S. Renee Mitchell

After a successful career as a newspaper reporter and later as a columnist for The Oregonian, Dr. S. Renee Mitchell quit journalism to focus on her art and became the only Black teacher at Roosevelt High, Oregon's most diverse high school..

She says art saved her life. Now she describes herself as a Creative Revolutionist encouraging others to embrace their own healing journeys. “Though trauma had once stolen my joy and sense of self, it also deeply influenced my life purpose and desire to help others move closer to their own healing,” she says.

“As a single mother of three, I have survived poverty, depression, sexual assault, domestic violence, racial trauma, bullying and other heartbreaks.  However, each time I create, I move  further away from the pain that at one point encouraged me to think about ending my life.  Trauma has been my greatest teacher and I have invested those lessons into healing my community.”

Her work as a teacher showed her the obstacles that trauma placed in front of her students’ happiness and success. So Dr. Mitchell started I Am M.O.R.E. (Making Ourselves Resilient Everyday), a youth development program to help Black students, community members, and teachers heal from trauma through culturally-relevant social emotional learning (SEL). The nationally award-winning program empowers and builds hope and resiliency through profound love, skill building, and youth-centered programming.

Dr. Mitchell  is a speaker, trainer, novelist, educator, playwright, spoken word poet, lyricist, curriculum designer, and multimedia “heARTivist.” She spoke about reclaiming herself at TEDxSalem.