Years ago, Professor Walter Stafford of the Wagner Graduate School at New York University gathered a diverse group of women of color, and the Women of Color Policy Network (WOCPN) was born. The group included experienced and seasoned leaders of academic institutes, of not-for-profit organizations, graduate students and others. Professor Stafford and the students conducted research and produced reports on a number of issues including the under-representation of women of color in NYC's government workforce.

I was a member of the WOCPN and of the fledgling Roundtable of Institutions of people of Color. At that time, I was Executive Director of the Grand Street Settlement, a position that I held for 20 years (from 1995-2015). Melissa Garcia was one of the graduate students working with Professor Stafford and the WOCPN. Over the years, our paths would cross, and last summer Melissa and I met for lunch and talked about reconvening members and friends of the WOCPN and its later iterations. The first step in the reconvening,a meeting, took place on December 3, 2016. We will meet again in January 2017 to reconnect and to assess the state of our communities in the wake of November 8, 2016. Perhaps we will brainstorm about next steps.

I am encouraged and energized after reconnecting with Melissa and I look forward to continuing the dialogue and to reconvening our brilliant and dynamic group.