Michael Che Romero is a Spokane native who wants Spokane Community College students to know: You belong here.
Today, Michael is an accomplished muralist with works across the United States and world, but his upbringing in Spokane had its challenges. “I had a tough upbringing and was almost murdered as a teenager here,” Michael says. “Being born and raised in Spokane comes with nostalgia and deep shadows. I struggled with belonging after my near murder and family issues.”
A series on Home
In an effort to reclaim his hometown for himself, and in between work on a 15,000-square foot commission for the City of Commerce, near Los Angeles, Michael embarked on a series of murals across Spokane with the theme of “home.” The original Home series is his 2,800 square foot mural gallery at the Scale House Market.
“Home is more than my return to Spokane—it’s a reimagining. I’m painting not just for myself, but for anyone who’s ever felt conflicted by the very place they’re from. Spokane shaped me in ways both painful and profound,” says Michael. “Through this series, I’m turning those echoes into something whole—asking how we might transform places of pain into spaces of healing, acceptance, and meaning. The wall becomes a mirror for us all.”
Following the mural gallery series at the Scale House Market exploring themes of land, nourishment, and identity, Michael extended the Home series sentiment to the entrance and main lounge of Spokane Community College’s Center for Inclusion and Diversity (CID), which holds the mission of creating a safe and welcoming space—a home—for all students, faculty, staff, and community members.
Michael’s new work at the CID, You Belong, portrays an intentionally race and gender ambiguous figure partially shrouded in a flowing amalgamation of abstracted international flags. The figure appears to be gradually melting into (or being constituted from, depending on your perspective), a pool of gently mixing, liquid color representing “the melting pot that is our humanity,” according to the artist.
“Every human, we’re all connected, and the basis is kindness, love, and acceptance,” says Michael. “For me, that’s the baseline. You Belong visually captures that feeling.”
A collaborative effort
While Michael Che Romero is the primary talent for executing the design, Seema Mishra, his wife and the CEO of their art and design firm Vivache Designs, was central in its conception.
“I’ve always existed in the in-between—too ‘foreign’ for America, too ‘American’ for India, where my parents immigrated from in the 1960’s,” says Seema. “That quiet dissonance shaped me. But America was always meant to hold us all—the dreamers, the seekers, the ones who don’t fit neatly into boxes. Our very pledge of allegiance calls for one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
While they have worked together on many projects in the past, this mural is Michael and Seema’s first official design collaboration, instigated by SCC’s Director of Student Success, Equity, and Diversity Priya Mhlophe. Says Seema, “When we met Priya we were thrilled! There was a mutual understanding and admiration for this work. And we just melded our beliefs together into the mural.”
“You Belong is a promise,” says Seema. “A promise that every person—no matter their story, their skin tone, their accent—has a place here. We’re painting that truth into the world so no one ever has to question if they’re part of it. You are. You always have been. And this is the ethos at Vivache. We want to uplift the voices of our communities with care, belonging, and love.”
A mission enhanced
“From the moment I first spoke with Michael and Seema, I immediately knew they were people who understood the heart of our work—community, connection, and care for one another,” says Priya. “They affirmed what our space—the Center for Inclusion and Diversity—means to our communities. This is a depiction of ‘home’, and this mural is also a movement for humanity. It captures the beauty of our individual differences when they come together—reminding us that we are strongest in solidarity. As Michael says, ‘We are only as ambitious as our imagination allows us to be.’ When we dream together, we create a world where access is not a privilege, being valued is a given, and care is the culture—not the exception.”
Michael acknowledges the Inland Northwest’s complex and painful history regarding inclusion and equity—but sees public art as a powerful tool for transformation. “I myself am mixed - half Mexican and half European descent. Spaces like this are crucial. It is a place that is meant to include, so you feel trust, safety, and warmth,” he says, referring to the CID. “That’s the foundation we wanted to build on: What does it feel like to be safe? What does it mean to truly belong? This image is a visual anthem to all of that, and the CID embodies that.”
You Belong goes on the road
Fueled by this vision, Michael and Seema are planning to take the You Belong message nationwide. “We’re taking it on the road,” says Michael. “Through prints, stickers, tapestries, and future murals, this design will continue to live beyond the wall—it’s meant to ripple outward.” Seema adds, “This isn’t just art. It’s a movement rooted in unity, visibility, and care. You Belong speaks to the kind of world we’re ready to build—together.”
As the You Belong campaign grows, it carries with it a simple but profound reminder: belonging is not a luxury—it’s a human need. Through art, storytelling, and shared space, Michael and Seema are helping communities see themselves reflected in the public landscape. What began as a deeply personal act of reclamation has become a movement—one wall, one message, one city at a time. In a divided world, You Belong is an invitation to remember who we are: many, yes—but indivisible.
Michael’s You Belong mural is on permanent display at the Center for Inclusion and Diversity in Spokane Community College’s Lair Student Center. The anchor Home mural series is on display at the Scale House Market at the Spokane Conservation District.
Learn more about the SCC Center for Inclusion and Diversity
Learn more about Michael Che Romero and Seema Mishra