Posted February 05, 2025
Meet Erica Williams-Lasion, Prevention Program Manager for Lorain County!
Erica is a Lorain County native who was working at a middle school when she had to undergo major surgery.
During her recovery, a friend referred her to Catholic Charities to work for our parent mentoring program.
"I absolutely love what I do," Erica said. "It gives me a platform in which to exercise my purpose."
In her position, Erica works with women and children through whatever they might need.
"I'm committed to seeing children and women, families thrive," Erica said.
During February, otherwise known as Black History Month, Erica feels that it is a time to reflect on the accomplishments not just made by African Americans but America.
"[It's] an opportunity for us as a nation... to really reflect on things that have been accomplished over the years not just by the African American, but by America, because the African American is an American," Erica said.
Erica also states that we need to tell the full story to learn and share our country's history.
"If we're going to tell the story of our country, we need to tell it in its entirety," Erica said.
When the truthful story of history isn't told, we, as America, don't truly know who we are as a nation.
"We're really not understanding who we are, and if you don't know who you are, then you're bound to put yourself in a place where you're not at your fullest or at your best," Erica said.
Regarding the contributions directly from African Americans, Erica suggests that these contributions should be told in our history books just like any other nationality.
"The story of America, again, is incomplete without understanding that the people who built America didn't all look the same," Erica said.
African Americans' contributions to the country have shaped it into what it is today.
"There is not a United States today the way the United States is today without the African in America," Erica said.
Black History Month gives people the opportunity to reflect on and learn more about our history. When someone does, it's important to keep an open mind and look at the stories through a different lens.
"If we're only looking through our own lens, then our opinion is formed on limited information..." Erica said, "We have to be able to challenge the information that we may have been fed."
Part of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
