In collaboration with youth from The Hip Hop Transformation program, ACCESS participated in a mental health advocacy, action, and awareness raising initiative in response to racial tension after the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. The Healing Spaces initiative at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School provided the platform and resources for access to create a compelling campaign for on-going youth-led stress management, group processing, and anti-racist action and planning space to be imbedded in the high school. Their campaign consisted of the development and administration of a school climate survey, mindfulness meditation virtual workshops, and spoken word/monologues.
Special thanks to friends of ACCESS: Mindfulness coach, Nyell Jeudy; Professional acting coach and founder of The Triggered Project, Keith Mascoll; and Program Director/Engineer David “Lightfoot” Below, of the Hip Hop Transformation program for their generous contributions to this important project.