YOU Better!

Rooted in Community with Yaribel Mercedes

Episode Summary

Kiesha speaks with Yaribel Mercedes, an educator with a passion for cultivating curiosity, knowledge, intellect, and highlighting the genius of every child. They discuss the ways that community love fortifies us as individuals.

Episode Notes

Kiesha and Yaribel became fast friends after finding one another frequenting the same online spaces, cheering for the same authors and generally being in community with each other digitally.  In this episode, the two dig into a conversation about identity and community and how we can be impacted by genuine and connected love from others who live in alignment with our purpose and vision.  Yaribel shares stories from her life as a Black Latina growing up in Washington Heights in NYC and the responsibility she feels as one of the "guardians of the community garden." 

Shop book recommendations from this episode:

• Ratchetdemic: Reimagining Academic Success a book by Christopher Emdin (bookshop.org)
• All about Love: New Visions a book by Bell Hooks (bookshop.org)
• Black Imagination: Black Voices on Black Futures a book by Natasha Marin and Steven Dunn (bookshop.org)
• One Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race a book by Yaba Blay (bookshop.org)
• Introduction_to_Dominican_Blackness_Web.pdf (cuny.edu)
• You can check out more recommendations in the YOU Better Bookshop

Book Kiesha at https://kieshagarrison.co

Find Yaribel online: Yaribel on Instagram (@yari.mercedes)

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