MIKIZTLI Community Ofrenda Partner – Poder In Action

Poder in Action is a grassroots organization that builds the power of people of color and working class communities to disrupt and dismantle systems of oppression and determine a liberated future in Arizona through leadership development, civic advocacy and community building.

Led by organizers who began as volunteers, they have created programs based on their personal experience with injustice in the immigration, criminal justice, and education systems. Each program builds community power by centering those who are most impacted by systemic oppression. One of their newest programs will be taking the lead on this years’ Community Ofrenda at MIKIZTLI – The Family Justice Collective.

Rebecca Denis, Poder in Action Family Justice Organizer, works with this program that is made up of family members who have been impacted by police violence. “The Family Justice Collective (FJC) exists to create a safe space for families impacted by police violence to grow their knowledge of the systems that stole their loved ones and help them develop the skills to dismantle those systems so we can build towards a world where no one else is stolen by police violence.”

FJC helps these families find answers by advocating for transparency and accountability after their loved ones have been killed. “The Collective began as a group of families that came to Poder or were connected with the organization as they were looking for answers and justice after the death of their loved ones. Initially Poder helped these families manage the confusing processes of requesting information from cities and departments and in navigating the legal strategies available to them. The group is currently organizing to end police violence and outreach to other families to help them become aware of their rights and how to find justice and support. FJC also engages in policy fights in the cities where the deaths took place and work to keep the memories of those lives lost to police violence.” This year, they helped introduce a Victims Rights Bill, HB 2432, which among many things advocates for the rights of victims of peace officer violence and the victim’s family to justice and due process.

Denis shared that the Family Justice Collective has been doing community altars for years with their community. “Altars celebrate these victims as whole human being. Outside of just being killed by the police, we get to celebrate them and honor them by showing who these family members were. The altars are also a way to bring attention to this issue. People usually hear about these victims from one side of the story, they don’t always know the full context of the situation. Having altars, especially at an important cultural community celebration like MIKIZTLI, is a way to bring awareness, help families honor their loved ones, and connect with families through healing with art, and color and offerings.”

At MIKIZTLI, Poder in Action will have an informational booth directly next to the Community Ofrenda to provide information and materials to attendees to learn more about these kinds of issues affecting our communities. Denis sees having a large ofrenda as part of this festival as another way to support, educate, and advocate for the families she works with and beyond, “Even people who are not part of the communities that are most often dealing with these kinds of injustices can learn about the cultures and practices and issues that these communities are dealing with. We can celebrate who they were and find a little bit of hope and joy and help people process their grief.”