Graciela I. Sanchez

Graciela I. Sanchez follows in the footsteps of her mother and abuelitas, strong women of color cultural workers and activists of San Antonio. As a Buena gente of the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, a community-based cultural arts and social justice organization, Graciela works to develop programs that culturally ground people of color, queer people and women, and survivors of cultural genocide. She challenges notions of arts and politics as separate work environments, leading the vision and operations of Esperanza as a community center, art exhibition and performance space, policy change hub, and network facilitator for social justice, environmental, and community-based arts. Facilitating conversations on colonization, genocide, power, violence, racism, sexism and homo/transphobia, Graciela works to develop and curate programs and organize gente to challenge oppressive laws in San Antonio, the U.S., and the world.