American River College will soon host a new mural as well as the empowering message behind it. The Poderosas Mural will be hosted in the Writing Center, located in the Learning Resource Center on the ARC main campus, from April 10 to August 31. But there is more to the mural than the detailed portraits and vibrant colors, as it portrays the achievements of nine Xicana/Latina women. 

The word “Poderosas” itself loosely translates to “powerful women” which is an authentic descriptor for the women presented in the mural. Ruby Chacon and Isabel Martinez designed and painted the mural to highlight women who have all made waves in social justice and advocacy in the Sacramento Valley Region. The mural portrays each of these women in powerful stances with visuals of their achievements and symbolic cultural figures surrounding them. 

Incorporated within the colorful artwork are depictions of Señora Angelbertha L. Cobb, Yvette G. Flores, Juanita Polendo Ontiveros, Rachel Ríos, Rhonda Ríos Kravitz, Margarita Berta-Ávila, J. Andrea Amezcua Porras, Marisela Hernández and Alma Elizabeth López Flores. 

The Sacramento Poderosas Mural Project managed the creation of the mural by organizing the nominations of these women. The nominations were provided by community members who chose to recognize them for their individual work as artists, academics, community organizers and leaders who influenced change for women of color in the Sacramento region. 

The mural has already been displayed in many spaces, including high schools, colleges, public spaces, as well as community and neighborhood centers, in an attempt to create more inclusivity within these spaces. Rhonda Rios Kravitz is one of the women depicted in the mural, as well as a member of the executive board, who shared their mission of strengthening communities by confronting racism, sexism, classism and hate throughout the mural’s journey. 

“The mural stands as a testament to the women in our lives and community who, with courage and decisive action, embody the community cultural wealth of the Sacramento Valley,” Kravitz said. “The Poderosas mural is a political act, a contestation, and a testament to our power as women to define ourselves for ourselves.”

The decision for ARC to host the mural was based on staff input, and it’s a project that has been in the works for a while. Based on its demand, the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Department took the initiative to reach out and organize the hosting of the mural on campus to highlight powerful figures in Sacramento. Uriel Delgado, the director of Hispanic serving institutions on ARC’s campus, is part of the department taking the lead in bringing the mural to campus, but he shares that the placement of the mural in the Writing Center works to achieve another goal.

“Part of our goal was to put it in a space to attract more students, as a lot of our Latino students are not necessarily utilizing the tutoring and writing support that they could from the LRC,” Delgado said. “That’s why we placed it there so they can be encouraged to feel that it’s a welcoming space to come get support from to be able to be successful at ARC.”

In addition to encouraging a more inclusive environment on campus, the mural stands as a powerful counter-narrative towards forms of hate and bigotry in the community. This sentiment was reinforced by Kravitz, as the mural sparks critical and difficult community conversations about the future of Xicanx/Latinx communities. 

“In this time of divisive ideologies, far-right extremism and escalating violence, our mural boldly proclaims that we, as Xicanas/Latinas, proudly persist, protest, and fight for our dignity,” Kravitz said. 

With this step towards accurate representation and inclusivity, this mural will bring an inspiring sense of community to campus as it teaches people about the impacts each of the women had on our local society, as well as encourage students to create a similar type of change. 

To experience the introduction of this mural to the ARC campus, students can attend the event taking place in the Writing Center on April 10, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., where you can also meet some of the featured artists and executive board members such as Kravitz. 

For more overall information about the mural itself, you can find its history at the mural’s official website sacpoderosas.org.