At MÁS, we are going through a period of change and internal organization. That is why, in this summer newsletter, we are opening a space to share the reflections of our teams. We invite you to discover how we are assuming this present and what learnings we are reaping from this stage of transformation. We ask ourselves:
What are we collecting in this moment of transition?
How do we understand and live rotational leadership today?
Understanding that the world is changing and we are changing with it;
how do we assume the change and organize ourselves for this present?
MÁS Conversaciones para MÁS orgullo Committee
What are we collecting at this time of transition?
We are harvesting what we sowed without knowing exactly what was going to grow. I came to this process as a companion, from a geographical distance and from a role that was initially technical, and without expecting it I found myself learning, sharing and weaving with others. I reap gratitude, but also different ways of looking at myself with respect to what I do. I came initially to support the production of a podcast and I have been left with deeper questions about how to listen, what I listen for and how I accompany. That’s what you reap when you really go into a process like MORE Conversations: you don’t come out the same. Ana Maria
In this period of transit, we are cultivating and harvesting essential faculties such as patience, active listening, empathy, a sense of belonging, courage and integrity. These qualities are fundamental pillars for consolidating ourselves as a team and enhancing our ability to strengthen the organizational culture, ensuring the continuity of our work. While transitions present challenges, they also offer valuable opportunities. We are therefore taking advantage of this moment to carry out a process of introspection, to purge the obstacles that limit our development and to encourage in-depth dialogue. The purpose is to strengthen our rootedness in the vision and values of MÁS as a roadmap in this process of change Milvia
Transitions are difficult, but transformative. They are like those moments in nature when a being no longer fits in its shell and must leave it behind, or like the caterpillar that breaks through the enclosure to emerge as a butterfly. Crises generate growth and force us to restructure; they are not easy, especially now that the current administration is opposed to everything that symbolizes the work of MÁS However, it is precisely in this resistance that our culture is strengthened. Evelyne
We are harvesting the ability to sustain ourselves without romanticizing attrition. For me, that has been key. We come from doing a lot with little, and yet we continue to create spaces where Afro-diasporic people can speak without translating in order to be understood. From MÁS Conversaciones and MÁS Podcast, I feel that we are cultivating something that does not always fit in the indicators: trust, living archive, spoken memory and affective networks that end up becoming collective action. Rayza
How do we understand and live rotational leadership today?
I’ve done a lot of thinking. And sometimes thinking hurts because it shows you what you haven’t let go of yet. I’m a co-founder of De La Voz Lab and there’s something about the traditional way that we’ve learned, and that is that sometimes it makes you feel like you have to always be in front, that the vision lives in you. Seeing how Movimiento Afro Latino Seattle practices rotating leadership stirred that in me. It showed me that an organization doesn’t get weaker when it shares power, it gets deeper. We are building that conversation internally, still awkwardly at times, but with more honesty than before. This process gave me the example I needed to see working. Ana Maria
For me, collective and rotational work is fundamental to prevent power from accumulating or becoming institutionalized. Letting go of executive leadership and opening the space for other leaders to take the lead is a way to validate our circular structure.It is not easy to transform working relationships or embrace the discomfort of unfamiliar roles, but daring to create structures that encourage fluidity is precisely what we want to promote. The role does not define our relationship with the collective, but it is an essential piece of the team’s functioning. We recognize that, in order to rotate successfully, clarity and systems that serve as containers are required, facilitating the viability of the process and avoiding disorientation.” That is exactly what we are working on. Milvia
Rotational leadership is difficult, but it opens doors for everyone to contribute something different. Personally, I really appreciate having moderated that Conversation; I was scared of the challenge because it was not an academic environment, but doing it showed me that I could do the job and I learned a lot. It was a turning point. The same thing happened to me with the podcast: I never thought I had the voice to voice-over, and being told that I sounded like a voice-over artist was one of the best compliments I have ever received. It was a real baptism of fire that made me grow up. Evelyne
I am interested in rotating leadership because it breaks the logic of the central figure who must carry everything. We come from structures where leading often means exhausting oneself, and I think we are trying to build something else. For me, rotating leadership also means legitimizing different ways of contributing: who listens, who organizes, who emotionally supports, who creates, who asks uncomfortable questions. Not all leadership needs to occupy the same place or look the same. I think we are still learning how to do it without getting messy, but I think it is important that these kinds of opportunities circulate and that the processes do not depend on a single voice. Rayza
How do we embrace change and organize ourselves for this present?
I assume it with less certainty and more presence. I live in Barranquilla, I am an Afroguajira woman, and the moment we are living in geopolitically touches me, worries me and activates me. In this context, change is not only an opportunity, it is also a demand. I organize myself for it by returning to the question of why I started: for the voices that are not heard, for the stories that deserve to be told with dignity, for the communities that deserve their own narratives. Today I reaffirm myself in that and I also affirm myself in the bonds that processes like this one have woven between us, even though we are in different countries. Ana Maria
I do not know if it is me who assumes the change or if the change is assumed in me. Life is constant movement and transformation; we know that we are alive precisely because of that capacity to change. I receive this stage with hope and optimism, although sometimes I resist letting go of what brought me here. I know that, if I hold on, I stop my transformation and, consequently, I stop living by being trapped in a static idea of myself. Therefore, I embrace mourning as the ultimate tool for transformation. Milvia
The world is changing and we are changing with it. I feel that, in the face of the constant attacks by the current president of the United States, aggressiveness increases precisely because our work of resistance has gained a strength that the powerful can no longer ignore; that is why he is trying to crush us. In the face of this, it is up to us to keep inventing and moving forward. How do I embrace change? Currently, I am focused on publishing and tirelessly seeking ways to help Venezuela through my writings and interventions. I am connecting with different sectors, even with the opposition; although it is not to my liking, I understand that alternation is necessary to generate a change that from within the process seems to be stagnant. My goal is that my production, research and thinking contribute to the work not only of MÁS but also have a positive impact on Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Ecuador and all of Latin America, regions with which I maintain my closest ties. Evelyne
Is the world changing? Yes, and I feel that part of the challenge is not to harden ourselves in the face of that. I embrace change by trying to keep myself available to learn, unlearn and reorganize collectively. Right now I’m less interested in productivity and more interested in coherence. I am constantly asking myself how to create processes that do not reproduce the exhaustion, the permanent urgency or the extractivist dynamics with which we grew up.
I organize from conversation, care and community. And also from imagination. Because for Afro-diasporic peoples, imagining other ways of living, relating and sustaining ourselves has always been a political practice. Rayza
Board of Directors
Since September, as a Board we have been accompanying MÁS in a reflective transition process – a time that has invited us to pause, listen carefully and realign how we sustain this work over the long term. During this time, we have closely reviewed our resources, strengthened our internal systems – including greater clarity in decision-making processes, inter-committee communication and financial planning – and made intentional adjustments to ensure the continuity of our programs and the well-being of our staff.
This process has also created space for more shared and collaborative leadership, with the Board stepping into this role collectively — strengthening coordination across committees, directly supporting program areas, and distributing leadership responsibilities as we explore more sustainable and rotational approaches to leadership.
What we are building now is a stronger foundation — rooted in clarity, care, and long-term sustainability. We are adapting with intention, remaining flexible while staying grounded in our mission and our community. MAS continues to move forward with purpose, focused on nurturing relationships, uplifting our people, and creating spaces where our stories and leadership can thrive. This is not a moment of stepping back, but of moving forward with greater alignment and strength.
