Interview with Monteze Morales
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Interviewers
Jada Lewis
Description
Monteze Morales serves as the Commissioner for the 3rd District for Kalamazoo County. As well as being an elected official, Ms. Morales Director of Student Wellbeing and Thriving at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. She is a longtime advocate, expert and speaker for the Kalamazoo Promise. Ms. Morales is interviewed by Jada Lewis, and covers the following topics
- Discussed her early background, and moving from Connecticut to Kalamazoo, Michigan;
- Growing up in Kalamazoo;
- How she identifies and exists as a mixed race woman;
- Family traditions and the joys of sharing culture through cuisine;
- Transition in attending a Predominantly White Institution and Historically Black College and University;
- Mentorship and the women whose shoulders she stands on;
- Serving as the first Afro-Latina on the Board of Commissioners (Kalamazoo County);
- Student advocacy in her role as Director of Student Well-Being & Thriving at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
Date of Interview
7-10-2025
Location of Interview
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Keywords
Oral History, Kalamazoo, Michigan, Community Activism, Higher Education, Elected Office
Disciplines
Academic Advising | Adult and Continuing Education | Community College Education Administration | Community College Leadership
Language
English
Document Type
Interview
Recommended Citation
Morales, Monteze, "Interview with Monteze Morales" (2025). Standing on Her Shoulders: Celebrating, Capturing, and Cultivating Black Women in Leadership in Southwest Michigan. 9.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/standing-on-her-shoulders/9
Length of video
56:28
Length of video log
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