Mission Statement
Our mission as an organization is to amplify voices within marginalized communities, cultivate spaces that drive health promotion and civic engagement among constituents, and advocate for social, legislative, and meaningful change for the oppressed in the town of Manchester.
Keren Prescott is a mother of three, a social activist, a La Salle University alum with a degree in psychology, and a PROUD Black woman.
She is outspoken, smart, and a powerful public speaker.
She is a survivor.
A warrior.
She is open, transparent, raw and at times uncensored.
Keren is white supremacy’s worst nightmare!
Keren’s father and paternal grandparents are from Panama, Jamaica and Barbardos.
Her mother was born and raised in Philadelphia and her maternal grandmother’s roots are from South Carolina.
Born in Camden, NJ, Keren was raised up and down the east coast from Rochester, NY to Plainfield, NJ and Philadephia, PA.
Today she lives in Manchester, CT where she is the founder of POWERUP – Manchester.
PowerUp Manchester (one of many branches of PowerUp CT) started days after the murder of George Floyd to call attention not just to his murder but also to systemic racism through the US, CT and right in Manchester.
Keren started her activism in Manchester first with advocating for her Black children and other Black and Brown children in the Manchester Public School system. She had been very vocal about the lack of teachers of color, specifically Black teachers, the racism on Manchester sports teams, and the racism shown to Black students from opposing teams.
Today, Keren has grown from protesting at “The Spot” to building several branches and having an office on East Center St., all of which has been built in the last six months since the inception of PowerUp.
Our Story
Power Up Manchester was created in response to the violent white supremacy and systemic racism that plagues our nation.
There are long-standing racial inequities in every avenue of American life, whether it be housing, healthcare, education, criminal justice, and so much more. The systems that perpetuate institutionalized racism must be dismantled in order to create a more just and equitable society.
For over 400 years, Black Americans have been oppressed and violently silenced from the beginnings of chattel slavery, to segregation through Jim Crow laws, to modern day enslavement in the form of mass incarceration. This oppression, which can be defined as a systemic and institutional abuse of power, is ingrained into the fabric of American society.
PowerUp is a grassroots organization that was established in order to address this continued oppression and injustice. We work towards liberating those who are oppressed at every possible level, and amplifying their voices.
PowerUp Manchester recognizes that sustainable change starts within one’s own community at the grassroots level.
There are deep-seated inequities within the town of Manchester, inequities that affect each and every Manchester student, parent, community member, and taxpayer.
It is the responsibility of our local government to address the systemic barriers that Manchester residents of color face on a daily basis.
Town officials must commit themselves to creating a community built on inclusivity and liberation. By fostering justice and equity within our town, we can foster justice and equity within our state, which in turn will foster justice and equity across our nation.
The following contains a list of demands and resolutions for Manchester town officials.