left us morally and socially bankrupt and unable to do the type of personal interrogation that frees us up to be different in these spaces.”
Practicing Presence
“One of our adages is whatever you pay attention to grows; I’ve learned that there is so much in our world competing for our attention that if we are not careful, we will cease to show up in ways that convey to our Black, Brown and Indigenous youth that they are seen, valued and cherished. Hence, presence is not the precursor to growth, it is the ingredient that empowers growth. This is why we have set out to put infrastructure in place to support our mentors and educators to practice presence...”
Exciting News
“HOLLA and HOLLA School are movin’ on up!! It is a dream come true to share that this month we secured a building to house both HOLLA and HOLLA School in SE Portland right in the heart of our work. HOLLA has been in the SE, Glenfair and Rockwood communities for the past ten years. These are our neighborhoods- this is our home. It is where our work started and where we will continue to deepen our roots, innovate, and respond to the community in a responsive, relational, and grassroots way.”
Reimagining through mentorship
“…There was a lesson here and that lesson I’ve been able to carry with me into my work at HOLLA and HOLLA School. The lesson is simple and yet profound and it’s this—no matter how challenging life gets, it is never too late to pivot and reinvent yourself…”
Our values
“Do you already know that your existence--who and how you are--is in and of itself a contribution to the people and place around you? Not after or because you do some particular thing, but simply the miracle of your life. And that the people around you, and the place(s), have contributions as well? Do you understand that your quality of life and your survival are tied to how authentic and generous the connections are between you and the people and place you live with and in?”
Dreaming Big
“HOLLA has always been an organization that dreams. This past year we’ve launched HOLLA School, broadened our mentoring program, and partnered to support FUBU Newberg. None of these initiatives that directly serve Black, Brown, and Indigenous youth in culturally specific and transformative ways would have happened without dreaming big, sometimes seemingly impossible, dreams!”
Our Success is our Heart
“As I sat there waiting for my food to be prepared, the chef and I engaged in a conversation about his food and I point blank asked him, “Why are your falafels so amazing? I have eaten a ton of Mediterranean food and none taste like yours!" I could tell my question seemed to hit deep because he became pensive, took a breath, leaned over the counter, and with the most sincere, passionate look, answered with such conviction. ‘Because”-zeroing in on my eyes to make sure he had my undivided attention- “I make my food from the heart! What you taste is my heart!’”
Mentorship is care-receiving
“This is the nature of the work. How could it not be?! So if you find yourself in the messy and complicated world of being in relationship with human beings, and you find that in it all your fears, insecurities, inadequacies, helplessness, hopelessness and shame begin to rear their ugly heads, then you are in good company.”
Mentorship is Limitless Possibilities
“Each of these intentional moves to create places of belonging and sturdiness for Black and Brown youth allow for them to dream of the limitless possibilities that await them. As I reflect on this year, I am filled with gratitude for each of you- HOLLA's community- that continues to dream with us through your time, talent, and treasure.”
6th & Shaver
“It was here on 6th and Shaver that would later shape our work. Together my mentor and I got in “good trouble,” as we later learned to challenge inequitable systems, confront status quo, interrupt harmful patterns both in the kids we mentored, as well the patterns deeply embedded in ourselves. We learn from the neighborhood ancestors, the Abuela’s and Abuelo’s, the poets and prophets, we saw the collective power and potential of Black and Brown children up close and personal.”
People Change & Grow
“This journey reminded me about the power of mentorship and most importantly how people change and grow. I am convinced more than ever that yes, programs can and do enrich peoples lives, but at the end of the day, it’s people that change people's lives. I am who I am because a person either opened a door for me, believed in me, encouraged me, challenged me and would never settle for anything less than the best version of me. It is when people’s lives collide and come together that something beautiful happens mutually in this exchange.”
Welcoming FUBU
“After a year of focused and intentional planning we can proudly announce that HOLLA FUBU is a thing! We are in the process of identifying the community's needs and curating critical connections with youth and families through family cookouts, monthly gatherings, mentorship opportunities, Sankofa Trips, wellness resourcing, HBCU tours, retreats and youth requested activities. As you can see our cup runneth over, but HOLLA is poised to make a tremendous impact by leaning into our tireless belief in the power and potential of Black and Brown youth.”
Say Hello to the HOLLA School
“Each of you has made us stronger, wiser, better, and able to weather the storm of challenges and rewards of lifting so much to make both the HOLLA School happen and HOLLA core programs continue furthering our mentorship movement. We are making it and I can't believe this day is here. What started out as a dream, a vision is now a reality and I along with so many others are here for all of it.”
