June 25, 2025 • 57 mins
Garifuna from the Bronx, Author, Leader, Friend, Creator of the iconic 'Ain't I Latina' Platform that opened the pioneering destination media space for AfroLatines. A Texan with Colombian roots, a magic mushroom and a dream. We had a time vibing on what keeps the energy flowing and how to love our roots amidst American upbringing. Meet Janel Martinez And Henao.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
So it's official mehanded we're pivoting. I love reggaton, these reggaetondos,
I like them, and I think I need to apply
some pressure. There's too much going on in the world
to keep prioritizing the points of views of these artists
who not for not things so respectfully.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Aren't saying enough about what's going on.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
There are ice raids or deportations, the bombings, and everybody's
just da da my new song. I'm not wired like that.
I'm not built like that. We're gonna keep it funky
over here or keep it pushing. So with that son
as exciting as they may be, I want to make
sure some real ships being said on this podcast. It's
(00:47):
my party and I'll change it if I want to.
With that said, I don't know who better I can
kick this change off with than Janelle Martinez and Latina
is a pioneering a eleven year old platform that kicked
off the mass conversation of what it means to be
Afro Latina online. Today, there are a bunch of arguments
(01:10):
online regarding the word latinikees latins. Well guess what years
ago there were arguments over the term Hispanic what's my point.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
People had to fight for.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
These identifiers that we often take for granted. Janelle is
a fighter in regards to Afra Latinisan and I'm.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Forever grateful to her.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Janelle's an amazing writer, author, pioneering curator, and she's my homegirl, y'all.
Throughout the years she opened countless doors for Negras. You're
a welcome culture.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Anna.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Latina is a question that pushes this convo on who
is included in Latinisan because at the end of the day,
we have a race issue, not we, but you know,
Latinisa often excludes black roots. It's why you see diaspora
wars online every two days.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
But one thing.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
I'm excited to get into with her is how she
cleverly stays away from stereotypes because bro the projection.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Okay, in twenty twenty five, there are.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Arguments online on who should be fighting for who, and
I can't wait for y'all to hear the thoughtful, educated
takes Janelle has to offer on this ala. And later
on we have the Coligos by hand out an amazing
Colombian pop artist on the rise. We get into mental
health shrooming. Yes you heard me, correctly and dreams for society.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
This is a new and improved Bay.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
Yeah, thank you so much.
Speaker 5 (02:52):
First of all, really appreciate that, like warm introduction.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
I'm so appreciative of the space.
Speaker 5 (02:59):
And also, you know, love what you're doing, and I
really appreciate you know that you have created the space
for us.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
So thank you first and foremost.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
How does it feel to have cultivated such as space
looking back eleven years that that is a legacy?
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Talk to me a little bit more about that.
Speaker 5 (03:19):
Yeah, So it's interesting because I feel like I'm always
reflecting and I love the fact that, like there's been
so much evolution in the conversation around of course after
a Latini Dad, but more specifically the level of representation
and spaces for Black Latinas and for me, even though,
(03:43):
like it's always interesting to hear the term like pioneer
or like groundbreaker or things like that, because I truly
feel like I am a part of a not only
a continuum.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
So I think about the work.
Speaker 5 (03:57):
Of you know, Miriam Humanists or Mom and h e
Bit Modestine and Baca Maga, and then of course like
all of the amazing next generations. Like the fact that
these conversations you know, are being sustained is really beautiful
to see. And so though I you know, appreciate the flowers,
(04:20):
and I appreciate, you know, even just the fact that
I have gotten this opportunity and that people have trusted
me to tell their stories, right, like people do not
have to speak to me at any point. But the
fact that, like even when I launched H Latina, the
number of Black Latinas that have from jump supported me,
(04:40):
that trusted me to tell their story, that have just
been a cheerleader of minds all of these years has
been really beautiful, you know. So thank you for the flowers,
and thank you for supporting me. And you know, I
think that we're all just like in this collective and
community has been so important in that.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Are you much too modest? You did that? You did
that you did? And so you know, thinking of ain't
a Latina? You know, it's a question right in Latinos
talk to me about like that concept in it of itself,
like where was that born out of? You know, like
has it been answered, you know, generations later. I'll keep
(05:22):
my response very short, but like the reason why I
even ask this question is because I look around online
and I'm like, okay, if you don't know by twenty
twenty five the after Latinos exist, that's like your.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Problems because too much work out there.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
You know, people are repeating right rhetoric at this point,
so like I won't yeah too much.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
I'm dying to know your po be honest.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:46):
So this is such an important question because I don't
feel like I get this often.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
I don't know if the word is like sort.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
Of double on chandra or like dual meaning, but I'll
say ain't sal Latina was born out of just my
list experience. So even though I didn't have the name,
I didn't always have the language, but the fact that
growing up it was very important.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
I got to always shout out my mom.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
You know, she's my introduction to black womanhood and more specifically,
you know, being a black Conserman, being Dharifuna and so
I had always had this sort of consciousness, but I
didn't always have the language. I feel like I was
very blessed to be able to be an African American
studies minor and my undergrad journey.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
Which really opened doors for me.
Speaker 5 (06:34):
This is at the time where I actually came across
the term after Latina. It was literally I had the
opportunity to study abroad in an African American.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
Studies program in Paris.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
And we were meeting, I mean we were meeting like
black Brazilians and black Parisians, and like it was just
so much transfer of information. But also at the end
of the day, everybody was black and from different place,
and so it really got me thinking about, like, oh,
it's not like blackness is not a monolith of latinisad
(07:06):
is though commercialized and package as a monolith, is not that.
And so really the fact that my scholarship and my
work has always been rooted in blackness and specifically black womanhood,
what better way for me? When I was thinking about names,
(07:26):
it really like kind of like on some divine stuff
came to me.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
I thought about sojournal truth.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
Very well known speech a I woman, And then I
thought to myself, like I always had been questioning about
my identity. This is a platform specifically for black girls women,
you know, of Latin Americans, dispent ainsa Latina, And so
for me it was like kind of a homage, if
(07:53):
you will, to black women who have really been the
reason why I'm here today.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
Black scholarship.
Speaker 5 (08:02):
But then with the sort of nuancedness, if you will,
in speaking to like Latina Latina identity. So yeah, that's
actually the the This is probably the most I've even
discussed the name, but that's where it comes from. So
like them dual meaning of course being a question, but
(08:23):
also a recognition of black scholarship, black you know, feminism
and all of that. And it has the question been
essentially answered today?
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Absolutely not.
Speaker 5 (08:37):
And sometimes I try to give brace depending on age, right,
Like I don't expect a preteen a team to fully
have the language. But when you know, in the digital space,
for example, which is a space that you know many
of us occupy and you know, share ideas, the fact
that like today people will kind of like throw out
(08:59):
like afro Latina in like a way of questioning, like
what you're saying, like it's a maid of thing, or
like not understanding the definition. Or even when we see
celebrities like a card and b or and I'm gonna
just stick with her in particular, it's so fascinating to
me that people question to this day her identity. She
(09:21):
has we or we have all seen her parents, we
have all seen her speaking and seamlessly transitioning between Spanish
and English, but yet she in putting it all out there.
A level of people not even willing to see her
as a black woman is just so alarming to me.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
And so I think this question has it been answered?
Speaker 3 (09:44):
No?
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Do I think we'll see it answered in our lifetime? No?
Speaker 5 (09:48):
I don't think so, even though I would love to
say that it is. I just feel like people are
so kind of locked into what they feel they know
and if they're not willing to stretch that or learn,
which I find even in the digital space, as much
as many resources that are at their disposal, they they
(10:08):
may not, you know, lean into it, but there are
others that do and get it. And I'm I think
that's where I love to keep my concentration on.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
But sadly there's so many.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
As I say, like.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Because like after a certain point, you just gotta disconnect
for your own mental health as a black girl, because
it's like some people are dedicated to the mannas and
like we can't live there if we're gonna live a happy,
healthy lives. So I feel you and I super appreciate
the Cardi example. For those listening, they're both from the Bronx.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
You know, yeah, okay, right, yes, got it, yes.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
And so not like yeah, people be playing big games
with CARTI like there's just some people who are gonna
be dedicated to that and we just gotta leave them
over there, like absolutely yeah, And so I super love
you know where you went with this, because if it's
bright in to where I'm headed next, being online is
(11:13):
a little bit unsufferable, and by little I mean a
lot because there's just like a lot of revisionist history
people are acting like things don't exist, like it's ever
been discussed before, like things never happened. I saw this
girl today like posted on threads like you know, like
if what if Latinos says that they don't want to
(11:34):
support when George Floyd died, I'm like they did that,
Like what are you talking about?
Speaker 6 (11:38):
Right?
Speaker 4 (11:39):
Like what I wrote a whole article I.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
Linked myself, but I.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Can't wag so like you know, it's the cognitive dissonance
for me. And so to ask the direct question today administration,
there are ice raids all over the country that are
regularly escalated due to the agree his relations and instruction
of this president.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
And it's been very.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Odd hearing like the revisionist history takes regarding black and
brown solidarity.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
Tell me as a black woman, what is your take?
Speaker 5 (12:16):
Yeah, it's actually really sad to me because I feel like,
what's happening with this like revisionist you know activity, and
then also like a lack of trying to even be
aware of the issue at hand, and like why this
is such an important time for not only community but
(12:38):
like coalition building is the fact that from a historical lens,
we have always been in unison, right, like black, both
Latinos of all backgrounds. And so for me, it's really,
it really is sad to see because the attention is
(12:59):
not being directed in the right manner. Because while people
are so caught up in you didn't do enough or
you didn't show up, which again, as we know, are
all lives, lives are.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
Actually being impacted.
