New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Meet Erik Andrade, a poet and activist who calls our beautiful city home.
After moving here 20 years ago during his time at UMass Dartmouth, he fell in love with the rich history of social justice and the Cape Verdean community that New Bedford thrives from. Since then, he has become involved in helping the youth overcome their adversity through leadership development and after school tutoring.
“Outside of lighting the world with candles, we have enlightened the world with tolerance, social justice, equality, and equity. From the likes of from the likes of Frederick Douglass, Paul Cuffee, Sweet Daddy Grace, and Jibreel Khazan, we have been home to visionaries who have not only created change, but also inspired social-change movements throughout the world.”
He remembers graduating college and living on the floor of his friend’s apartment thinking, “How will I ever get out of this?” Almost two decades later he knows that he only got through it by the strength of God and it was that difficult time that pushed him to do all that he has for the community.
Faces of New Bedford is a project by Colton Simmons. If you are interested in booking a shoot or getting prints from the series email all inquiries to colton@coltonsimmons.com
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