Daily Inspiration: Meet Sacred Voices

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sacred Voices. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Sacred Voices began in 2004 as Café Cultura. During a protest of Columbus Day, our two Co-Founders Ara Cruz and Bobby Lefebre were arrested and were placed in a holding cell with other protestors. This led to an impromptu poetry open mic. Following their release, the Co-Founders recreated this event in the form of a monthly open mic. Café Cultura received non-profit status in 2012 and started doing poetry workshops in the same year. In 2019, Cafe Cultura rebranded as Sacred Voices. The new board of directors decided to have Astin Lopez and Briannah Hill as Co-Executive Directors. They have revitalized the organization with partnerships to other community organizations and local schools. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
To say Sacred Voices’ journey has been smooth might be a bit of an understatement, it has not exactly been a journey we expected. 2018 could be seen as the nucleus of our change, with a need for new leadership after our Executive Director exited the organization, we had to change our board of directors, our narrative, and our mission. Programming was put on hold because of our new changes and money had to be sent back to our funders. It took a long time to get back on track to where we were before, but much like seeds, we grew into something bigger, backed by our community and partners we managed to make a journey that seemed never-ending into an adventure that has been life changing. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We’re an unknown gem becoming known in the heart of Denver, working to support, uplift, and amplify the voices of those most sacred by providing spaces where oral storytelling and interpersonal connections are needed most. We offer culturally-responsive and youth-focused workshops that aid in the creation of world(word) changers in Denver, CO. Sacred Voices is also known for our open mics on the 2nd Friday of each month. At these events, we host BIPOC poets, musicians, and comedians to share their work with their community and their peers. We livestream these events utilizing a professional television setup provided by Denver Community Media. These events are also later aired on public access television. We are most proud of our work with youth. We are the only space in the Denver area that hosts an open mic geared towards youth participants. We want to foster the work of the next generation of artists and prepare them to be leaders in their communities. What sets Sacred Voices apart is that we bring these often-unheard voices to the airwaves with our radio show on KGNU. We host local artists and activists on our show giving them a platform to share their story and their work to an audience that would be unlikely to hear them any other way. 

How do you think about luck?
The organization has been lucky in finding leadership that has been willing to put the effort in to revitalize the organization back to continue its mission in serving the community. It takes a lot of effort to bring an organization back from downfalls, but Astin Lopez and Briannah Hill have stepped up to the plate during school and have done the necessary work while also committing their time and energy to their own individual endeavors. We have also had the luck of happenstance. Most of the people associated with Sacred Voices have come into that position by attending one of our programs. Whether they came to an open mic with a friend or were in a class that hosted one of our workshops, they heard about us and eventually came to want to work with us to further our cause. 

Contact Info:

• Email: info@sacred-voices.org
• Website: sacred-voices.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sacredvoicesdenver/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sacredvoicesdenver
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2oXu1KStm1xD7t7kxXoMCw

Image Credits
Shadi Maaliki