Speaker 5 (13:15):
People are being snatched up, people are being separated from
their family, people are not being They're not getting the
resources that they need. And so I feel like, though
the digital space is so powerful and I love when
I actually see people such as yourself bringing the facts
(13:37):
and the information and the resources, there are also sadly
just as many people that are focused on the wrong
things and taking that energy because at the end of
the day. We know, like we need to all be
focused on this at the end of the day because
(13:58):
for one, as black people, we're all.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
Going to be impacted. Like that's why I've never understood.
Speaker 5 (14:05):
I don't get it, because it's like they come for
like I forget the quote, which is horrible.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
No, this is I think Tony Morris. Then back check
me if I'm wrong.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
If they come for you at night, they'll come for you,
and they'll come for If they come for them at night,
they'll come for you in the morning.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
And I definitely think that that is over see ice,
these ice raids.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
Obviously because of this administration, we are seeing more and
more of it, but obviously we have been seeing this
for some time.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
This is not a new thing.
Speaker 5 (14:35):
And even with that, we have you know, organizations I
think of a boggy and let me make sure I
say so, it's the Black Alliance for Just Immigration. We
see a number of organizations that are really censored around
black immigration. But it's not just it is black folks,
(14:57):
but it's also this is an issue that affects everyone.
And let's be real, it's the most marginalized is not
able to receive the access or is not free, then
nobody is going to get free. And so I just
feel like these conversations are just really disheartening to see
happen in real time while people are actually on the
(15:20):
front lines or doing whatever work to support what's happening,
and others are being affected.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
What is this conversation doing at the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Thank you there, I mean perfectly said, you said it
all you said all that there is to be said, because.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
It's like.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
People are just what I'm stuck on is the port
where you said is obviously live because it's that's literally
what it is. You know, whether people are just not
paying attention or not is a different thing. The need
to come to terms with that. But saying that we're
on officer size and all this and that, and then
I'm also sticking on not for nothing laughing because I
(15:59):
said brown quotes.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
He was like, nothing you knows of all back? Doesn't
brown make you cringe? Like it makes me crane.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
I'm be honest with you, I need some people identify
that way, and like I saw what I said. But
it's because first of all, it is in girls right
right here, but like okay, but then other like mostly
Mexicans are saying like, Okay, we're brown, and I'm just like, oh,
you were in the sun.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
You're brown, I suppose, But like this is corny because
it's like it's another way for us to differentiate ourselves
because why because you need to be over there and
I need to be over here because we're both not brown.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Because you're brown. Brown is very freaking weird.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
So it is.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
And there's actually indigenous and you know, it kills me.
There is indigenous. You're indigenous, that absolutely, and that's for
a long time I felt like I couldn't even yeah
claim that because of the way that indigenousity, specifically in
the US context was framed. And the crazy thing is
(17:03):
like I you know, and we both know we know
Mexicans who are actually brown. That's another thing because I
feel like when brown, it's sort of like this sort
of mythical I hate to frame it this way, but
like it mythical brownness. Like there's people who identifies brown
who are not brown, and it's just like.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Right and so exactly, and it's like if you can
do that, if you can.
Speaker 5 (17:29):
Literally do that, this conversation, that identifier is not for you.
Whereas they actually know and I'm sure they know, you know,
actually you know actual brown people. And then to your point,
we are black women and we are brown, you know
in that sense.
Speaker 4 (17:47):
It's like I think that sometimes people it's sort of
like this.
Speaker 5 (17:52):
I don't know if it's a breaking of oppression or
if it's like they want to identify as other than
what their racial worry is because of this sort of
narrative they feel like they need to exist within. But
it is problematic, and I also think, hopefully I'm not
jumping the gun. But when I was talking about like
(18:15):
coalition building, you know why this is so important in
these common conversations and really knowing your history is because
I want to Actually I might be going and stircle
with But I recently had seen a very powerful documentary
actually directed by a black Latina.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
Her name is since I went on, uh, it's for Benita,
for Khalif.
Speaker 5 (18:38):
And folks may not be familiar with the story of
Khalif Browder, but essentially he is no longer with us,
but and Venita is no longer with us as well,
and it really is because of the injustices within the
prison system in the United States, particular, But where I'm
(19:02):
going with this is that I found it so powerful
because the way that she connected this point of injustice,
you know, the injustice happening and you know, the criminalization
of black people, is that she used the example of this.
This it's a pretty well known resistance had happened in
(19:24):
New York City in the nineteen seventies at the Tombs,
which is a prison that used to exist in Mantattan.
And actually what a big part of that is that
the Young Lords were, you know, involved in it because
there was a death of a Young Lord's member of
Julio Rodan. But also what people don't realize is that
(19:46):
the Black Panthers were a part of this, and there
was a Black Panther twenty one, and so there's like,
when I think about that, like we're all in this
fight together. I always go back to specific the Young
Lords who were inspired by the Black Panther Party. They
would not exist if the Black Panther Party were not
(20:07):
in existence. But they also were not in a way
where oh you do this, you do that. If they
needed to like join forces to get things done, they
did that, and we see that throughout the history of
both organizations. So much so that you know, some members
(20:28):
were in both, you know, I think about I think
about Denise Oliver Belez who was both a Young Lord
member and a Black Panther Party member. So I think
that people have to really know their history.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (20:45):
And I understand that at a certain point in people's lives,
we didn't I didn't learn all of this. We didn't
learn all of this and you know, uh, when we
were young or when we were kids.
Speaker 4 (20:57):
But I think that there you get to a level
in life where you have access to more and if
you are a person that has access and you know
someone that doesn't have access, you can then inform and
let them know about certain things. And I think the
digital space sort of does that for us, right, Like
you're constantly seeing information and of course fact check, but
(21:17):
definitely you see this information, and I think it's like,
we have to really know our history at the end
of the day, and especially in a time like this
where we know that they're trying to prevent you know,
there's book fans. They're also trying to.
Speaker 5 (21:30):
Literally take books from you know, spaces where they should
not be removed. And so I definitely feel like that
history part is really important.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Oh my god, jenall she is saying, the teams will
be right back with more after these messages don't move
nothing more on. It's start crushing honesty to be speaking
(22:37):
with another fellow writer, because I know you feel me
when I say that. It's a little crazy right now,
seeing how especially on not for Nothing, I took that.
I know I say it a lot, but it's like
the way that I'd be seeing viral videos and I'm like,
that's not even correct, and it's like and then it's
like people google it, they something, they go on a website.
(22:59):
They're not saying thinking, Okay, it's on a website, it
must be true. It's like, no verify is it on?
You know, is it on a verifiable source? A verifiable
source is likely to not a news station or another writer,
someone who takes ethics seriously, because guess what, you can
get sued for missing You can get sued for spreading
things that are not correct, because that quickly gets all
(23:21):
part of slander and things of that nature. But you know,
everyday influences nothing about that. They just want to get
there and it's like I need us to pause because
you know, like not for nothing. And another thing we
share in common is we were both we both came up.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
On Twitter, Twitter.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Not X Yes, I was literally the last generation of Twitter,
and your experiences before to be going to culture cards
to do the panels to speak on how we build
our platforms and how we build our followings, and our
metrics were out the such a time.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
Our metrics were.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
Like time and that was a time by girl.
Speaker 5 (24:02):
Because we were creating. And this is so I love
that you trying to use Yes, you exactly. I love
that you introduced Twitter because we were digitally archiving, right.
These were conversations and for me, I often think about
black Twitter in the different ways of Black Twitter.
Speaker 4 (24:23):
And even if we.
Speaker 5 (24:24):
Think about black Twitter, black Twitter was a space where
you knew there was there was layers to it that
alone wasn't even a monolith.
Speaker 4 (24:33):
You knew that in black Twitter you.
Speaker 5 (24:34):
Were going to see a discourse around caribbeanness, Latini Da,
what it was like to be black in Europe. Like
it was just so rich of a conversation and it
saddens me. I feel like I keep saying that, but
it's so sad because it's.
Speaker 4 (24:54):
Like I often think about what happens when someone does
want to use a digital source, maybe they see it
on x now quotes. What does that look like?
Speaker 5 (25:07):
When we were openly exchanging ideas, we also didn't always
agree with one another. And that's why I'm also like
when I think of and I don't want to get
too deep into like Siasca Awards, but we knew how
to introduce conversation and not agree. But at the end
of it, it was what it was, you know what
I'm saying. I feel like the ways in which people
(25:30):
are even pointing out information or arguing is is like
next level and it's concerning, you know, and TikTok is
a space that like I'm not super you know, delved into,
but from what I do see, I will say that
like to what you just said, like I'm concerned about
some of the misinformation, you know, and I do know
(25:52):
that there are some like brilliant there's brilliant work happening there.
But again, we know how algorithms work, right, and so
you're constantly looking at the same misinformation, you're getting.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
Served more of that.
Speaker 5 (26:05):
So what does that do to the information that you're
consuming and what you then take from that, Like it's
it's concerning I want to turn it.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Yeah, I would be missed if I didn't include here
in this regaon podcast. Mm hmmm.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
Memory. What's your relationship with never mind?
Speaker 4 (26:27):
Mind?
Speaker 3 (26:27):
What's your relationship with a? Who do you listen to?
What are you takes? What's it been like for you?
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (26:35):
Yeah, this is and again this is like the first
time being asked this. I think it's important for me
to note that, Like, I feel like I came up
in the nineties, you know, so very young, but then
you know, as I came of age and then early
two thousands for me, especially being you know, born, raised, SI,
(26:57):
residing in the Bronx, like music is so so big
and so I feel like when I was like preteen
and a teenager for me, like the reggaeton was huge,
and like, just as I was listening to like a
Little Kim or you know, DMX or job Rule or
(27:18):
I can go on and on, and I'm probably dating
myself definitely like Eve Tween I was just listening to.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
It's so funny because for me, I'm very.
Speaker 5 (27:31):
Like nostalgic, like and I think at this time, I'm
so I just want to feel how I felt when
I was like a teenager because I feel like even
though let me not curse, things were wild in their
own sense, at that time, it was a better time
(27:51):
for me because I was young. You know, we we
were having fun. If somebody was having a party, you
know what I'm saying, Like you knew that you were
gonna like hear like you singing.
