Aminah Fernandes Pilgrim

Co-founder

Aminah Fernandes Pilgrim is a graduate of Duke University (BA, History, Cultural Anthropology & African, African-American Studies) and Rutgers University (PhD, History, 2008). She is the proud mother of one boy, and lives in Brockton, MA. For the past 16 years, she has taught in the Dept. of Africana Studies at UMass Boston, and recently joined the TCCS (Transdisciplinary Cultural Community Studies) Masters Program. She is also an affiliated faculty member of the Pedro Pires Institute for Cape Verdean Studies at Bridgewater State University. Her areas of research include late 19th and 20th century African-American history, African-American women’s history, African Diaspora studies, Cabo Verdean studies, education research and critical hip hop studies. She is the founder of the HIPHOP Initiative, and MEMORIA Oral History Project. She is the Co-founder (with Anita Monteiro) of SABURA Youth Programs, Inc. in Brockton, MA, and the Co-founder (with Dr. Terza Lima-Neves) of PODEROZA: International Conference on Cabo Verdean Women. Pilgrim is a visual artist and illustrator of children’s books, a writer, editor, and public speaker. Please feel free to contact her via social media (FB: Aminah Pilgrim, IG and Twitter: @aminahnailah)

Anita "Leny" Monteiro

Co-founder

Anita "Leny" Monteiro was born in the United States and her parents and family are from the Cabo Verde Islands. She is a mother of two girls. At the age of 12, she traveled to the Cabo Verde Islands and fell in love with her culture.

She graduated from Brockton High School with high honors and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, from which she attained a Bachelor's degree in Biology and a Pre-Medicine Concentration. Her initial dream was to become a doctor because of her passion of helping people. Her love of the Cabo Verdean culture and for helping people eventually led her to the Cape Verdean Association of Brockton where she served as a Board Member and staff. She served as the director of the organization for four years. 

After leaving the Association, she co-founded SABURA (Student Ambassadors Bonded Under Recreation and Achievement) with Dr. Aminah Pilgrim.  SABURA is a Cabo Verdean cultural enrichment camp for youths ages 4 to 21 that teaches and exposes the youth to the Cabo Verdean culture and African diaspora. 
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From L to R, Teacher and Coordinator Ivette Monteiro, Anita “Leny” Monteiro (with youngest daughter Larryssa), CV Music Legend Beto Dias (Leny’s BFF), and Aminah Pilgrim

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Mailing Address:
​P.O. Box 2843
Brockton, MA 02305
Phone: 508.577.5646
Email: Saburainc@gmail.com