Let Freedom Ring
“I want to talk to y'all about Juneteenth this month because everything we do at HOLLA is to address the lingering effects of racism, oppression, and the enslavement of our people. This moment is a reminder of our history and struggles for equity. It is a reminder to give tribute to those who fought to pave a way for us to exist today. Juneteenth also reminds us of the importance of our unapologetic pursuit of joy, freedom, hope, achievement, and options for our Black and Brown youth. And that is what HOLLA and the HOLLA School are out here to do.”
Pushing Forward
“Over 9 years HOLLA has situated itself in East Portland as a culturally responsive mentoring organization that matches Black, Brown and Indigenous children with mentors that look like them and represent their ways of being in the world. We believe you cannot be what you cannot see and our mentors embody those possibilities. We believe in the power and potential of Black, Brown and Indigenous children and seek to create spaces for them to show up in society as their full selves.”
I am because you are
“When I look back on the past year and the moments that have led to where HOLLA is today, I think about how so many of you have poured life into HOLLA. Your commitment to answering the call for HOLLA has given us the strength to move forward with intentional work that honors the heart of who HOLLA is and how we show up for those who need us the most. Thank you for standing with us & believing in the power and potential of Black & Brown youth.”
We are black, Brown, & Brilliant
“The time to unapologetically advocate and celebrate our Black and Brown babies is now. Too much is at stake for us not to go as hard as we can to give youth every opportunity to step into their greatness. HOLLA is an utterance - a call and response cultural tradition that invokes invitation and participation. If HOLLA is the call, then the work and particularly, the HOLLA School is the response.”
New Year, same HOLLA
“At HOLLA, we believe that our kids are more than capable of pursuing their dreams. I am proud that we can continue to strengthen our youth's ability to step into their purpose and achieve greatness, despite the barriers faced on a daily basis. We believe in our kids so that they can believe in themselves. We mentor youth to reflect on themselves and the HOLLA School will teach them to realize their power and dreams.”
Answering the Call
HOLLA's been dreaming about starting a school that celebrates, centers, and honors our Black and Brown youth for over five years. This dream has at times felt like a heavy load to carry and actualize, but it has been well worth the journey. When we first thought about starting up a charter school, we felt so far away from realizing our potential. How would we begin to envision implementation? How would we find the resources to fuel the work and be able to answer the call for our communities? How could we be resilient and persevere through a pandemic and walk alongside our youth in a greater way at an even more pressing time of need?
HOLLA Charter School is the response
During one of our annual spring mentor-mentee matches, we interviewed one of our kids, a beautiful 7-year old African American girl. One question we ask of all of our kids is "what do you want to be when you grow up?" We expected a typical answer, a dentist, doctor, astronaut, a professional soccer or basketball player. But instead, her answer spoke to the core of why HOLLA exists.
HOLLA is the call - and the work is the response
"The way I want to be remembered is that I didn't play it safe, I took risks. I realize that safe people don't change the world, people that take risks do, and I always want to be a risk-taker because there are too many families and lives at stake."
HOLLA's Scholars
“Despite this relentless pandemic, HOLLA has not slowed down. In fact, we continue to show up in the lives of youth, staff, mentors, and volunteers in greater ways with each passing season. No matter where someone might sit within our organization, we believe in the importance of making a conscious effort to invest in the academic, professional, and psychological development of individuals. Our HOLLA Scholars program is one way we do that.”
HOLLA's Focus
“What happens when you go deep with someone? What happens when you save enough space in your life to really invest in a relationship that is unconditional and not self-serving? How much time do you find it takes to build trust and nurture curiosity about someone you have just come to know and possibly mentor? At HOLLA we devote thousands of hours to going deep and spending quality time ensuring youth are seen, heard, represented, and celebrated. It has never been the goal of HOLLA to focus on quantity but it is a crucial priority of ours to focus on quality.”
In a world of no, say yes
From the moment our kids are born, they hear "NO". To be real, our Black and Brown kids hear it more than anyone else. We have seen all too often that society doesn't allow them to access the same privileges and resources to take a dream from its inception to realization. Society doesn't often allow our kids to have a second chance at a vision and to realize their full potential; rather it fears Black and Brown beauty, brilliance, and resilience. And our Black, Brown and Beautiful kids are too often met with brutality and injustice.
HOLLA’s Testimony
Thank you to each and every one of you for all you do to sustain our critical work in the community. Without champions like you, who continue to surround us with love and support we would not be able to show up in the lives of youth and help them achieve their greatest potential. Thank you for walking alongside HOLLA and helping us reach this next level of greatness as we continue to make a difference. With your support, we raised a total of $290,000 for HOLLA's mentorship movement. Thank you for enriching the lives of hundreds of youth and families across the city.
