What’s Your Legacy? | LatinX Heritage Month
In celebration of Latinx Heritage Month, we asked three artists to define what legacy means in their own words.
BRITTNEY VALVERDE | @brittneyvalverde
What does heritage mean to you?
Heritage, to me, means remembering where we came from and the ancestors who paved the way for us.
How do you celebrate Latinx Heritage Month?
I love to think back on the women in my family and imagine what life was like for them. I think of my grandmother's sacrifices to come to America, leaving her large family behind, learning a new language, and stepping into a new world with her children. Not a day goes by that I don't give thanks to my ancestors. I call on them regularly for guidance, support, and protection.
What issues do you focus on tackling within the community?
There are many injustices within indigenous cultures and communities. I like to encourage people to tap into the ways of their ancestors and incorporate them into our modern lives to keep their legacy alive and tap into lost wisdom. We as a species are getting more and more disconnected from ancestral ways of living. In my opinion, our earth is suffering greatly because of it.
What does being a leader mean to you, and how do you hope to shape/impact that idea of leadership within the community?
Being a leader takes emotional intelligence and empathy, so the people who are being led have a feeling of safety. It also takes incredible capacity to let go of the ego and ideas of how one feels things "should" be. Making room for listening to varying and conflicting ideas so that they can be discussed healthily and solutions can be made. It is not my goal to be a leader, although if people feel inspired by me, I will take that with honor.
How do you make your voice heard?
I make my voice heard through my actions and in making an effort to live the things I believe in.
What do you want your legacy to be?
I want my legacy to be that I made people feel cared for and seen. I was resilient and passionate, worked hard to be the best version of myself, and had big love to give.
COURTNEY SEABROOKS | @courtney.seabrooks
What does heritage mean to you?
To me heritage is the passing down of experience - of stories, items, life lessons.
It’s also an essence that lives though people, when planting seeds or braiding hair, appreciating the glowing sky over trees, or cooking a family recipe. These are all experiences that we share with our ancestors throughout time.
I remember being about five years old and being attracted to certain images of women in books who looked vaguely like me. I connected with Frida Kahlo very much because she was so striking and had accomplished such great things. At that time I didn’t even know I was part Mexican and Native American. I took that as confirmation that heritage lives on as a kind of spirit in us.
How do you celebrate Latinix Heritage Month?
We have a birthday in our family which falls right on September 16th and then the Autumnal Equinox comes a few days later, so it is a very special time for us. Our family naturally comes together more and since there are more Hispanic heritage events that occur in our town leading up to Dia Del Los Muertos we will often go out to see Baile Folklorico or an art show featuring Mexican art. In truth, I celebrate the contributions of Hispanic and Native Americans all year long in my private life, but it’s nice to go out and celebrate with others in our community during this time.
What issues do you focus on tackling within the community?
I think a lot of the problems we see on the surface are the result of inherited limitations on thought. We are all innovators, and creators, and cannot be pinned down and categorized unless we agree to it. I think most people know this to some degree but putting it into practice is a different story. We need to create generational confidence; we are not sentenced to be or do anything. I think many people have a misconception that you are done growing once you hit a certain age and you should have everything figured out by then. If that is how you think, then many great things will be inaccessible to you.
What does being a leader mean to you, how do you hope to shape/impact the idea of leadership within your community?
I’ve always been a big dreamer who went out and made things happen despite not having anyone around to show me how. I didn’t mean to become a leader by doing so, but I unintentionally influenced and encouraged those around me for years without even knowing. I hope to continue on that path, leading by example mostly.
Leadership is about understanding that your lowest lows are just as important as your highest highs. Not everything is going to be peaceful and easy all the time, and you wouldn’t want it to be. Leadership is not allowing these things to hold you down. It’s standing back up, every time. How do you make your voice heard?
I’ve come to see that there will always be a need for people with a completely different perspective, and so I’ve become more confident in myself and my viewpoint. I express myself most truly through art and fashion.
My paintings have become the language of my passions. Fashion is a way to show the world the different personas of “Courtney Seabrooks,” the roles I play as woman, mother, wife, artist, daughter, sister, and so on. It reflects my culture, my era, my upbringing, and even my immediate mood.
What do you want your legacy to be?
I’d like to pass on my appreciation for nature and all it has to offer for our bodies and soul. My incredible daughter is definitely a part of my legacy already. The world is a better place with her in it. It will be one which includes photos and films, sketchbooks and works of art.
MELODY ACEVEDO | @melodyslife
What does heritage mean to you?
Latinx Heritage Month means being appreciative of the sacrifice my dad made to uproot their whole lives to move our family to the United States to give my siblings and I access to better opportunities.
How do you celebrate Latinx Heritage Month?
I love having my family over and making delicious Dominican food & dancing to Bachata and Merenge.
What issues do you focus on tackling within the community?
For me, the biggest issue I focus on tackling within the community is helping young adults transition their lifestyle and adapt to being in a new school or even learning a new language. When I came from the Dominican Republic to the United States, learning a new language was the most difficult part.
What does being a leader mean to you, and how do you hope to shape/impact that idea of leadership within the community?
A leader takes initiatives and is passionate about making a difference. I hope that more people take initiative in helping others do better and be better in our communities.
How do you make your voice heard?
I make my voice heard by participating in my local programs and by voting!
What do you want your legacy to be?
I want people to remember me as someone who took every opportunity that was given to me and paid it forward. I want everyone to know that if you can dream it, you can do it.