Speaker 4 (28:03):
Yandell that Yankee.
Speaker 5 (28:05):
So for me, it was like I still to this
day and this is my playlist is very like maybe
I'm very much a fiah here because my playlist, you
would think that, like I'm still stuck in the nineties
or early two thousands.
Speaker 4 (28:20):
That's just like what I'm really listening to.
Speaker 5 (28:22):
And I think, yeah, Like I think a part of
it is just a nostalgia, Like especially at this time,
it's like I'm looking to my playlist as a form
of comfort. Have I listened to you know, what's circulating
now or like what's trending based off of you know,
things that have been done, Yes to a certain degree.
But like I think at my base and at my coore,
(28:44):
like it's somebody go through you know, my Spotify listening history,
they're gonna see like a lot of like that time
period in the mid to late nineties or really early
two thousand.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
Yeah, Hans back girl, I'm right there with you.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
It's why I got better when one turned into a
party and it's like.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
Yeah, and I have gone and I have like been like,
oh what a space.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
Yeah, we're back in the Bronx. Actually, yes, we will talk.
Speaker 4 (29:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
To wrap this all up, there, of course is a
legacy of Manto as a person in the culture. What
has been difficult for you to witness in the context
of reason and what do you want more of?
Speaker 5 (29:38):
I think I would love to see more of an
acknowledgement right in the sense that like when we think
of regedon and we think of like musical music genres
in general started by black folks, why hasn't there been
like a sort of earnest, very intentional saying of like
(30:03):
this is started by black people. And I'm not saying
because you've been you've been doing that work. You've been
saying and reminding artists who I think I oftentimes want
to step into their careers and act like black people
have no involvement in it unless a black person is
there to be a form of pouring into their career,
(30:28):
whether that's a producer, whether that's whatever the case may be.
Then it's like there's a level of acknowledgement, maybe not
even terms of like a race, but like just like
you're supporting my career for Boom, so for me, I
would love to see like a just an honest Hey,
I know we didn't start this, but this is coming
(30:49):
from a space of appreciation.
Speaker 4 (30:53):
And when I do have the.
Speaker 5 (30:55):
Opportunity to genuinely put someone on and not even they
should create the opportunity, right, like let me not even
a phrase, it like, when they have the opportunity, you
have the opportunity, please do that work. Because as a
as a as a listener, I'm getting the product. But
(31:15):
as an artist, you have you're doing and you and
your team have so many steps and you can put
people in position black people in positions to win.
Speaker 4 (31:26):
And I want to see more of that acknowledgement.
Speaker 5 (31:30):
And again I want to also say that like your work, right,
you make sure that we know that information and you
make sure that artists know, Hey, you're you're definitely not
just your toe you jumping in acting like you know
this is possibly something that you this is an accent
that you've always had or whatever the case may be.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
So for me.
Speaker 5 (31:53):
It's like I just I just wish that there was
more like honesty around that and.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
Are and not like shock when there's like sort of.
Speaker 5 (32:03):
Like an outrage of like oh, like did I do
something wrong or dismissal or not even acknowledging, like stuff
like that is problematic.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
And so I think that's what I would love to
see more and more yet more accountability, more putting people
black people in positions and platforming black people.
Speaker 5 (32:25):
It's just like a few things. There's so much more,
but this is a few things.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
Me hands that you heard it from La for herself
than the Martinez Latina and many beautiful things to come
and mar thank you so much for.
Speaker 4 (32:41):
Thanks you so much.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
This is lovely.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
We hands then make sure to follow in Latina everywhere
to know Martine is everywhere.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
She's another like go go buy go buy her like
o go go.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
Oh my god, it's so nice to speak with another
negra who gets it I am. In the end, there's
so much I'm taking away from our congo, including being
a black pirl in Latin media professionally isn't for the week.
There are certain things that we go through that doesn't
occur to non black people bought a handplo being put
in positions that.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
Have to prove laty need on.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
Although any self respect that negrad doesn't engage with that bullshit,
that doesn't mean that doesn't happened.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
Nonetheless, I am.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
Nisia, Yes, I'm Nacia, I go wanta hint. The solar
reading people repeat the exact same vehtoric that we take
time cultivating, and then media has a bad track record
overall crediting people correctly. This is why I want to
shout out the Black Music Library by my girl gen Zia,
because it's one of the best sources online for Black
contributions towards.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
The diaspora by all people.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
But they have a system for highlighting which came from
Negras I live. Janelle is such a gem bringing up
CARDI I mean, two Bronx girls, all that, and what
it took for Janelle to create that platform. I mean,
the way that she cultivates community is really a masterclass.
I personally learned from her the concepts of standing the gap,
(34:14):
past the mic, take up space, and even the word
no aka setting boundary so that we can grow and
protect ourselves. There's so many things that we need to
know how to do and well in order to exist,
and even that bothers people. If there's not anything I
want you to take away from this convo is that
contemporary legacy media matters, That people created platforms before the
(34:38):
viral TikToker who make scripts from blog entries that they
read online that allows them to even exist. Also that
tik tech needs a crediting system. I might be a
little better, but I also don't care and the context
of today. Take ahead of this conversation. Take heed of
this conversation regarding telling black women what we should and
(34:58):
shouldn't do, especially during these times, instead of asking Quito's
what change behaviors? What they now engage in to prove themselves,
because yes you have to. Janelle Martinez has Grace's plane
with so much breathtaking work and she's nowhere near finished.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
I can't wait to see what she does next.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
Get into her, get into Enna Latina, show them some
love and tell them essential.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
Telling that you know what time it is. It's time
for loves.
Speaker 7 (35:37):
Collios and today's Coligo.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
Is with handout an amazing Colombian pop star on the
rise that la personal.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Let's get into it.
Speaker 1 (35:45):
If you could tell younger you if you could give
younger you advice, I'm like, how to like better take
care of us?
Speaker 3 (35:53):
Who that looks like.
Speaker 6 (35:56):
I would, Yeah, I would.
Speaker 8 (35:58):
I would definitely say don't don't believe in some of
the things that people tell you, because I think I
would take it so with like weight on it, Yeah,
so much weight, and that would let it affect me
so hard, and that would let people affect me, and
I unfortunately have been in very toxic relationships way before
(36:21):
I was in music, Like I's like this whole chapter
of my life that a lot of people don't know.
And it's really crazy because like if I could go
back and talk to her, I'd be like, yo, like,
do not let anybody tell you anything otherwise believe in
who you are and what your purpose is and and
not and let anybody dictake that, because you know, you
(36:42):
do come across people that unfortunately like whether you mean
well and you want to do good, they take advantage
of that niceness and they manipulate even they use it
to their advantage. And that was my case at the
very beginning. And now, like you know, sometimes in life
you have to go through certain rough patches, so that
way it could mold you and put you in a
(37:04):
position where who knows, maybe that that needed to happen.
So when I tapped into this industry, I was not
gonna take bullshit from anybody, you know.
Speaker 6 (37:12):
And and I.
Speaker 8 (37:13):
Sometimes try to not overthink too much on like, oh, well,
why did I have to go through that? But maybe
that needed to happen in order for me to like
prepare myself for what was yet to come.
Speaker 6 (37:22):
And it's only just going to make you stronger, you.
Speaker 7 (37:24):
Know, It's just you know, it's true.
Speaker 6 (37:26):
It's the truth, you know.
Speaker 8 (37:27):
Like, so I am grateful for those terrible moments and
it's it's definitely helped me navigate, you know.
Speaker 7 (37:35):
So I appreciate that I resonate with so much of that.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
Yeah, I've been taking a lot of that advice to
myself lately.
Speaker 7 (37:43):
I'm like to stomach it, like what's not for me?
Speaker 4 (37:46):
It is for me?
Speaker 7 (37:47):
You know, no one knows what it's like to be
in my shoes.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
I can have all the goodwill that I want, I
can walk for others as much as I want to,
But I've men.
Speaker 7 (37:56):
Know the day become im ma'am.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
And look at the us who don't want to like
me because that's been like a big you know, as
a public figure myself, Like that's been been one of
the biggest eye openers myself, like, oh.
Speaker 7 (38:08):
Some people really don't like me.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
That's really are it's me.
Speaker 7 (38:14):
It's it's pretending of like you know, they're around you know,
but they don't really like me.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
Like that was a big honestly I open it.
Speaker 7 (38:20):
For me this past like a couple of months myself.
I'm like, you know, you really don't deserve to.
Speaker 1 (38:24):
Be around me, and like that whole idea, yes, because
it really is the privilege, like it's looking beyond like
I don't have to be Beyonce, like I may you know,
and and like you hear.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
All the room something, so.
Speaker 6 (38:39):
I appreciate that not everyone's gonna like us.
Speaker 7 (38:43):
You have to be okay with that, and that's okay,
it's right excitingly exactly, I'm great with that.
Speaker 4 (38:48):
Now gay with that.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
Going to something a little lighter you your music, the
artistry that you have. I would like for you to
to really pick on one of the songs in your.
Speaker 7 (38:59):
Weapon toward that you feel the best speaks to who
you are, Like, what's that one?
Speaker 8 (39:05):
You know?
Speaker 3 (39:05):
I don't have that one song? What is that one
song for you?
Speaker 4 (39:07):
And why go off?
Speaker 8 (39:10):
Okay, I definitely have to say Distance, and that hasn't
come out yet, It's gonna come out, And I remember
first and I feel like it's just a merge of
Houston and Malanan.
Speaker 6 (39:21):
You know, like I grew up listening to a lot
of R and B and hip hop in the two thousands.
Speaker 5 (39:26):
You know, like I went to minority schools and like
I was around a lot of culture, a lot of
you know, whether it was like the Mexican culture, the
African American culture. So it really influenced a lot of
who I am as a person, you know, growing up.
