MEL CARDONA they/them/theirs & she/her/hers Platforms Whisperer & Visual Story Alchemist [Communications Specialist] melisa@alternateroots.org Mel is a first generation queer Latinx self-taught artivist who grew up between Atlanta, GA and her parents native land of Colombia. They cut their teeth…
NATHALIE NIA they/them/theirs & she/her/hers Mistress of Cultural Exuberance and Pleasantries [Cultural Organizing Programs Coordinator] nathalie@alternateroots.org Nathalie Nia (they/them she/her) born in Louisiana and living in for the last eight years, is a self described Ebony Southern Belle! Their work…
Marina Dias Lujan she/her/hers [Operations Manager] marina@alternateroots.org Marina is the Operations Manager, she is a bridge-builder, pathfinder, and puzzle solver, pathfinder, and puzzle solver. With a background working for international non-profits in the humanitarian field, Marina’s journey has taken her…
Zaid Hameed he/him/his [Membership Services Associate] zaid@alternateroots.org Zaid Hameed (He/Him) is the new Membership Services Associate. A spoken-word poet born and raised in East St. Louis, Illinois relocating to Atlanta, Georgia; Zaid graduated from East St. Louis Senior High in…
jack Fischer they/them/he/his[Grantwriter] jack@alternateroots.org With a deep appreciation for Alternate ROOTS, and as a member since 2017, jack brings an enlivening approach to the grant writing process and helps find ways of sharing information among staff in easeful ways. As…
BeeJay Lindsey she/he/darling [Development Associate] bj@alternateroots.org BeeJay Lindsey is an educator, farmer, social worker- resource broker, equitable education advocate, creative entrepreneur, and art director. Hurricane Katrina and a full scholarship to play basketball at Tulane University drew her to New…
Marquetta Dupree she/her/hers [Programs Associate] marquetta@weareili.org Marquetta Dupree is the Owner and operator of MD Wellness in Atlanta, GA which offers holistic health services for the body, mind and spirit. Marquetta is deeply rooted in a spiritual background of ministering…
Deisha Oliver she/her/hers [Communications Manager] Deisha@alternateroots.org Deisha Oliver comes to Alternate ROOTS as a veteran Communications Generalist with a penchant for organization, data gathering, and archival preservation. She has spent the last 20 years specifically in the Atlanta Arts community…
Kiera Ashlee (aka Ashlee Haze) she/her/hers [Membership Services Assistant] kiera@alternateroots.org Kiera Ashlee (aka Ashlee Haze) is a poet and spoken word artist from Atlanta by way of Chicago. She is the winner of a 2023 Silver Telly Award for original…
TIFFANY DAWSON she/her/hers [Finance Manager] tiffany@alternateroots.org Tiffany comes to Alternate Roots with 20+ years of finance and accounting experience in the corporate sector as well as a small business owner. During her career, she has served as an external auditor…
Constance Colllier-Mercado e/her/hers [Cultural Organizing Manager] constance@alternateroots.org Constance Collier-Mercado (e/she/her) is an experimental writer, artist, and womanist culture worker committed to Black language and collective memory. Born in Chicago and raised in the Bronx, her political home resides in the…
Wednesday, March 31 2021 | ROOTS Staff Development Associate JOB DESCRIPTION AND DUTIES Alternate ROOTS supports the creation and presentation of original art that is rooted in community, place, tradition, or spirit. We are a group of…
ROOTS Week 2018. Photo by Melisa Cardona. March 23, 2021 Virtual ROOTS Week Southern Soil: Collective Liberation in Harmony with the Land Tuesday, August 3-Sunday, August 8, 2021 Call for Proposals Due April 20, 2021 During this time of…
March 23, 2021 En Español continuación Virtual ROOTS Weekend Southern Soil: Collective Learning in Harmony with the Land Friday May 14-Sunday, May 16, 2021 Save the Date! We will be holding our first-ever VIRTUAL ROOTS Weekend, Friday, May…
March 12, 2021 Alternate ROOTS is seeking a Communications Consultant, to support the development of a multi-year communications plan that takes our 45th anniversary in 2021 as an opportunity to begin working on a “refresh” with the 50th anniversary…
ROOTS Week 2015. Photo by Melisa Cardona. February 27, 2021 During this time of the pandemic, many of us have turned to the land to sustain and ground us. In the midst of growing climate crises, many of…
February 11, 2021 | ROOTS Staff Alternate ROOTS supports the creation and presentation of original art that is rooted in community, place, tradition, or spirit. We are a group of artists, and cultural organizers based in the U.S.…
Click HERE to watch the Remembering, the Now. Conceived and directed by Melisa Cardona, Poem by Jonathan Clark. December 17, 2020 2020. What a year. When we chose The Fierce Urgency of Now as our 2020 theme,…
Annual Buisness Meeting ROOTS Week 2019. Photo by Melisa Cardona. Alternate ROOTS’ 44th Annual Business Meeting Friday, August 21 – Sunday, August 23, 2020 11 am EST/10 am CST/8 am PST Virtual Meeting Dear ROOTers, We are excited to…
