P.R.I.A 3 of 3 - Your Story: Your Power

On November 6th, Mirna Cervantes, Class of 2023 Women of Color LeadStrong and Executive Director of Multicultural Institute led a P.R.I.A (Pause. Return/Remember. Imagine. Act) session titled Your Story: Your Power.

During the session, Mirna practiced P.R.I.A:

• Pause- Pause to reflect how stories have shaped your own sense of identity and belonging and acknowledge how every story carries emotion, history, and memory.

  ·Return- Return to the narratives you’ve internalized about your community, work, or identity. Return to moments when your story—or your community’s story—was misrepresented or ignored.

  ·Imagine- Imagine what becomes possible when communities collectively use their stories to define their own narratives. Imagine rewriting a dominant narrative to center dignity, contribution, and care.

  ·Act- Storytelling here is not just for sharing, but for justice and connection. Identify one concrete way to redistribute narrative power.

Additionally, participants explored the theme of “Why Storytelling Matters,” distinguishing between stories and narratives. Together, we reflected on our lived experiences and discovered ways to reclaim our power through storytelling and by cultivating a culture that uplifts and shares our collective stories.

Learn more about the Multicultural Institute: https://www.mionline.org/