Boston Harbor Women of Color Coalition

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Boston Harbor Women of Color Coalition

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BHWOCC is a group of women of color who work to get our communities engaged in green and blue spaces

10/08/2026

✨ Meet Dr. Elizabeth Santiago! ✨

We’re excited to welcome writer, educator, and storyteller Dr. Elizabeth Santiago to our upcoming BHWOCC x GrubStreet Writing Retreat. 🍂✍🏽

Elizabeth has been a storyteller for almost as long as she’s been alive. From an early age, she was drawn to the stories that weren’t being told. Stories of her ancestors, her community, and her neighborhood.
Her work brings together creative writing, literacy, education, and liberation, creating space for writers to find, develop, and share stories that are too often left untold. She is the author of The Moonlit Vine and the creator of The Untold Narratives, a platform supporting writers in sharing stories shaped by their lived experiences and communities.

Her work connects beautifully with what we value at BHWOCC: making space for our stories, honoring community knowledge, and recognizing that we are experts in our own lives. 💜

📅 Date: October 24 🕙 Time: 10 AM–4 PM 📍 Location: Arnold Arboretum | Weld Hill Research Building

Our retreat is currently at capacity, but you can join the waitlist through the link in our bio.

Want to learn more about Elizabeth and her work? Visit the link in Liz Santiago’s bio! ✨

10/01/2026

A retreat like this doesn’t come together on its own. 💌

Our 6th Annual Retreat was made possible by the people, small businesses, and community partners who helped us create a day rooted in connection, nourishment, creativity, and time outdoors.

A heartfelt thank you to:
🌊 Cathleen Stone Island + Sylvia & Denise for welcoming us to such a beautiful place to gather and reconnect at every year

🥗 Dorchester Food Co-op for helping keep us nourished throughout the day, with fresh and local ingredients in every meal

♻️ UVIDA for bringing her thoughtful, sustainability-centered touch to our retreat.

🌸 Sabrina’s Gardens for adding beauty, creativity, and a little floral joy to the day.

📸 Long’s Photography for capturing the moments, connections, and memories we’ll carry with us.

We’re so grateful for everyone who helped make this day feel special. Retreating together is one of the ways we remind ourselves that community is part of the work, too.

Thank you for helping us make space to connect with nature, with one another, and with ourselves 🫂💙

09/29/2026

October Monthly Meet-Up: BHWOCC x GrubStreet Writing Retreat! 🍂✍🏽

Join BHWOCC + GrubStreet’s Boston Writers of Color Group on Saturday, October 24, 10 AM–4 PM at the Arnold Arboretum for a day of creative writing, nature, reflection, and community.

Led by Dr. Elizabeth Santiago, we’ll explore sensory awareness, observation, memory, and storytelling through two guided writing workshops, with time to explore, connect, and draw inspiration from the beautiful outdoor spaces around us. 🌿

📅 Date: October 24 🕙 Time: 10 AM–4 PM 📍 Location: Arnold Arboretum | Weld Hill Research Building
🔗 RSVP through the link in our bio! (Space is limited)

Come write, wander, and connect with other writers and creatives of color. 🍂💜

09/25/2026

Time flies! It’s already been a month since our 6th Annual Retreat, and we’re keeping that momentum going. ❤️🫂

We left feeling recharged, inspired, and ready to keep moving the work forward. And that was the point.

We didn’t gather just to talk about community, we gathered to build it.

To learn about the Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) Study and what it could mean for Boston’s waterfront.
To better understand resilience and advocacy.
To share knowledge and lived experience, and to think together about how we want our communities to show up for Boston’s future.

There’s power in gathering with intention, and even more power in deciding what we do with that knowledge when we leave.

Here’s a little look back at a day we’re still thinking about. 🤭

09/24/2026

Where were BHWOCC members this summer? 🌿🌊

Sometimes, connecting with outdoor spaces looks like puffin watching🐦
 Sometimes it’s kayaking🛶
 Sometimes it’s growing your first watermelon🍉
 Sometimes it’s building a little library for your neighborhood📚
 Sometimes it’s going across to world to the Netherlands or the Philippines 🌏
 And sometimes… it’s a Nigerian dwarf goat munching on your clothes 🐐

Our passion for green and blue spaces doesn’t stop when the workday ends. It shows up in the places we explore, the things we grow, the communities we care for, and the everyday ways we connect with the world around us.

There’s no one way to connect with nature, and we love seeing all the ways our members find joy, curiosity, and adventure through it all. 🏔️☀️

09/21/2026

We all know THE feeling.

The moment something doesn’t sit right. The instinct that tells us we can’t just stand by and watch.

