MÁS, started as a seed in 2013, when Mónica Rojas-Stewart applied for funding from the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods for a project called “Planning Stage: Afro-Latino Arts and Education Project.” Through this grant, Mónica brought together a group of community leaders who represented Grupo Bayano (AfroPuerto Rican dance group), Fundación Internacional Capoeira Angola de Seattle (FICA-Seattle, AfroBrazilian martial arts), Seattle Fandango Project (Mexico), Hagucha Garinagu (Raíces Garífuna, a music and dance group with members from Honduras and Guatemala), Todo Folklore Cubano (AfroCuban music and dance group) and De Cajón Project (AfroPeruvian arts organization). this group of leaders became the “Black Diaspora Initiative”. Together, they conducted a year-long research project that included 4 community forums in different parts of Seattle to ask the community what they would like to see at an Afrolatino event focused on art and education.
The massive response from the community was an indication of the great need in Seattle for an Afrolatino space. inspiring the ideas to create a non-profit organization that would carry out programs throughout the year. In 2014 the Movimiento Afrolatino Seattle (MÁS) was officially incorporated, established a few years later as a non-profit organization 501(c)(3).
The Founding Board of Directors who established MÁS as non-profit organization were:Larrainzar, Anne Petersen, Keisha Wilson, Ricardo Güity, Delia Pinto Santini and Silvio Dos Reis, with the executive direction of Mónica Rojas-StewartRocio Nureña also supported the organization of MÁS documents as an intern.
In 2015, with the support of the City of Seattle Neighborhood Department, MÁS offered a 5-week educational art series, which included events both in the community and at the University of Washington The series brought together 900 community members and UW students of all ages who had the opportunity to participate in the workshops and volunteer at Casa Latina. In addition to the series, MÁS also conducted multiple community dialogues on Afrolatino identity, Afrolatina mothers, Afrolatino roots of Hip Hop, the roots of Salsa and Afro-Cuban dance, among others.
In 2016, MÁS officially became a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status. Since this initiative was born in 2013, and to this day, it has created and continues to create infinite healing stories. We know that we must create a strong platform to continue growing in that direction.