Speaker 6 (39:41):
And listening to all this music.
Speaker 8 (39:43):
And then you know, eventually as you go into different chapters,
you know, like I said, when I went to college,
I was near Austin, so I got into this whole
Indian world and then dance music, and then you know,
Columbi has always been like you know, why not also
that like literally has.
Speaker 6 (39:58):
Been part of my life from the very beginn.
Speaker 8 (40:00):
But what I was very excited about Distance and working
on this project is because when I worked with Deadbeat,
who's a producer on it, Like he's he's mostly Donegathon,
and you know, he's been working more, but working with me,
he's been.
Speaker 9 (40:17):
Able to tap into something different and he has a
huge appreciation for hip hop culture and whatnot, and I
feel like with me, he's been able to kind of
like just spand it's like horizon.
Speaker 6 (40:28):
So I told him, I really want to do like
a trap R and B like and I want to
make it like give it some little good. He's not
too much. We're not trying to add all that Spruceton
you know kind.
Speaker 8 (40:37):
Of vibe, but like, let's add a little elements here
and there that will be a good representation of what
I grew up in and then also adding that line
Flare to it. So for me, it's like one of
the most like favorite songs because of the way it
makes me feel. How it starts, it's very euphoric, which.
Speaker 4 (40:53):
Is very much what I am.
Speaker 8 (40:56):
And that very like on same movie in Minongoriica, the
melodies and you know, make you want to float somewhere,
and then you come in with a bank because it's
long transitions over and you're just like, oh, I wasn't
expecting it.
Speaker 6 (41:08):
So it's really, yeah, that's exactly what I wanted and
and there is I think her.
Speaker 8 (41:14):
If I'm not mistaken, it's this artist called Jamila Barry.
Don't remember exactly what's just from. I want to say
she's from the UK, but she did a song that
I really really liked because and that's what inspired me
to do that transition, because there's just there's a song
where she's just singing and it's just her voice and
she just takes you somewhere and then all of a
(41:35):
sudden it hits you with like, uh, like good and
I don't know if it was like chat.
Speaker 6 (41:39):
But like it goes into like a hip hoppy and
you would have never expected that transition.
Speaker 4 (41:42):
And I was like, I want to do something like that.
Speaker 8 (41:44):
So I put that song on my inspiration playlist. But
I was like, we're gonna tap into these transitions. You know,
some people don't necessarily like too much transitions because sometimes
they want to get start to this song. And that's
like the people who like to in to music a
little bit different than Wants Home. I just wanted it
to point if you really.
Speaker 6 (42:01):
Just sit there and listen to the song, you're just like, oh,
it takes you.
Speaker 8 (42:03):
Somewhere, you know, and and yeah, like, I'm really excited
about that song, and I feel like it's a good representation.
I actually, before I came to Miami, we did some
content shot around Houston, Like I actually wanted to shoot
in in my neighborhood.
Speaker 6 (42:20):
When I show up, so we have some content around
there and things like that. So yeah, I'm excited for
when I close.
Speaker 3 (42:25):
Out, I'm excited and I'm excited for it.
Speaker 7 (42:29):
Thank you, And I'm glad that there's good when you
have that one.
Speaker 1 (42:31):
And I feel like every artist has that one that
like really speaks to them and like best represents in
our fasts, like who they are, who they want other
people to like really consume them as, so like good
for you.
Speaker 8 (42:42):
Yeah no, and honestly, like, don't get me wrong, a
lot of these songs have some sort of connections for me. Yeah,
you know, but I feel like this one in particular,
I've always wanted to merge both worlds, and I think
I will continue to explore that a little bit more
and maybe at some point have some like you know,
features on there, or some really dope collaborations with like
artists from Houston. You know, who knows what will happen
in the future, But I really want to tap into
(43:04):
that where it's like creating something different, you know.
Speaker 6 (43:07):
And I know that not a lot of artists because
there's not that I personally.
Speaker 8 (43:14):
Houston because success to men, because I know you guys
don't days, you know, like I really want to happen
to that.
Speaker 4 (43:19):
Why not?
Speaker 3 (43:20):
You know you better own it?
Speaker 1 (43:21):
Yeah, I'm really thinking about I'm in the ballpark of like,
you know, women, how we you know, express ourselves, like
how we how we look, how we use our bodies,
how we don't you know, what does all that mean
to you in regards to like owning your your body
and your sexual.
Speaker 3 (43:40):
Prowess, Like what does that look like for you?
Speaker 6 (43:43):
It's definitely been challenging.
Speaker 8 (43:44):
I'm not gonna lie to you because I think, like
what is Vanessa As as myself, I have a very
shy tendency to be very like, oh, I'm very like
you know this and that. But when it's happened to
it now, it's like that's kind of like the alter
ego of like where I own it, you know, And
sometimes it's yeah, you know what I mean, Like it's
like almost like you you tap into this other side
of you that you know, I've always been very shy
(44:07):
in that aspect, but like I feel like when I
try to tap into this character, like I really want
to use it to my advantage. It's like it's it's
part of who I am, you know, and like I
mean for as much as like you know, when people
like the astrological things or whatever, you know, they did say,
like you know, someone did explain this to me, Like
you know, depending on where your venus is, like it
(44:27):
will be a huge representation of like how you what
your type of beauty is, you know, and like using
your your image and who you are, and like my
my venus is to tourist's Like those kind of things
are like okay, like that's what.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
Will go really well with your career.
Speaker 8 (44:41):
If you really tappen to that. So I'm like okay,
Like for what it's worth, I'm like, you know, you
can take that with a grain of salt.
Speaker 6 (44:46):
But like I felt like maybe there is a sign there.
Speaker 8 (44:49):
Like you know, like if if God gave me this
you know, glowiness or whatever that looks like to anyone,
Like I want to be able to you know, release
that and show people and like I don't know, like
I guess the perfect example of what that is is like,
I want to be able to inspire confidence more than anything,
because like I remember when I was little and I
(45:10):
would see sitting in Ninthania performing things that she inspired
me to be an artist, you know what I mean.
And I love her confidence and I love her beauty,
and I'm like, I want to be a representation of
what this is and how it makes other people feel.
Speaker 4 (45:21):
Like, oh, like I want to be just like her.
Speaker 6 (45:22):
I want to be confident with her like I want to.
I want people to really embrace that. And I know
that doesn't come very easily to a lot And I
also say the same thing.
Speaker 8 (45:30):
I have not always been the most confident person either,
but with time, like you learn how to really embrace
yourself as a person.
Speaker 7 (45:36):
And I think that's a very beautiful thing.
Speaker 3 (45:38):
I love that I am. I'm the type of person
that I know.
Speaker 7 (45:42):
I'm an arias. I don't know the meads.
Speaker 6 (45:49):
I know a lot of people, you know, So that's
why I was like, I have a lot of very
spiritual people.
Speaker 1 (45:54):
In my world.
Speaker 8 (45:55):
So I just I don't know, I don't know, not.
Speaker 1 (45:58):
Like not trying to have a really good like part
of the app that actually you can swipe and it
tells you everything, and every time someone brings it up,
I'm like, okay, let me see my phone.
Speaker 7 (46:07):
Apparently I'm in pisty, I.
Speaker 1 (46:09):
Know, PA tell you that, yeah, okay, I know I'm
firefire water and then like okay, yea, I.
Speaker 2 (46:18):
Even say yeah.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
So that's time when everything you're just said, I appreciate that. Yes, girl,
give them confidence. The girls need confidence. The girls need,
you know, someone to look up to who's positive and
like who's being a petically themselves.
Speaker 7 (46:32):
So thank you appreciate that. That's the time that we
have today. After that proxima.
Speaker 2 (46:42):
Child by you guys know what time it is. It's
(47:18):
time for I'm excited to hear from one of y'all.
Let's get right into it.
Speaker 1 (47:24):
So I got.
Speaker 3 (47:27):
Pasta mic. I'm super excited because I'm here.
Speaker 1 (47:33):
Agent d m Z. It was an amazing what he
got DJ Actavista.
Speaker 3 (47:40):
And in Puerto ric my love, thank you so much
for being here. I will pass the mic to you.
Tell me what is going on right now.
Speaker 1 (47:49):
I believe that there was an incident that correlated with
the Puerto Rican Day Parade and the festivities afterwards.
Speaker 4 (48:00):
When first I want to say thank you so much,
got that for having me.
Speaker 3 (48:02):
I really appreciate it.
Speaker 10 (48:04):
Thank you for opening you know, your platform for me
to speak up and so people know what's going on,
not only in New York, but it's happening everywhere. As
you can see, it's happening in LA It's happening everywhere.
It doesn't matter if you're a migrant, it doesn't matter
if you're black, it doesn't matter if you're white.
Speaker 3 (48:19):
It's happening everywhere.
Speaker 10 (48:20):
And I feel like it is important for us to
like really speak up and not you know, do what
we are, like what we can do, because not everything
has to be you speaking out, going to protest, but
you know, just like commenting or reposting something or talking
to your family or talking to your friends and having
conversations about, you know, what's going on. It's very important,
(48:42):
I think right now, so as you were saying, like, yeah,
something very unfortunate happened after a week of amazing experiences,
like just like CMO, we just met each other, like
(49:03):
it started on Friday, you know, the events were going on.
There was actually a lot of events happening. I think
it was really great for New York, especially just having
so many events the kickoff of summer as well. So
everything happened. We were all at mood Ring. It's an
(49:24):
annual thing. Everybody knows about this. It's something that you're
expected to go to mood Ring, like it's it's a
pit stop for everybody. It's for people to come after
the parades to just come and hang out, drink, you know,
just have fun. So it happened like around twelve thirty
(49:48):
we were doing a bombaso Chico de Houpi and as
well as people that flew in to be or for
this time to either they had performances or they were
participating in other things.