At our 6th Annual Retreat, Keynote Speaker, Shayla Bruce reminded us to listen to that feeling.

From the rage she felt as a child watching animals being hurt, to the anger and frustration she experienced as a college student navigating ignorance during the height of the BLM movement, that feeling has followed her throughout her life, becoming something she has learned to channel into something bigger than herself.

As Shayla shares, maybe we don’t always have to know what to do with the feeling right away. Maybe we just have to listen to it, and ask where it might be leading us.

What is your feeling asking you to do?

Thank you Shayla for sharing your story, wisdom, and experiences with our community, and for reminding us that the feelings we carry can be a powerful starting point for change. 💜

09/17/2026

One word. So many ways to describe the day. 💜

We asked our members: What’s one word you’d use to describe your BHWOCC Retreat experience?

From empowering and abundant to rejuvenated and inspiring, these words capture just a little bit of what made our 6th Annual Retreat so special. 🌊

Thank you to everyone who showed up, shared, learned, laughed, and made the day what it was. We’re still carrying these moments with us. ✨

What one word would you use to describe your BHWOCC experience?

09/16/2026

CLEAN UP & CONNECT: SEPTEMBER MEET-UP 🌿
Let’s get our hands dirty and give back to the places we love! Join BHWOCC to savor up the end of summer with a community cleanup at Moakley Park, followed by time to connect with fellow members. 🌊

We’ll be collaborating with South Boston en Accion, Boston Harbor Now, Boston Parks and Recreation, and Boston Cares!

📅 Saturday, September 26 ⏰ 9 AM – 12 PM 📍 Moakley Park, South Boston
🔗 Register through the link in our bio!

09/15/2026

WE’RE SO EXCITED TO SHARE OUR MEMBER SPOTLIGHT FOR THIS MONTH: YVONNE VU! 💓

Yvonne has been part of the BHWOCC community since 2023, and her bubbly personality, willingness to support the coalition, and openness in sharing her insights have made her such a wonderful part of our community.

She currently serves as the Development Lead for the 1975 Vietnamese Diaspora Commemoration Initiative, more commonly known as the 1975 Vietnamese Memorial Project.

Swipe to learn more about Yvonne, her work, and what she’s passionate about!

The Impact Yvonne Hopes to Make☀️

“I hope that I can help the initial generations that immigrated here feel seen and affirmed in their hardships and for the current and newer generations to internalize the reasons for our presence through the manifestation of this memorial.

I hope that with this intentional place-making in our outdoor spaces, we can continue to cultivate connections with each other, ourselves, and with art, culture, and nature.”

1975 VIETNAMESE MEMORIAL PROJECT🇻🇳

“Our current and main project is centering the funding and installation of a Vietnamese diaspora memorial in the Fields Corner neighborhood in Boston!

This memorial expresses the story of the diaspora’s memories of seeking refuge post-war and their resettlement in Fields Corner and stands as a testament to a unified future for those who come after us.

We saw the need for public art that reflects the refugee experience, rather than the common narratives we would see and hear from American history regarding the war in Vietnam.”

Where Yvonne Recharges 💃🏻

“My favorite place to recharge is my locally owned and operated gym on Morrissey Blvd, Luna Fitness Club. This is the place where I lift, push, dance, stretch, step, and spend time with my village with various forms of movement!

And my favorite outdoor space is my little apartment porch with my attempted vegetable garden, the wildflowers, and my compost. I also enjoy walking around my neighborhood!”

Yvonne’s Advice 💜

“Your value is not based on what/how much you produce and own.

You are always deserving of humanity and grace regardless of where you are in your life.”

What’s Next for Yvonne ?

09/10/2026

Writing a public comment letter can feel intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! A public comment can look many different ways and can meet you where you are, no matter your capacity.💙

You don’t need a fancy degree or to be an expert in climate infrastructure to participate in the CSRM Study. Your experiences, questions, concerns, and ideas are valuable. There’s no “right” way to write a comment—it can be as simple as sharing what you’ve experienced in your neighborhood or asking a question you want answered.

At our Annual Retreat, we just scratched the surface of what engaging with the CSRM Study can look like. Members like Gurpal Kaur and Vivien Li shared their insights, experiences, and perspectives, helping us better understand how we can each approach and participate in this once-in-a-generation study.

🌊 BHWOCC just released our CSRM Resource Packet! If you’re a member, check your emails for the “CSRM Resource Hub,” where we’ve broken down the study into a more accessible and simplified format to help you understand what’s at stake and how you can get involved.

The first public comment period closes September 18 at 5:00 PM.

Study

Address

212 Northern Avenue
Boston, MA
02110

Website

http://bhwocc.org/

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