Our People

CO-DIRECTOR

Tamara is an empathetic, Spirit-led leader who nurtures self and others towards personal and collective wellness, growth and liberation. She is a Liberatory Coach & Consultant and her practice holds abolition, transformative justice, sovereignty, and Self-determination as core beliefs. Informed and driven by her personal story as a Black woman and someone who is intimately familiar with the struggles born of racial capitalism, she is passionate about protecting, expanding and sustaining ethnic studies as foundational to the survival, wholeness and thriving of BIPOC and multiply marginalized peoples. Tamara lives in the historic Bronzeville community, and is a daughter, sister, auntie and sister-friend, who embraces joy cultivation and building beloved community as necessary practices to dreaming and constructing new worlds.

CO-DIRECTOR & FOUNDER

Cecily Relucio is a Pinay racial equity and justice practitioner with 30 years of experience in youth and adult learning, educational leadership development, and business administration. She has led anti-racism initiatives in K-12 and higher education institutions and non-profit organizations. Cultivating and sustaining ethnic studies in Chicago is Cecily’s freedom dream: her way of building a lasting legacy with and for the people and communities that have blessed her with a home, a tribe, and an abundant and joyful life. Most importantly, Cecily is a mom to two biracial daughters, Vanessa and Mia, and together they live in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood. She is the proud daughter of Filipino immigrants.

DIGITAL MARKETING SPECIALIST

Vanessa is a senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, majoring in Advertising and Psychology. With a strong background in social media marketing, photography, and graphic design, she combines creativity with strategic thinking. Growing up in Chicago’s diverse community and attending Chicago Public Schools, she developed a deep passion for social justice and equity, which continues to shape her approach to her work.