Speaker 3 (50:05):
Because a lot of us try to bring the.
Speaker 10 (50:07):
Diaspora and the Puerto Ricans and Laila together and I
feel like finally it's kind of like it's really a
lot more than it was before, and it's really beautiful.
So we were all like, you know, dancing bomba you know,
because that's not something that we get to have that experience,
especially here in New York out in the streets, like
(50:27):
just you know, just living our lives, just being joyous
and like.
Speaker 3 (50:32):
Being happy, you know, with each other and family.
Speaker 10 (50:38):
He and Fessamohakanstad and then somebody started dancing. And when
people started dancing, I don't.
Speaker 3 (50:44):
Know who woke up. The ancestors, the evil ancestors.
Speaker 2 (50:48):
I don't know, but.
Speaker 10 (50:53):
They just came towards us like it was like somebody
was shooting or we were fighting, and none of that
was happening. Who was they the cops the eighty third Precinct? Sorry, yes,
eighty third precinct be so, yes, the pos the police
(51:15):
officers at eighty third Precint. And to my understanding, they
had people from other precincts as well. Not sure, but
we're going to focus on eighty third Precint because they're
the ones who.
Speaker 4 (51:25):
Are involved in this and need to be held accountable.
Speaker 1 (51:32):
So in other words, essentially, I'm so sorry. So they
were roughing people up. Did anyone get arrested?
Speaker 4 (51:38):
What happened?
Speaker 1 (51:39):
Yeah?
Speaker 10 (51:39):
So we are there, they come towards us. It was
like a millisecond, Like literally, I felt like one moment
I was like thinking in my head because I remember
because I had a moment a reflection to myself, and
I was like, wow, this is like a beautiful moment,
like nobody's fighting, everybody's here having fun, you know, Like
how sometimes you go to the club, people bump into
you and they're mad, rude. It wasn't even like that,
(52:01):
like people are like, oh, I'm sorry, let me go through,
Like hey, can I help you? You want?
Speaker 3 (52:05):
You want a drink?
Speaker 2 (52:06):
What you want?
Speaker 3 (52:07):
Like it was Mathew.
Speaker 10 (52:08):
So they come in swarming and they kind of caddle
us like they were like we were heard, sort.
Speaker 3 (52:14):
Of like we were just animals.
Speaker 10 (52:16):
And they come around us and they pin us to
the wall towards mood ring, yelling at us. They come
in yelling at us, telling us you need to disperse,
you need to disfirst, you need to leave, you need
to leave. Mind you, they are literally not allowing us
to leave because the whole purpose was that was to
get bodies. They wanted to arrest people, They wanted to
(52:37):
rough us up. That was the whole purpose. Because if
you're a cop and that's a noise complaint, because apparently
it was a noise complaint.
Speaker 3 (52:45):
That's that's not the reaction.
Speaker 10 (52:47):
And as a social worker, I've dealt with people with
mental health issues, I've dealt people with like disorderly conduct,
like I've built with a whole bunch of situations and
for them to come in there without even going into
the venue.
Speaker 4 (52:59):
Hey, what's going on?
Speaker 10 (53:00):
Like, can you guys tell the people that they can't
be outside like that they can't be congrant, whatever the
case may be. But to come in and like start
screaming at us, or they could have been like, oh,
what is this?
Speaker 3 (53:14):
Is this bomba? This looks like fun.
Speaker 10 (53:17):
I'm sorry that you guys, but like this is an emergent,
like this is a hazard having you on the side,
I don't know, something like to de escalate the situation,
not come in and start shoving you and shoving us
and pushing us towards the wall where it could have
been a more serious situation.
Speaker 1 (53:37):
With these this new administration, there are i mean across
the board, this harash plane old harassment that's going on
across the board with just black people people of color
just simply existing really gets white supremacists upset. And this
is just like a pure example of that. So I'm
(53:58):
I'm very sorry that this how and weblow for those
of you are listening, this of course should not go
without any sort of consequence or response. Let's pay attention
to this, let's follow up, let's keep up with this,
and let's hold for accountability, because without that, it'll continue
to happen and we will get off scott free.
Speaker 3 (54:18):
Mia mosulting.
Speaker 1 (54:19):
If you had any sort of message for those who
were affected or for those who are tuning in and
want to help with this, what would that mean?
Speaker 10 (54:26):
I will say if anybody wants to help out, I
know hupy dot USA is collecting funds for all the
victims that were injured, as well as legal assistance. So
if y'all want to give money towards that, a dollar
five dollars helped anything, because I know my best friend
was actually one of the ones that was was arrested,
(54:48):
and you're literally trying to get her arrest and touching
it off.
Speaker 3 (54:53):
When they were like there's a little video of them
pushing her so and she's trying to get away.
Speaker 10 (55:00):
She is as well a domestic violence survivor, so that
was very triggering for her and for them to do
that was unnecessary because they don't know who is in there,
Like they could have really mitigated that situation. They could
have given us summons, they could have given us tickets,
they could have done all other things except beat us.
(55:21):
They wanted to beat us because when I looked in
their eyes, and I spoke to one of the cops
calmly because I know, you know, I've been in training
and things like that.
Speaker 3 (55:32):
Up, why are you, Why are you? Why are you
doing this? Like I don't I'm not trying.
Speaker 4 (55:35):
To hurt you.
Speaker 3 (55:36):
Like I want to leave too. I don't want to
be here with you either. Let me leave.
Speaker 10 (55:40):
And they just kept pushing us towards and they try
to grab my hand, one of them because they were
just trying to get bodies.
Speaker 3 (55:45):
They were trying to detain people, and they grabbed my.
Speaker 10 (55:49):
Hand and I went like that and one of the
police officers held my hand here and I have a
bruise here.
Speaker 3 (55:58):
For eighty third person, that's how hands.
Speaker 1 (56:01):
Yeah, so like it's ridiculous, Like it's it's giving I
need to reach my quota.
Speaker 10 (56:07):
Yeah, Like, not even my dad put his hands on me,
Not even my father, like you, I'm fucking forty two
years old. Nobody's ever put their hands on me, and
these motherfuckers are gonna come put their hands on me.
Speaker 7 (56:21):
No behind that.
Speaker 1 (56:22):
Thank you so much for tapping in. This was past
the mic with Agent DMZ. Make sure to follow Agent
DMZ empedial to the people like an Agent d m.
Speaker 7 (56:31):
Z Overnight.
Speaker 1 (56:40):
Yalla Floaters an I Heart Media production co executive produced
by Media Get, produced by Grace Gonsalez. THEMMO edited by
sasaang El Duro, music by Habbi Vibe, Deloma Delomio. And
(57:01):
shout out to my production assistance, Kayla Egliston and Naomi A.
Speaker 2 (57:05):
Savello.
Speaker 1 (57:06):
I'm your host, La Gatta see you next week right
here on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you listen
So it's official mehanded we're pivoting. I love reggaton, these reggaetondos,
I like them, and I think I need to apply
some pressure. There's too much going on in the world
to keep prioritizing the points of views of these artists
who not for not things so respectfully.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Aren't saying enough about what's going on.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
There are ice raids or deportations, the bombings, and everybody's
just da da my new song. I'm not wired like that.
I'm not built like that. We're gonna keep it funky
over here or keep it pushing. So with that son
as exciting as they may be, I want to make
sure some real ships being said on this podcast. It's
(00:47):
my party and I'll change it if I want to.
With that said, I don't know who better I can
kick this change off with than Janelle Martinez and Latina
is a pioneering a eleven year old platform that kicked
off the mass conversation of what it means to be
Afro Latina online. Today, there are a bunch of arguments
(01:10):
online regarding the word latinikees latins. Well guess what years
ago there were arguments over the term Hispanic what's my point.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
People had to fight for.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
These identifiers that we often take for granted. Janelle is
a fighter in regards to Afra Latinisan and I'm.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Forever grateful to her.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Janelle's an amazing writer, author, pioneering curator, and she's my homegirl, y'all.
Throughout the years she opened countless doors for Negras. You're
a welcome culture.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Anna.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Latina is a question that pushes this convo on who
is included in Latinisan because at the end of the day,
we have a race issue, not we, but you know,
Latinisa often excludes black roots. It's why you see diaspora
wars online every two days.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
But one thing.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
I'm excited to get into with her is how she
cleverly stays away from stereotypes because bro the projection.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Okay, in twenty twenty five, there are.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Arguments online on who should be fighting for who, and
I can't wait for y'all to hear the thoughtful, educated
takes Janelle has to offer on this ala. And later
on we have the Coligos by hand out an amazing
Colombian pop artist on the rise. We get into mental
health shrooming. Yes you heard me, correctly and dreams for society.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
This is a new and improved Bay.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
Yeah, thank you so much.
Speaker 5 (02:52):
First of all, really appreciate that, like warm introduction.
Speaker 4 (02:56):
I'm so appreciative of the space.
Speaker 5 (02:59):
And also, you know, love what you're doing, and I
really appreciate you know that you have created the space
for us.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
So thank you first and foremost.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
How does it feel to have cultivated such as space
looking back eleven years that that is a legacy?
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Talk to me a little bit more about that.
Speaker 5 (03:19):
Yeah, So it's interesting because I feel like I'm always
reflecting and I love the fact that, like there's been
so much evolution in the conversation around of course after
a Latini Dad, but more specifically the level of representation
and spaces for Black Latinas and for me, even though,
(03:43):
like it's always interesting to hear the term like pioneer
or like groundbreaker or things like that, because I truly
feel like I am a part of a not only
a continuum.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
So I think about the work.
