The Heart of Leadership

 A Story of Courage, Culture, and Community Care

In immigrant and refugee communities, leadership often doesn’t come from formal institutions. It grows from lived experience—from the quiet resilience of those who carry others through unfamiliar systems, even as they learn to navigate them themselves.

These leaders are interpreters, caregivers, advocates, spiritual guides, and informal caseworkers. They are the ones bridging two or more worlds at once. Yet, the weight they carry is often invisible.

For African diaspora communities across Oregon, this labor is not only personal—it is profoundly cultural. Leadership is rooted in tradition, kinship, and responsibility. But it’s also shaped by trauma, migration, and the daily work of surviving systems that were never designed with these communities in mind.

✨ Why the Leadership Dialogue Matters

That’s what makes the Leadership Dialogue, hosted by the Oregon Coalition of African Community Leaders (ORCACL), so meaningful.

This wasn’t just another meeting or summit. It was a long-overdue space where African leaders weren’t asked to do more, but were invited to reflect, share, and be seen. A space that centered those already doing the deep work of addressing inequity—often with few resources and against overwhelming odds.

Rather than impose solutions, the Dialogue created room for collaboration—a gathering where leaders could learn from one another across language, history, and culture. From Swahili to Amharic, Oromo to Kinyamulenge, every voice brought something sacred. And this time, these voices weren’t scattered or siloed. They formed a unified conversation, where being different was not a barrier, but a strength.

✊ Why We Came Together

We came together with a shared purpose—to respond to an urgent call for:

A unified voice among African community leaders

Deeper collaboration and resource sharing

Honest reflection on our challenges and opportunities

A bold reaffirmation of culturally rooted leadership

The creation of concrete, community-led solutions

From the opening words of Yonas Kassie, Founder of EECRC and ORCACL Board Secretary, the message was clear:

“We are here to build, to belong, and to lead together.”

🔥 The Energy in the Room

You could feel it—the **electricity of real connection.

We laughed during an Africa-themed scavenger hunt, a joyful reminder of our shared roots and beautiful diversity. We listened deeply to speakers who reminded us that while leadership is not always easy, it is always necessary.

Then came the breakout sessions. These weren’t just discussions—they were strategy sessions, where we asked tough but necessary questions:

What does purposeful leadership look like now?

Where do inequities still exist—and how are we addressing them?

How do we ensure our action is sustainable, not just symbolic?

💡 What We’re Taking Home

We’re not leaving this Dialogue the same way we came in. We’re walking out with:

A shared mission

New allies

Bold ideas

And a stronger-than-ever commitment to act

Some of us will bring these insights back to our organizations. Some will launch new initiatives. All of us will carry one truth:

We are stronger together.

Being in this space reminded me that African leadership is not just about preserving the past or managing the present. It’s about **planting seeds for the future**. A future rooted in belonging, uplifted by tradition, and driven by collective vision.

And because of what we built together today, that future looks brighter than ever.