Dear Community,
I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support to the SCC. It has been a long year of growth and development across the board. We have promoted two new Professors in Capoeira Angola which is not an easy feat it took over a decade for them to achieve this level. We were also able to promote a new Monitora, which is an absolute privilege to now have a have a high ranking woman emerge from our school. Earlier this year, we brought and hosted our Grande Mestre and his family, after an unjust immigration system kept him from teaching in the States for over twelve years.
The benefits of capoeira outweigh the costs. Capoeira is a way of life and it nurtures a total body, mind and emotional expression in people like nothing else can. It inspires people to reveal themselves in ways they thought were not possible. As one grows more confident within themselves, they also grow more confident in their ability to express their unique voice in their everyday life. Living up to its traditions, capoeira continues to combat oppression even in today’s political and social climate. As an organization, we need to do more for marginalized communities ability to reap the benefits of capoeira.
Our group started when I taught my first class 14 years ago at the tennis courts near Seattle Central College. We eventually upgraded to the beautiful landscape of Volunteer Park and then to 23rd and Cherry’s Garfield Community Center. It has been a long and hard fought journey. I chose not to pursue conventional life in order to make capoeira accessible to everyone. When I walk into the center and I see my instructors teaching and our students learning, I feel a sense of fulfillment that makes all the hard work and dedication worth it. We are living and respecting the traditions that were passed down to me from generation to generation. I am grateful for this life and for our group.
Many of you may not know that the Washington Capoeira Center grants more than $2,500 in full and partial scholarships to kids and adults in our community every month. I am happy to be able to provide access to our fellow community members. It is very important to me that our capoeira community remains anti-colonial and diverse. I would like our group to truly reflect the demographics of Beacon Hill and South Seattle. In the next few weeks, I am going to highlight the unique successes of our scholarship program.
Today is Give Big Tuesday and I have never personally asked for donations to our NPO, Capoeira Life, from anyone before. But with the gentrification and rising costs of living in Seattle, I have few choices. Recently more and more families are requesting scholarships for the youth of color in our community.
I know many of our members already give to us but if you have the ability to make capoeira more accessible to families please consider Giving Big and regularly to Capoeira Life.
If you have any questions please let me know. We have the ability to take our group to a new level in 2019 if we all come together and unite.
Sincerely,
Syed Taqi
Executive Director of Capoeira Life
p.s. if you cannot contribute monetarily today, please consider sharing this link with a friend or family member. Thanks again for all the support.