Social justice rooted in hope
Building justice into the smallest moments for lasting change.
Born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Rut Martinez-Alicea’s story is one of relentless belief, joyful resistance, and intentional action to dismantle systemic social injustice in everyday life and across generations.
MISSION
Mangrove Roots works to strike at the core of systemic oppression by creating practical, systemic pathways that connect individuals and communities to our shared humanity.
VISION
Mangrove Roots builds hope that justice can be enacted in the smallest moments, that liberation must come through each of us, and that when we learn and work collectively, we have the power to build the world we’ve dreamed of.
Approach
Steeped in Popular Education, Critical Race Theory and Learning Styles, years of experience as an educator and HR leader, Rut’s practical coaching and interactive training takes individuals and organizations on a journey of self knowledge, a deeper understanding of the world, and our collective role in pursuing social justice.
Rut believes that while social injustice is everywhere we look, and embedded in institutional and organizational policies and practices, it is not inevitable. When we build and act in our collective power, we dismantle systems of oppression moment by moment.
A Strategic Human Resources Management - Certified Professional (SHRM-CP), Rut’s emphasis on organizational change through HR functions fosters transformation within teams and systems, from hiring practices to leadership development, strategic planning, and more.
Growing Intersecting Continuums for Effective and Intentional Change
When mangrove roots intersect with their own and other mangrove trees, those points of intersection exponentially increase the mangrove’s capacity to create and protect land, to create and protect possibilities. At any given time and in all spaces, we are shaping the world we live in and share with all living creatures. We exist at the intersection of different and ranging capacities. I’m personally and professionally invested in supporting individuals—including myself—and organizations in expanding the range and increasing the density of our intersecting capacity continuums.
Like mangroves, each of us already has roots that run deep in different continuums of capacity—perhaps in the arts, parenting, leadership, organizing, mentoring, or in countless other domains. Along each continuum, we grow from the most fundamental skills to the most specialized ones. When we develop new skills along these continuums, we extend our roots further into the soil of possibility. And when these different roots intersect—when our mentoring connects with our organizing, or our parenting with our leading—we multiply our resilience and power.
The same is true for communities and organizations. The denser the network of intersecting capacities, the greater our collective ability to transform the ground that holds us and even generate new ground where none existed before.
What continuums of capacity do I already have in my life? How can I grow and strengthen them?
Where might I stretch further along them? And how might I intentionally create intersections with the skills of others?
In doing so, we become better equipped to create the changes we want—not alone, but as an interconnected living system.
Rut Martínez-Alicea
“Rut is not only strategic, courageous, intelligent, hard-working and creative but she cares deeply about her work and about people. Rut is a true visionary.”
“Rut is one of the most amazing leaders I have ever worked with! She’s great with people and leads effortlessly with emotional intelligence and grace! ”
“Rut is adept at leading with intuitive emotional intelligence, without judgment while simultaneously creating safe/brave space for the community members she works with.”