Let’s Talk Community: With Angelyn

Apr 21

I have been so incredibly blessed to be welcomed into this community with open hearts and open minds. Unknowingly, joining the staff at Curly Me! has/continues to heal parts of me I thought were long buried. I’ve proudly, albeit begrudgingly, existed in liminal spaces for so long that I nearly forgot what community meant. When I was initially hired I was honest about the fact that I am a culturally sensitive person, but had not had the opportunity to work in a lot of Black spaces. I stressed (too much) about how I was going to hold space for all of these new stories, while honoring my own. How was I going to integrate myself into a community that I have never been a part of before?

Working for Curly Me! has reminded me what it means to be IN community. It’s incentivized me to dive inwards and find ways to strengthen bonds with my communities. In such trying and uncertain times I’ve struggled to find places of hope or brightness. Yet, with every event we’ve had in 2024 - I’m always left remembering how much love and beauty there is still in this world. I am astonished watching the way that families show up to support, love, and foster growth in their children. I’m awestruck by the way that our kids leave every program/event having so much joy on their faces it could light up a room. I love watching the kids come out of their shells and make new friends or have learned something new. It reminds me of why community action matters and is such a strong form of resilience.

I owe so much of my hopefulness and truthfully my calmness to everything I have gained from this job. I look forward to seeing you in community.