The Verdict
I was hesitant to write this piece because the George Floyd verdict is complicated, or at least, complicated for Black folks. This may come as shock to some and an affirmation for others. The evidence is clear: Officer Chauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes 29 seconds all while being videotaped, so what more does anyone need? Seems like a slam dunk case until you weigh it against the long arc of injustice, in which, Black folks have had to endure being stalked, harassed, intimidated, targeted, slave patrolled and even lynched at the hands of the State for over 300 years.
Black Lives, Black Thrives
I am beyond excited to drop off our HOLLA K-8 charter school proposal at the doorstep of the Reynolds School District. As I think about my own academic journey it's pretty amazing that I'm attempting this. Let me put it all in context for you. I was kicked out of 2 middle schools, struggled academically through HS and College, and finally woke up to my own brilliance through two significant events.
Celebrate Black Lives
As we close out Black History Month and move into Women’s History month, I am reminded that our history and our legacy is not relegated to a single month but rather is an integral part of every moment in our collective history. I am reminded of how extraordinarily resilient our community is despite the immense tragedy, pain, prosecution, racism, and genocide we have endured and continue fighting against. I am reminded that although we are a part of a society that was not built for us and constantly tries to make us feel like we don’t belong, Black people continue to boldly step towards our purpose and rise up on the foundation our ancestors have laid.
A new day, hope restored
January 20th inauguration was a glorious day! It affected me much more than I thought it would. It’s not often that I am emotionally moved by an election, but now I have two occasions I will no doubt remember for the rest of my life – the first one being when Obama took office. It was the coldest day I had ever experienced, my family and I traveled to Washington DC, to be among the millions witnessing this historic moment. I felt so proud, so incredibly connected to a human being I had never met personally. When I experienced the inauguration, I felt proud to be an African American woman. I felt proud of my culture, my heritage, my big lips, wide thighs, and my achievements.
HOLLA’s Hope this new year
Right now, there’s a lot going on in our world—the pandemic, social unrest, economic challenges, protest and now our democracy is at stake. So to kick off the year, I thought I’d give you some happier news and not dwell on the obvious. I have found that in moments like this we can take one of two postures—fight or flight. HOLLA has chosen to fight. Over the last year, we decided not to settle for self-preservation, but rather to plant our flag in the ground and chase our dreams.
HOLLA’s Hope & Special Announcement
As we look back at 2020, it has been the worst and best of times. Worst in the sense that I wouldn't wish a global pandemic and economic crisis on anyone, much less the families we serve at HOLLA. Best because in the midst of the pandemic and the economy bottoming out, HOLLA has hired more staff, procured more funds and served more kids and their families than any year to date as an organization.
For us, by us
A few months ago, I was struck while reading a New York Times article entitled “In Philanthropy, Race Is Still a Factor in Who Gets What, Study Shows.” I was struck by the fact that few things remain as consistent as racism in America. Although I understood intuitively and experientially this to be true, the article confirmed my premise. In many ways our minority lead institutions are marginalized in the same way that the individuals members of our community are made to feel less than and struggle to find a seat at the table.
Black lives do matter
Black Lives DO Matter. If you don’t believe me, check out our staff page later this week as we update it with new staff. HOLLA is just one story of non-profits founded and operated by BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color). In the midst of all the social unrest, one thing is for sure—BLACK LIVES STR8 UP MATTER. They matter to America, they matter to corporations, they matter to churches, they matter inside and outside our community, they matter to schools and school districts.
Grit & Gratitude
Black and Brown people, now more than ever have been asked to step outside of their regular roles and lead equity work across local government, top corporations, and grassroots organizations. Our people are working tirelessly to bring emergency relief to our most vulnerable populations while managing public administration, urban planning, financial management, art and placemaking, public health and a pandemic, marketing campaigns and messaging strategy, leadership opportunities, public policy, anti-racism trainings, facilitation, mediation, and more.
Resilience & Resistance
I believe all of us are trying to find ways to reflect on and process the moment we are living in. And many of us are feeling compelled to help usher forward a movement that will result in permanent positive change for the community and most importantly the next generation. White America must certainly participate in the heavy lifting and long rode toward justice, but they must be wiling to be led in this movement rather than lead. Leadership will happen through Black people because they possess the double-consciousness to understand what it means to be African –AND- American.
Getting to the Heart
I’ve been chewing on this quote for a good minute and thinking long and hard about what it means in the midst of all the social and racial unrest we are currently experiencing as a country. I love the distinction Ture sets forth in describing and delineating the optics of individual and institutional racism. I would suggest if anyone jumps into this current protest knowing the difference between the two is key.
Because they can
One of our HOLLA board members Alex took to social media this week to decry the senseless or should I say (it makes complete sense) of another murdered unarmed black man name George Floyd at the hands of a police officer(s) who was sworn to serve and protect by opining, “Every time another black person is murdered by a police officer, social media is flooded with questions of how and why does this keep happening. Well, I think the answer is easy...because they can.”