Speaker 5 (03:57):
Of you know, Miriam Humanists or Mom and h e
Bit Modestine and Baca Maga, and then of course like
all of the amazing next generations. Like the fact that
these conversations you know, are being sustained is really beautiful
to see. And so though I you know, appreciate the flowers,
(04:20):
and I appreciate, you know, even just the fact that
I have gotten this opportunity and that people have trusted
me to tell their stories, right, like people do not
have to speak to me at any point. But the
fact that, like even when I launched H Latina, the
number of Black Latinas that have from jump supported me,
(04:40):
that trusted me to tell their story, that have just
been a cheerleader of minds all of these years has
been really beautiful, you know. So thank you for the flowers,
and thank you for supporting me. And you know, I
think that we're all just like in this collective and
community has been so important in that.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Are you much too modest? You did that? You did
that you did? And so you know, thinking of ain't
a Latina? You know, it's a question right in Latinos
talk to me about like that concept in it of itself,
like where was that born out of? You know, like
has it been answered, you know, generations later. I'll keep
(05:22):
my response very short, but like the reason why I
even ask this question is because I look around online
and I'm like, okay, if you don't know by twenty
twenty five the after Latinos exist, that's like your.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Problems because too much work out there.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
You know, people are repeating right rhetoric at this point,
so like I won't yeah too much.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
I'm dying to know your po be honest.
Speaker 4 (05:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:46):
So this is such an important question because I don't
feel like I get this often.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
I don't know if the word is like sort.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
Of double on chandra or like dual meaning, but I'll
say ain't sal Latina was born out of just my
list experience. So even though I didn't have the name,
I didn't always have the language, but the fact that
growing up it was very important.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
I got to always shout out my mom.
Speaker 5 (06:09):
You know, she's my introduction to black womanhood and more specifically,
you know, being a black Conserman, being Dharifuna and so
I had always had this sort of consciousness, but I
didn't always have the language. I feel like I was
very blessed to be able to be an African American
studies minor and my undergrad journey.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
Which really opened doors for me.
Speaker 5 (06:34):
This is at the time where I actually came across
the term after Latina. It was literally I had the
opportunity to study abroad in an African American.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
Studies program in Paris.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
And we were meeting, I mean we were meeting like
black Brazilians and black Parisians, and like it was just
so much transfer of information. But also at the end
of the day, everybody was black and from different place,
and so it really got me thinking about, like, oh,
it's not like blackness is not a monolith of latinisad
(07:06):
is though commercialized and package as a monolith, is not that.
And so really the fact that my scholarship and my
work has always been rooted in blackness and specifically black womanhood,
what better way for me? When I was thinking about names,
(07:26):
it really like kind of like on some divine stuff
came to me.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
I thought about sojournal truth.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
Very well known speech a I woman, And then I
thought to myself, like I always had been questioning about
my identity. This is a platform specifically for black girls women,
you know, of Latin Americans, dispent ainsa Latina, And so
for me it was like kind of a homage, if
(07:53):
you will, to black women who have really been the
reason why I'm here today.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
Black scholarship.
Speaker 5 (08:02):
But then with the sort of nuancedness, if you will,
in speaking to like Latina Latina identity. So yeah, that's
actually the the This is probably the most I've even
discussed the name, but that's where it comes from. So
like them dual meaning of course being a question, but
(08:23):
also a recognition of black scholarship, black you know, feminism
and all of that. And it has the question been
essentially answered today?
Speaker 4 (08:35):
Absolutely not.
Speaker 5 (08:37):
And sometimes I try to give brace depending on age, right,
Like I don't expect a preteen a team to fully
have the language. But when you know, in the digital space,
for example, which is a space that you know many
of us occupy and you know, share ideas, the fact
that like today people will kind of like throw out
(08:59):
like afro Latina in like a way of questioning, like
what you're saying, like it's a maid of thing, or
like not understanding the definition. Or even when we see
celebrities like a card and b or and I'm gonna
just stick with her in particular, it's so fascinating to
me that people question to this day her identity. She
(09:21):
has we or we have all seen her parents, we
have all seen her speaking and seamlessly transitioning between Spanish
and English, but yet she in putting it all out there.
A level of people not even willing to see her
as a black woman is just so alarming to me.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
And so I think this question has it been answered?
Speaker 3 (09:44):
No?
Speaker 4 (09:45):
Do I think we'll see it answered in our lifetime? No?
Speaker 5 (09:48):
I don't think so, even though I would love to
say that it is. I just feel like people are
so kind of locked into what they feel they know
and if they're not willing to stretch that or learn,
which I find even in the digital space, as much
as many resources that are at their disposal, they they
(10:08):
may not, you know, lean into it, but there are
others that do and get it. And I'm I think
that's where I love to keep my concentration on.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
But sadly there's so many.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
As I say, like.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
Because like after a certain point, you just gotta disconnect
for your own mental health as a black girl, because
it's like some people are dedicated to the mannas and
like we can't live there if we're gonna live a happy,
healthy lives. So I feel you and I super appreciate
the Cardi example. For those listening, they're both from the Bronx.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
You know, yeah, okay, right, yes, got it, yes.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
And so not like yeah, people be playing big games
with CARTI like there's just some people who are gonna
be dedicated to that and we just gotta leave them
over there, like absolutely yeah, And so I super love
you know where you went with this, because if it's
bright in to where I'm headed next, being online is
(11:13):
a little bit unsufferable, and by little I mean a
lot because there's just like a lot of revisionist history
people are acting like things don't exist, like it's ever
been discussed before, like things never happened. I saw this
girl today like posted on threads like you know, like
if what if Latinos says that they don't want to
(11:34):
support when George Floyd died, I'm like they did that,
Like what are you talking about?
Speaker 6 (11:38):
Right?
Speaker 4 (11:39):
Like what I wrote a whole article I.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
Linked myself, but I.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Can't wag so like you know, it's the cognitive dissonance
for me. And so to ask the direct question today administration,
there are ice raids all over the country that are
regularly escalated due to the agree his relations and instruction
of this president.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
And it's been very.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Odd hearing like the revisionist history takes regarding black and
brown solidarity.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
Tell me as a black woman, what is your take?
Speaker 5 (12:16):
Yeah, it's actually really sad to me because I feel like,
what's happening with this like revisionist you know activity, and
then also like a lack of trying to even be
aware of the issue at hand, and like why this
is such an important time for not only community but
(12:38):
like coalition building is the fact that from a historical lens,
we have always been in unison, right, like black, both
Latinos of all backgrounds. And so for me, it's really,
it really is sad to see because the attention is
(12:59):
not being directed in the right manner. Because while people
are so caught up in you didn't do enough or
you didn't show up, which again, as we know, are
all lives, lives are.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
Actually being impacted.
Speaker 5 (13:15):
People are being snatched up, people are being separated from
their family, people are not being They're not getting the
resources that they need. And so I feel like, though
the digital space is so powerful and I love when
I actually see people such as yourself bringing the facts
(13:37):
and the information and the resources, there are also sadly
just as many people that are focused on the wrong
things and taking that energy because at the end of
the day. We know, like we need to all be
focused on this at the end of the day because
(13:58):
for one, as black people, we're all.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
Going to be impacted. Like that's why I've never understood.
Speaker 5 (14:05):
I don't get it, because it's like they come for
like I forget the quote, which is horrible.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
No, this is I think Tony Morris. Then back check
me if I'm wrong.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
If they come for you at night, they'll come for you,
and they'll come for If they come for them at night,
they'll come for you in the morning.
Speaker 4 (14:20):
And I definitely think that that is over see ice,
these ice raids.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
Obviously because of this administration, we are seeing more and
more of it, but obviously we have been seeing this
for some time.
Speaker 4 (14:33):
This is not a new thing.
Speaker 5 (14:35):
And even with that, we have you know, organizations I
think of a boggy and let me make sure I
say so, it's the Black Alliance for Just Immigration. We
see a number of organizations that are really censored around
black immigration. But it's not just it is black folks,
(14:57):
but it's also this is an issue that affects everyone.
And let's be real, it's the most marginalized is not
able to receive the access or is not free, then
nobody is going to get free. And so I just
feel like these conversations are just really disheartening to see
happen in real time while people are actually on the
(15:20):
front lines or doing whatever work to support what's happening,
and others are being affected.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
What is this conversation doing at the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Thank you there, I mean perfectly said, you said it
all you said all that there is to be said, because.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
It's like.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
People are just what I'm stuck on is the port
where you said is obviously live because it's that's literally
what it is. You know, whether people are just not
paying attention or not is a different thing. The need
to come to terms with that. But saying that we're
on officer size and all this and that, and then
I'm also sticking on not for nothing laughing because I
(15:59):
said brown quotes.
Speaker 3 (16:00):
He was like, nothing you knows of all back? Doesn't
brown make you cringe? Like it makes me crane.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
I'm be honest with you, I need some people identify
that way, and like I saw what I said. But
it's because first of all, it is in girls right
right here, but like okay, but then other like mostly
Mexicans are saying like, Okay, we're brown, and I'm just like, oh,
you were in the sun.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
You're brown, I suppose, But like this is corny because
it's like it's another way for us to differentiate ourselves
because why because you need to be over there and
I need to be over here because we're both not brown.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Because you're brown. Brown is very freaking weird.
Speaker 4 (16:42):
So it is.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
And there's actually indigenous and you know, it kills me.
There is indigenous. You're indigenous, that absolutely, and that's for
a long time I felt like I couldn't even yeah
claim that because of the way that indigenousity, specifically in
the US context was framed. And the crazy thing is
(17:03):
like I you know, and we both know we know
Mexicans who are actually brown. That's another thing because I
feel like when brown, it's sort of like this sort
of mythical I hate to frame it this way, but
like it mythical brownness. Like there's people who identifies brown
who are not brown, and it's just like.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
Right and so exactly, and it's like if you can
do that, if you can.
Speaker 5 (17:29):
Literally do that, this conversation, that identifier is not for you.
Whereas they actually know and I'm sure they know, you know,
actually you know actual brown people. And then to your point,
we are black women and we are brown, you know
in that sense.
Speaker 4 (17:47):
It's like I think that sometimes people it's sort of
like this.
