CREATING A TEMPLE OF SISTERHOOD FOR WOMEN OF COLOR - VISIONES RETREAT 2023

Too often overlooked, Women of Color are the fabric of our society. Women of Color are the healers, culture bearers, storytellers, creators, and leaders within our communities. Yet, the socio-economic and political systems of our society have long tried to suppress our women, gatekeeping the ladder of social mobility by maintaining a wide wage gap, failing to protect women of color from violence committed against them, enabling maternal health disparities that lead to higher pregnancy-related death rates, and unfortunately the list does go on. 

However, despite racist and sexist systemic barriers, Women of Color, much like the natural element of fire, remain infinitely powerful, relentlessly radiant, sacred, and fiercely divine. 

How do we ensure this fire stays ablaze? Sisterhood. 

Recognizing the need for the women of our community to join together to create a temple that enlivens, emboldens and passionately embodies their soul goals by healing, reimagining and empowering a new vision for themselves, their communities and the world, CCCADI and the DeAlmas Women’s Institute once again partnered to host the 25th annual Visiones Women’s Retreat at the Riverside Church in New York, NY on January 27-28, 2023. 

“Visioneras are Bravehearts – diving deep into the inner work of release and healing and empowering our dreams and soul goals for the new year. This retreat was about building a new vibrational infrastructure in our being, facilitating us to move in the world ignited with conscious awareness, intention and impact! Women of Color need spaces where we can come home to Self & Spirit in Sisterhood!  As Audrey Lorde says, ‘Without community, there is no liberation.’ Many of the sisters echoed the same phrase to me, ‘I really needed this,’ – a testament to the importance of holding such spaces, naming ourselves Divine - vowing to bring our Feminism to the professional, community and organizational spaces we occupy,” said Gloria M. Rodriguez, Founding Director of DeAlmas.

Hearts of Fire - Ignite Your Passion, Expand Your Vision was the guiding theme for this year’s sold-out Visiones retreat. This intergenerational weekend workshop served as a call to action for more than 50 Women of Color in NYC and surrounding areas to allow for emotional release, cleansing, forgiveness, and healing from all that is old, toxic, and damaging.

Led by Gloria M. Rodriguez, The Brujas of Brooklyn, Oxil Febles, Kaila Paulino and Desiree Gordon, Visiones guided participants in tapping into their life-source/force to create a vision of infinite possibility and the realization of their deepest desires for 2023. The daylong workshop on Saturday included reflective exercises, journaling, heart-sharing, meditation, song, music, and movement.

“As a woman-founded and woman-led organization, this partnership to present Visiones continues to be critically important to CCCADI’s work. Women of Color need opportunities like this where they can lay down the weight on their shoulders, break through emotional barriers, and access a moment of clarity through which they can envision their path for this new year,” said Melody Capote, Executive Director of CCCADI.

For two decades, CCCADI has partnered with DeAlmas Women’s Institute (formerly known as DeAlmas Latinas) to present empowerment and holistic healing programs specific to the experiences of Women of Color. 

Beginning in 1999, CCCADI & DeAlmas curated a weekend retreat in the Poconos - Woman Spirit: Sacred Ground for Feminine Empowerment and throughout the years have hosted their annual program: Women of Light, Peace and Power. In January 2019, in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of CCCADI & DeAlmas collaborations, the two organizations joined together to present the 21st Annual Retreat - Visiones 2019: Soul Brilliance & Divine Badassery! and Visiones 2020: Living Waters ~ Her Power Overflowing. Over 50 women attended both sold-out weekend gatherings.

Visiones 2023 Group Photo at Riverside Church. New York, NY.

Visiones 2023: Hearts of Fire - Ignite Your Light, Expand Your Vision marks the launch of DeAlmas 25th anniversary celebration and a continued collaboration between the two organizations.