In celebration of Latinx Heritage Month, we asked three artists to define what legacy means in their own words.
BRITTNEY VALVERDE | @brittneyvalverde
What does heritage mean to you?
Heritage, to me, means remembering where we came from and the ancestors who paved the way for us.
How do you celebrate Latinx Heritage Month?
I love to think back on the women in my family and imagine what life was like for them. I think of my grandmother's sacrifices to come to America, leaving her large family behind, learning a new language, and stepping into a new world with her children. Not a day goes by that I don't give thanks to my ancestors. I call on them regularly for guidance, support, and protection.
What issues do you focus on tackling within the community?
There are many injustices within indigenous cultures and communities. I like to encourage people to tap into the ways of their ancestors and incorporate them into our modern lives to keep their legacy alive and tap into lost wisdom. We as a species are getting more and more disconnected from ancestral ways of living. In my opinion, our earth is suffering greatly because of it.
What does being a leader mean to you, and how do you hope to shape/impact that idea of leadership within the community?
Being a leader takes emotional intelligence and empathy, so the people who are being led have a feeling of safety. It also takes incredible capacity to let go of the ego and ideas of how one feels things "should" be. Making room for listening to varying and conflicting ideas so that they can be discussed healthily and solutions can be made. It is not my goal to be a leader, although if people feel inspired by me, I will take that with honor.
How do you make your voice heard?
I make my voice heard through my actions and in making an effort to live the things I believe in.
What do you want your legacy to be?
I want my legacy to be that I made people feel cared for and seen. I was resilient and passionate, worked hard to be the best version of myself, and had big love to give.
COURTNEY SEABROOKS | @courtney.seabrooks
What does heritage mean to you?
To me heritage is the passing down of experience - of stories, items, life lessons.
It’s also an essence that lives though people, when planting seeds or braiding hair, appreciating the glowing sky over trees, or cooking a family recipe. These are all experiences that we share with our ancestors throughout time.
I remember being about five years old and being attracted to certain images of women in books who looked vaguely like me. I connected with Frida Kahlo very much because she was so striking and had accomplished such great things. At that time I didn’t even know I was part Mexican and Native American. I took that as confirmation that heritage lives on as a kind of spirit in us.
How do you celebrate Latinix Heritage Month?
We have a birthday in our family which falls right on September 16th and then the Autumnal Equinox comes a few days later, so it is a very special time for us. Our family naturally comes together more and since there are more Hispanic heritage events that occur in our town leading up to Dia Del Los Muertos we will often go out to see Baile Folklorico or an art show featuring Mexican art. In truth, I celebrate the contributions of Hispanic and Native Americans all year long in my private life, but it’s nice to go out and celebrate with others in our community during this time.
What issues do you focus on tackling within the community?
I think a lot of the problems we see on the surface are the result of inherited limitations on thought. We are all innovators, and creators, and cannot be pinned down and categorized unless we agree to it. I think most people know this to some degree but putting it into practice is a different story. We need to create generational confidence; we are not sentenced to be or do anything. I think many people have a misconception that you are done growing once you hit a certain age and you should have everything figured out by then. If that is how you think, then many great things will be inaccessible to you.
What does being a leader mean to you, how do you hope to shape/impact the idea of leadership within your community?
I’ve always been a big dreamer who went out and made things happen despite not having anyone around to show me how. I didn’t mean to become a leader by doing so, but I unintentionally influenced and encouraged those around me for years without even knowing. I hope to continue on that path, leading by example mostly.
Leadership is about understanding that your lowest lows are just as important as your highest highs. Not everything is going to be peaceful and easy all the time, and you wouldn’t want it to be. Leadership is not allowing these things to hold you down. It’s standing back up, every time. How do you make your voice heard?
I’ve come to see that there will always be a need for people with a completely different perspective, and so I’ve become more confident in myself and my viewpoint. I express myself most truly through art and fashion.
My paintings have become the language of my passions. Fashion is a way to show the world the different personas of “Courtney Seabrooks,” the roles I play as woman, mother, wife, artist, daughter, sister, and so on. It reflects my culture, my era, my upbringing, and even my immediate mood.
What do you want your legacy to be?
I’d like to pass on my appreciation for nature and all it has to offer for our bodies and soul. My incredible daughter is definitely a part of my legacy already. The world is a better place with her in it. It will be one which includes photos and films, sketchbooks and works of art.
MELODY ACEVEDO | @melodyslife
What does heritage mean to you?
Latinx Heritage Month means being appreciative of the sacrifice my dad made to uproot their whole lives to move our family to the United States to give my siblings and I access to better opportunities.
How do you celebrate Latinx Heritage Month?
I love having my family over and making delicious Dominican food & dancing to Bachata and Merenge.
What issues do you focus on tackling within the community?
For me, the biggest issue I focus on tackling within the community is helping young adults transition their lifestyle and adapt to being in a new school or even learning a new language. When I came from the Dominican Republic to the United States, learning a new language was the most difficult part.
What does being a leader mean to you, and how do you hope to shape/impact that idea of leadership within the community?
A leader takes initiatives and is passionate about making a difference. I hope that more people take initiative in helping others do better and be better in our communities.
How do you make your voice heard?
I make my voice heard by participating in my local programs and by voting!
What do you want your legacy to be?
I want people to remember me as someone who took every opportunity that was given to me and paid it forward. I want everyone to know that if you can dream it, you can do it.
