What is the Color Collective?
The Color Collective is a designated community space and multi-genre program for Womxn, Femmes & Non-Binary Persons of Color (Black, Indigenous, POC) who are living in Utah. This Fall-to-Spring program is designed for Womxn, Femmes & Non-Binary Persons of Color to come together for healing, empowerment, and reconciliation in their experiences of racism, sexism, and other intersectional oppressions through education and dialogue, community collaboration, highlighting POC community organizing and advocacy in Utah, self-care and healing practices, and forming new connections with other like-minded individuals.
What We Do
Meetups are held monthly from September/November to May (each meetup is 2 hours long) and feature a different Womxn, Femme, or Non-Binary POC facilitator from our communities to present and lead on intersectional themes and topics, writing exercises, art-based activities, healing and self-care practices, and cultivating a space for dialogue and connection.
Allies/Accomplices Please be Advised:
We appreciate your solidarity and indeed, hope for your support. We ask that you respect that meetings and our outings (unless otherwise noted) are only open to womxn, femmes, and non-binary persons of color. For the time being, please increase your own understanding and participation in justice and equity work and consider supporting our group financially. No amount is too small and we truly appreciate your support.The Color Collective Team
Our Upcoming Events
Self Love & Truth Yoga Meditation
with Jendar Morales (she/hers/ella)
Wednesday | March 3, 2021 | 6 PM-8 PM | VIA ZOOM
Free to all Womxn, Femmes, and Non-Binary Persons of Color
Preparation & Supplies Needed for this Workshop:
- Set up your device in a private and comfortable location with space to move
- A yoga mat, towel, or space to move
- Two blocks or a chair for support
- A blanket or cushion to sit on
- A water bottle
- A journal or sketchbook handy to write thoughts and impressions
- Any items to help you feel centered and grounded
Identity in the Everyday Hustle: Navigating Workplaces
with Viviana Felix (she/hers/ella)
Wednesday | April 7, 2021 | 6 PM-8 PM | VIA ZOOM
Free to all Womxn, Femmes, and Non-Binary Persons of Color
For most of us, our parents taught us to work hard and give it our all to achieve a worthy life. We grow up and enter the workforce, execute these principles, and in the hustle, we can become consumed by an oppressive system often leading us to lose ourselves, suffering mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. As working professionals, no one prepares us for the work environment, and how to handle spaces not inclusive of Womxn, Femmes, and Non-Binary BIPOC. Together in this workshop, we will explore the hustle DNA of Womxn of Color, why it is essential to speak up for yourself, and tools and suggestions for how to protect your wellbeing and be your truest self in the workplace.
Preparation & Supplies Needed for this Workshop:
- Set up your device in a private and comfortable location.
- Have available a notepad and writing utensil.
- Bring an affirmation/saying/quote/word/picture that you use to lift your spirits.
Food Justice in Utah & Reconnecting to the Land
with Diya Shah (She/ they)
Wednesday | May 5, 2021 | 6 PM-8 PM | VIA ZOOM
Free to all Womxn, Femmes, and Non-Binary Persons of Color
Join us for an interactive presentation of exploring how food is a multidimensional lens to understand the self, connect with our communities, and provide solutions for societal and planetary crises. Diya Shah, a local food advocate, shares with us their graduate and community work in learning how Communities of Color have long used food and connection to land as a means for resilience, resistance, and healing. We will learn about the work of decolonizing what food and land mean to us in our daily lives, and how we can practice a mindset of advocacy and connection for the future of our world.
Preparation & Supplies Needed for this Workshop:
- Set up your device in a private and comfortable location
- A journal or sketchbook for note-taking, thoughts, and impressions
Meet the Team
Viviana Felix
Co-Founder, Facilitator, & Group Coordinator
Viviana Felix (she/her/ella) is a proud Mexican American striving to learn, preserve and educate herself and others on the intersectional experiences of Latinx individuals in the U.S. In January 2014, Viviana was selected as a candidate in the nationally recognized Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) internship program. Through CHCI Viviana interned for Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico, the state with the largest Hispanic population in the country. In 2015, through the Olene S. Walker Institute Viviana served in the Utah State Legislative interning for Senator Luz Escamilla, the first Latina elected to the Utah State Senate. In May of 2015, Viviana graduated with her Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology from Weber State University. Last year, Viviana received her Master’s in Community Leadership from Westminster College having done her thesis on the Women of Color experience working for government agencies in Utah. Viviana is the first-ever Diversity Affairs Coordinator for the City of Ogden serving under the direction of Mayor Mike Caldwell. Viviana works with community leaders and city officials to create an inclusive community that thrives on trust, equity, and the interdependence of our diverse communities.
Sarah May
Co-Founder, Facilitator, & Group Coordinator
Sarah May (she/hers) is a biracial Salvadoran American, artist, writer, curator, facilitator, and advocate based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. She received a B.F.A. in Photography & Digital Imaging from the University of Utah, and an M.A. in Community Leadership with an Emphasis in Art & Culture from Westminster College. Sarah creates work exploring the intricacy of narrative through imagery and text reflecting on the collective human experience using cyanotype, film photography, retablo ofrendas, and her own writing. Her current work and process reflect her journey exploring identity as being cyclical and evolving, the links personal ancestry manifests in prosperity, embracing Indigeneity, and the idea of destiny and healing as intertwined. Sarah continues her thesis work cultivating and advocating for designated spaces of healing, connection, and empowerment for BIPOC communities with an emphasis in Black, Indigenous, and Womxn and Femmes of Colour. Sarah is the Lead Group Coordinator for Woke Words, a Womxn of Color Reading & Writing Series at the YWCA.