Togetherness: A Fall Reflection on Community
A Bold Hour photo recap post by Rosa Alemán
This month, one theme kept reflecting back through the lens of my camera: togetherness.
In a season marked by political tension, social fatigue, and the daily noise of urgency, I kept returning to quiet truths found in shared space, shared voice, shared movement, and shared joy.
It began at the Latino Excellence Awards at the Massachusetts State House. Teachers, poets, journalists, and community advocates were recognized for the critical work they do to lift others. What struck me was the warmth of the moment. People leaned in. Hands clasped. Laughter and cheers filled the marble hall.
I had the joy of meeting and interviewing the brilliant Puerto Rican musician Fabiola Méndez, whose cuatro music filled the space with rhythm and reverence. The event, championed by Representative Andy Vargas and Senators Lydia Edwards, Liz Miranda and Pavel Payano, reminded me how cultural pride and civic leadership can nurture resilience at the heart of community.
Just days later, I was at the Arnold Arboretum for the 2025 MassQBall, a celebration where art, memory, and movement intertwined. Under a golden afternoon sky, Mar Parrilla and her ensemble, Danza Orgánica, performed a tribute grounded in Puerto Rican heritage.
Mar danced a poem for her father while her drummer followed her movements with steady, ancestral rhythm.
When she extended her hand, inviting the audience into the dance, people joined without hesitation. Her performance was a living reminder that healing is a circle we step into together.
Not far from that circle, another colorful gathering formed. YABÁS, led by Isaura Oliveira, offered a healing ritual of Afro-Brazilian Orisha dance. Dancers twirled in vibrant skirts, water splashing as they moved with spirit and intention. Gourds shook, songs rose, and color pulsed across the grass. The performance was both art and ceremony. A blessing. A collective remembering.
Later in October, I was invited to document Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley’s speech at the #NoKings rally in Boston, where she called on us all to “Give a Damn”—to show up for democracy, for each other, for the future. I watched her move through the crowd with tenderness, pausing for conversations, hugs, listening. She reminded us that activism lives not only in speeches but in how we hold space for one another.
I also captured joyful togetherness in quieter moments: a youth literacy celebration hosted by Frugal Bookstore at Roxbury Community College, featuring NYT bestselling author Jason Reynolds; and a Halloween dog costume parade in Downtown Crossing, where laughter floated like confetti and strangers smiled in shared delight.
Whether in resistance or celebration, each scene was grounded in the same core gesture—people showing up to be with one another.
At Bridgebold, we often say storytelling begins with listening, noticing, and creating with care. But this fall, I saw clearly that community begins with presence. Being here. Being in the now together. Choosing to move toward one another with generosity.
Togetherness isn’t the absence of difficulty. It’s the decision to reach for one another despite challenges. It’s about deciding to make space for each other, to show up, to build forward.
When we gather with intention, we create more than a moment. We shape a future worth arriving in.
Where have you felt most connected lately? What moments have reminded you that you’re not alone?