Speaker 5 (17:52):
I don't know if it's a breaking of oppression or
if it's like they want to identify as other than
what their racial worry is because of this sort of
narrative they feel like they need to exist within. But
it is problematic, and I also think, hopefully I'm not
jumping the gun. But when I was talking about like
(18:15):
coalition building, you know why this is so important in
these common conversations and really knowing your history is because
I want to Actually I might be going and stircle
with But I recently had seen a very powerful documentary
actually directed by a black Latina.
Speaker 4 (18:32):
Her name is since I went on, uh, it's for Benita,
for Khalif.
Speaker 5 (18:38):
And folks may not be familiar with the story of
Khalif Browder, but essentially he is no longer with us,
but and Venita is no longer with us as well,
and it really is because of the injustices within the
prison system in the United States, particular, But where I'm
(19:02):
going with this is that I found it so powerful
because the way that she connected this point of injustice,
you know, the injustice happening and you know, the criminalization
of black people, is that she used the example of this.
This it's a pretty well known resistance had happened in
(19:24):
New York City in the nineteen seventies at the Tombs,
which is a prison that used to exist in Mantattan.
And actually what a big part of that is that
the Young Lords were, you know, involved in it because
there was a death of a Young Lord's member of
Julio Rodan. But also what people don't realize is that
(19:46):
the Black Panthers were a part of this, and there
was a Black Panther twenty one, and so there's like,
when I think about that, like we're all in this
fight together. I always go back to specific the Young
Lords who were inspired by the Black Panther Party. They
would not exist if the Black Panther Party were not
(20:07):
in existence. But they also were not in a way
where oh you do this, you do that. If they
needed to like join forces to get things done, they
did that, and we see that throughout the history of
both organizations. So much so that you know, some members
(20:28):
were in both, you know, I think about I think
about Denise Oliver Belez who was both a Young Lord
member and a Black Panther Party member. So I think
that people have to really know their history.
Speaker 4 (20:44):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (20:45):
And I understand that at a certain point in people's lives,
we didn't I didn't learn all of this. We didn't
learn all of this and you know, uh, when we
were young or when we were kids.
Speaker 4 (20:57):
But I think that there you get to a level
in life where you have access to more and if
you are a person that has access and you know
someone that doesn't have access, you can then inform and
let them know about certain things. And I think the
digital space sort of does that for us, right, Like
you're constantly seeing information and of course fact check, but
(21:17):
definitely you see this information, and I think it's like,
we have to really know our history at the end
of the day, and especially in a time like this
where we know that they're trying to prevent you know,
there's book fans. They're also trying to.
Speaker 5 (21:30):
Literally take books from you know, spaces where they should
not be removed. And so I definitely feel like that
history part is really important.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
Oh my god, jenall she is saying, the teams will
be right back with more after these messages don't move
nothing more on. It's start crushing honesty to be speaking
(22:37):
with another fellow writer, because I know you feel me
when I say that. It's a little crazy right now,
seeing how especially on not for Nothing, I took that.
I know I say it a lot, but it's like
the way that I'd be seeing viral videos and I'm like,
that's not even correct, and it's like and then it's
like people google it, they something, they go on a website.
(22:59):
They're not saying thinking, Okay, it's on a website, it
must be true. It's like, no verify is it on?
You know, is it on a verifiable source? A verifiable
source is likely to not a news station or another writer,
someone who takes ethics seriously, because guess what, you can
get sued for missing You can get sued for spreading
things that are not correct, because that quickly gets all
(23:21):
part of slander and things of that nature. But you know,
everyday influences nothing about that. They just want to get
there and it's like I need us to pause because
you know, like not for nothing. And another thing we
share in common is we were both we both came up.
Speaker 3 (23:37):
On Twitter, Twitter.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Not X Yes, I was literally the last generation of Twitter,
and your experiences before to be going to culture cards
to do the panels to speak on how we build
our platforms and how we build our followings, and our
metrics were out the such a time.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
Our metrics were.
Speaker 4 (23:58):
Like time and that was a time by girl.
Speaker 5 (24:02):
Because we were creating. And this is so I love
that you trying to use Yes, you exactly. I love
that you introduced Twitter because we were digitally archiving, right.
These were conversations and for me, I often think about
black Twitter in the different ways of Black Twitter.
Speaker 4 (24:23):
And even if we.
Speaker 5 (24:24):
Think about black Twitter, black Twitter was a space where
you knew there was there was layers to it that
alone wasn't even a monolith.
Speaker 4 (24:33):
You knew that in black Twitter you.
Speaker 5 (24:34):
Were going to see a discourse around caribbeanness, Latini Da,
what it was like to be black in Europe. Like
it was just so rich of a conversation and it
saddens me. I feel like I keep saying that, but
it's so sad because it's.
Speaker 4 (24:54):
Like I often think about what happens when someone does
want to use a digital source, maybe they see it
on x now quotes. What does that look like?
Speaker 5 (25:07):
When we were openly exchanging ideas, we also didn't always
agree with one another. And that's why I'm also like
when I think of and I don't want to get
too deep into like Siasca Awards, but we knew how
to introduce conversation and not agree. But at the end
of it, it was what it was, you know what
I'm saying. I feel like the ways in which people
(25:30):
are even pointing out information or arguing is is like
next level and it's concerning, you know, and TikTok is
a space that like I'm not super you know, delved into,
but from what I do see, I will say that
like to what you just said, like I'm concerned about
some of the misinformation, you know, and I do know
(25:52):
that there are some like brilliant there's brilliant work happening there.
But again, we know how algorithms work, right, and so
you're constantly looking at the same misinformation, you're getting.
Speaker 4 (26:04):
Served more of that.
Speaker 5 (26:05):
So what does that do to the information that you're
consuming and what you then take from that, Like it's
it's concerning I want to turn it.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Yeah, I would be missed if I didn't include here
in this regaon podcast. Mm hmmm.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
Memory. What's your relationship with never mind?
Speaker 4 (26:27):
Mind?
Speaker 3 (26:27):
What's your relationship with a? Who do you listen to?
What are you takes? What's it been like for you?
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (26:35):
Yeah, this is and again this is like the first
time being asked this. I think it's important for me
to note that, Like, I feel like I came up
in the nineties, you know, so very young, but then
you know, as I came of age and then early
two thousands for me, especially being you know, born, raised, SI,
(26:57):
residing in the Bronx, like music is so so big
and so I feel like when I was like preteen
and a teenager for me, like the reggaeton was huge,
and like, just as I was listening to like a
Little Kim or you know, DMX or job Rule or
(27:18):
I can go on and on, and I'm probably dating
myself definitely like Eve Tween I was just listening to.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
It's so funny because for me, I'm very.
Speaker 5 (27:31):
Like nostalgic, like and I think at this time, I'm
so I just want to feel how I felt when
I was like a teenager because I feel like even
though let me not curse, things were wild in their
own sense, at that time, it was a better time
(27:51):
for me because I was young. You know, we we
were having fun. If somebody was having a party, you
know what I'm saying, Like you knew that you were
gonna like hear like you singing.
Speaker 4 (28:03):
Yandell that Yankee.
Speaker 5 (28:05):
So for me, it was like I still to this
day and this is my playlist is very like maybe
I'm very much a fiah here because my playlist, you
would think that, like I'm still stuck in the nineties
or early two thousands.
Speaker 4 (28:20):
That's just like what I'm really listening to.
Speaker 5 (28:22):
And I think, yeah, Like I think a part of
it is just a nostalgia, Like especially at this time,
it's like I'm looking to my playlist as a form
of comfort. Have I listened to you know, what's circulating
now or like what's trending based off of you know,
things that have been done, Yes to a certain degree.
But like I think at my base and at my coore,
(28:44):
like it's somebody go through you know, my Spotify listening history,
they're gonna see like a lot of like that time
period in the mid to late nineties or really early
two thousand.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
Yeah, Hans back girl, I'm right there with you.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
It's why I got better when one turned into a
party and it's like.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
Yeah, and I have gone and I have like been like,
oh what a space.
Speaker 3 (29:16):
Yeah, we're back in the Bronx. Actually, yes, we will talk.
Speaker 4 (29:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
To wrap this all up, there, of course is a
legacy of Manto as a person in the culture. What
has been difficult for you to witness in the context
of reason and what do you want more of?
Speaker 5 (29:38):
I think I would love to see more of an
acknowledgement right in the sense that like when we think
of regedon and we think of like musical music genres
in general started by black folks, why hasn't there been
like a sort of earnest, very intentional saying of like
(30:03):
this is started by black people. And I'm not saying
because you've been you've been doing that work. You've been
saying and reminding artists who I think I oftentimes want
to step into their careers and act like black people
have no involvement in it unless a black person is
there to be a form of pouring into their career,
(30:28):
whether that's a producer, whether that's whatever the case may be.
Then it's like there's a level of acknowledgement, maybe not
even terms of like a race, but like just like
you're supporting my career for Boom, so for me, I
would love to see like a just an honest Hey,
I know we didn't start this, but this is coming
(30:49):
from a space of appreciation.
Speaker 4 (30:53):
And when I do have the.
Speaker 5 (30:55):
Opportunity to genuinely put someone on and not even they
should create the opportunity, right, like let me not even
a phrase, it like, when they have the opportunity, you
have the opportunity, please do that work. Because as a
as a as a listener, I'm getting the product. But
(31:15):
as an artist, you have you're doing and you and
your team have so many steps and you can put
people in position black people in positions to win.
Speaker 4 (31:26):
And I want to see more of that acknowledgement.
Speaker 5 (31:30):
And again I want to also say that like your work, right,
you make sure that we know that information and you
make sure that artists know, Hey, you're you're definitely not
just your toe you jumping in acting like you know
this is possibly something that you this is an accent
that you've always had or whatever the case may be.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
So for me.
Speaker 5 (31:53):
It's like I just I just wish that there was
more like honesty around that and.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
Are and not like shock when there's like sort of.
