Yvette Modestin

Yvette Modestin is a writer, poet and activist who focuses on shedding light on the Afro descendent experience in Latin America. She was born and raised in Colon, Panama, and is the founder and executive director of Encuentro Diaspora Afro in Boston, MA. She was named in the 30 Most Influential Afro Latinas of the world. She is the diaspora coordinator of the Red de Mujeres  Afrolatinoamericanas, Afrocaribeñas y de la Diaspora a national and international network of Afrolatinamerican women. She sits as the representative of this network at the UN office for Women and the African Union. Modestin has been profiled by The Boston Globe as “The Uniter” for her work in bringing the Latin American and African American communities together. She received the Fundacion Bayano 2013 award for Afro descendent leadership in her home country of Panama, and is one of the editors and writers to the book, “Women Warriors of the Afro Latina Diaspora.” The book was named in the top five Latino books in the country for 2013. She is one of the featured poets in the book, “Rapsodia Antillana,” was a contributor to “The Afro Latin@ Reader: History and Culture in the US” and is one of the featured poet in the, “Antologia de Poesia Colonense.” She is also a contributor in the book, “The Psychological Health of Women of Color.”  She was the 2009 recipient of the Drylongso Award by Community Change Inc. for her extraordinary anti- racism work. Modestin writes a blog about the events and experiences in the community called Reflections. As an artist, a licensed mental health clinician and wellness facilitator, Modestin speaks to the acknowledgement of the historical pain of people of African descent and the awareness of the connection that would lead to the healing of our communities. @soulfulafro