Credit: iStockImposter syndrome doesn’t have to trap you
It's the lingering feeling that you don’t belong, or are not enough, especially when in positions of accomplishment. Luz Media dives into the phenomenon to understand the roots of imposter syndrome, and how it impacts women of color and Latinas in particular. But turning to self-doubt can often result from being in spaces where you are the ‘only one,’ not due to a lack of talent. “A major part of this problem doesn’t have to do with women at all and everything to do with the sexist and racist systems women are forced to exist in,” writes Luz Media. Affirmations are one way to push back.
Credit: Natalya MaishevaArt is therapy at this spot in Jackson Heights, NYC
Community is key to well-being. And this queer and Latina-owned store in Queens, profiled by Epicenter NYC, is doing just that. Not only providing creative supplies to customers but also providing a safe space for gathering and community building, A.R.T (short for Art Retail Therapy) has become an essential offering in a time when people need ‘third places’–locations that facilitate social interaction outside of the people you live or work with–more than ever. From figure drawing classes to expanded services that meet the needs of older and Spanish speaking residents, A.R.T. founder Francisco Segarra explains all that goes into keeping people coming back.
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Locs are more than meets the eye
Hair continues to be highly political. Despite the passage of the CROWN Act in Texas, which bans hair discrimination, students there and elsewhere continue to face marginalization, punishment, and learning loss for wearing natural hair styles like locs. But spirituality is also key to understanding the importance of hair to Black people and other people of color. As PushBlack explains, hair and the story behind certain styles can be sacred. From Rastafrianism’s roots in anti-colonialism, to the history of hair and African culture, hair has always been a tool of resistance as well as a connection to something greater.
Photo credit: Art Retail Therapy via Epicenter NYC Meet the Game Changers
Highlighting the innovators transforming health outcomes in our communities
Francisco Segarra, the founder of A.R.T., has provided an inclusive space for gathering and creativity in Jackson Heights, Queens. “It was a love project — it started off as this cool thing to run an art store,” he says. “And now I get [people saying] ‘everything I need is here.’"