Miguel “Mike” Figueras is originally from Santiago, Cuba and immigrated to the US in 1970. He has lived in Chicago and Miami, where he spent over 11 years working with at risk students and families as an academic advisor for Miami Dade County Public School’s Outreach Program. As an immigrant, he has lived experience with the challenges in schools as well as injustices. Since 2006, Mike has worked with organizing community leaders at El Pueblo as well as families with the NC State Juntos program. His joy is being a partaker of community empowerment as well as being a witness of social positive change. He believes that the only real power is people power and that people of color unified have enough strength to change the worlds system of oppression.