Speaker 5 (32:03):
Like an outrage of like oh, like did I do
something wrong or dismissal or not even acknowledging, like stuff
like that is problematic.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
And so I think that's what I would love to
see more and more yet more accountability, more putting people
black people in positions and platforming black people.
Speaker 5 (32:25):
It's just like a few things. There's so much more,
but this is a few things.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
Me hands that you heard it from La for herself
than the Martinez Latina and many beautiful things to come
and mar thank you so much for.
Speaker 4 (32:41):
Thanks you so much.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
This is lovely.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
We hands then make sure to follow in Latina everywhere
to know Martine is everywhere.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
She's another like go go buy go buy her like
o go go.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
Oh my god, it's so nice to speak with another
negra who gets it I am. In the end, there's
so much I'm taking away from our congo, including being
a black pirl in Latin media professionally isn't for the week.
There are certain things that we go through that doesn't
occur to non black people bought a handplo being put
in positions that.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
Have to prove laty need on.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
Although any self respect that negrad doesn't engage with that bullshit,
that doesn't mean that doesn't happened.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
Nonetheless, I am.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
Nisia, Yes, I'm Nacia, I go wanta hint. The solar
reading people repeat the exact same vehtoric that we take
time cultivating, and then media has a bad track record
overall crediting people correctly. This is why I want to
shout out the Black Music Library by my girl gen Zia,
because it's one of the best sources online for Black
contributions towards.
Speaker 2 (33:47):
The diaspora by all people.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
But they have a system for highlighting which came from
Negras I live. Janelle is such a gem bringing up
CARDI I mean, two Bronx girls, all that, and what
it took for Janelle to create that platform. I mean,
the way that she cultivates community is really a masterclass.
I personally learned from her the concepts of standing the gap,
(34:14):
past the mic, take up space, and even the word
no aka setting boundary so that we can grow and
protect ourselves. There's so many things that we need to
know how to do and well in order to exist,
and even that bothers people. If there's not anything I
want you to take away from this convo is that
contemporary legacy media matters, That people created platforms before the
(34:38):
viral TikToker who make scripts from blog entries that they
read online that allows them to even exist. Also that
tik tech needs a crediting system. I might be a
little better, but I also don't care and the context
of today. Take ahead of this conversation. Take heed of
this conversation regarding telling black women what we should and
(34:58):
shouldn't do, especially during these times, instead of asking Quito's
what change behaviors? What they now engage in to prove themselves,
because yes you have to. Janelle Martinez has Grace's plane
with so much breathtaking work and she's nowhere near finished.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
I can't wait to see what she does next.
Speaker 1 (35:18):
Get into her, get into Enna Latina, show them some
love and tell them essential.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
Telling that you know what time it is. It's time
for loves.
Speaker 7 (35:37):
Collios and today's Coligo.
Speaker 1 (35:39):
Is with handout an amazing Colombian pop star on the
rise that la personal.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Let's get into it.
Speaker 1 (35:45):
If you could tell younger you if you could give
younger you advice, I'm like, how to like better take
care of us?
Speaker 3 (35:53):
Who that looks like.
Speaker 6 (35:56):
I would, Yeah, I would.
Speaker 8 (35:58):
I would definitely say don't don't believe in some of
the things that people tell you, because I think I
would take it so with like weight on it, Yeah,
so much weight, and that would let it affect me
so hard, and that would let people affect me, and
I unfortunately have been in very toxic relationships way before
(36:21):
I was in music, Like I's like this whole chapter
of my life that a lot of people don't know.
And it's really crazy because like if I could go
back and talk to her, I'd be like, yo, like,
do not let anybody tell you anything otherwise believe in
who you are and what your purpose is and and
not and let anybody dictake that, because you know, you
(36:42):
do come across people that unfortunately like whether you mean
well and you want to do good, they take advantage
of that niceness and they manipulate even they use it
to their advantage. And that was my case at the
very beginning. And now, like you know, sometimes in life
you have to go through certain rough patches, so that
way it could mold you and put you in a
(37:04):
position where who knows, maybe that that needed to happen.
So when I tapped into this industry, I was not
gonna take bullshit from anybody, you know.
Speaker 6 (37:12):
And and I.
Speaker 8 (37:13):
Sometimes try to not overthink too much on like, oh, well,
why did I have to go through that? But maybe
that needed to happen in order for me to like
prepare myself for what was yet to come.
Speaker 6 (37:22):
And it's only just going to make you stronger, you.
Speaker 7 (37:24):
Know, It's just you know, it's true.
Speaker 6 (37:26):
It's the truth, you know.
Speaker 8 (37:27):
Like, so I am grateful for those terrible moments and
it's it's definitely helped me navigate, you know.
Speaker 7 (37:35):
So I appreciate that I resonate with so much of that.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
Yeah, I've been taking a lot of that advice to
myself lately.
Speaker 7 (37:43):
I'm like to stomach it, like what's not for me?
Speaker 4 (37:46):
It is for me?
Speaker 7 (37:47):
You know, no one knows what it's like to be
in my shoes.
Speaker 1 (37:50):
I can have all the goodwill that I want, I
can walk for others as much as I want to,
But I've men.
Speaker 7 (37:56):
Know the day become im ma'am.
Speaker 1 (37:58):
And look at the us who don't want to like
me because that's been like a big you know, as
a public figure myself, Like that's been been one of
the biggest eye openers myself, like, oh.
Speaker 7 (38:08):
Some people really don't like me.
Speaker 2 (38:10):
That's really are it's me.
Speaker 7 (38:14):
It's it's pretending of like you know, they're around you know,
but they don't really like me.
Speaker 3 (38:18):
Like that was a big honestly I open it.
Speaker 7 (38:20):
For me this past like a couple of months myself.
I'm like, you know, you really don't deserve to.
Speaker 1 (38:24):
Be around me, and like that whole idea, yes, because
it really is the privilege, like it's looking beyond like
I don't have to be Beyonce, like I may you know,
and and like you hear.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
All the room something, so.
Speaker 6 (38:39):
I appreciate that not everyone's gonna like us.
Speaker 7 (38:43):
You have to be okay with that, and that's okay,
it's right excitingly exactly, I'm great with that.
Speaker 4 (38:48):
Now gay with that.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
Going to something a little lighter you your music, the
artistry that you have. I would like for you to
to really pick on one of the songs in your.
Speaker 7 (38:59):
Weapon toward that you feel the best speaks to who
you are, Like, what's that one?
Speaker 8 (39:05):
You know?
Speaker 3 (39:05):
I don't have that one song? What is that one
song for you?
Speaker 4 (39:07):
And why go off?
Speaker 8 (39:10):
Okay, I definitely have to say Distance, and that hasn't
come out yet, It's gonna come out, And I remember
first and I feel like it's just a merge of
Houston and Malanan.
Speaker 6 (39:21):
You know, like I grew up listening to a lot
of R and B and hip hop in the two thousands.
Speaker 5 (39:26):
You know, like I went to minority schools and like
I was around a lot of culture, a lot of
you know, whether it was like the Mexican culture, the
African American culture. So it really influenced a lot of
who I am as a person, you know, growing up.
Speaker 6 (39:41):
And listening to all this music.
Speaker 8 (39:43):
And then you know, eventually as you go into different chapters,
you know, like I said, when I went to college,
I was near Austin, so I got into this whole
Indian world and then dance music, and then you know,
Columbi has always been like you know, why not also
that like literally has.
Speaker 6 (39:58):
Been part of my life from the very beginn.
Speaker 8 (40:00):
But what I was very excited about Distance and working
on this project is because when I worked with Deadbeat,
who's a producer on it, Like he's he's mostly Donegathon,
and you know, he's been working more, but working with me,
he's been.
Speaker 9 (40:17):
Able to tap into something different and he has a
huge appreciation for hip hop culture and whatnot, and I
feel like with me, he's been able to kind of
like just spand it's like horizon.
Speaker 6 (40:28):
So I told him, I really want to do like
a trap R and B like and I want to
make it like give it some little good. He's not
too much. We're not trying to add all that Spruceton
you know kind.
Speaker 8 (40:37):
Of vibe, but like, let's add a little elements here
and there that will be a good representation of what
I grew up in and then also adding that line
Flare to it. So for me, it's like one of
the most like favorite songs because of the way it
makes me feel. How it starts, it's very euphoric, which.
Speaker 4 (40:53):
Is very much what I am.
Speaker 8 (40:56):
And that very like on same movie in Minongoriica, the
melodies and you know, make you want to float somewhere,
and then you come in with a bank because it's
long transitions over and you're just like, oh, I wasn't
expecting it.
Speaker 6 (41:08):
So it's really, yeah, that's exactly what I wanted and
and there is I think her.
Speaker 8 (41:14):
If I'm not mistaken, it's this artist called Jamila Barry.
Don't remember exactly what's just from. I want to say
she's from the UK, but she did a song that
I really really liked because and that's what inspired me
to do that transition, because there's just there's a song
where she's just singing and it's just her voice and
she just takes you somewhere and then all of a
(41:35):
sudden it hits you with like, uh, like good and
I don't know if it was like chat.
Speaker 6 (41:39):
But like it goes into like a hip hoppy and
you would have never expected that transition.
Speaker 4 (41:42):
And I was like, I want to do something like that.
Speaker 8 (41:44):
So I put that song on my inspiration playlist. But
I was like, we're gonna tap into these transitions. You know,
some people don't necessarily like too much transitions because sometimes
they want to get start to this song. And that's
like the people who like to in to music a
little bit different than Wants Home. I just wanted it
to point if you really.
Speaker 6 (42:01):
Just sit there and listen to the song, you're just like, oh,
it takes you.
Speaker 8 (42:03):
Somewhere, you know, and and yeah, like, I'm really excited
about that song, and I feel like it's a good representation.
I actually, before I came to Miami, we did some
content shot around Houston, Like I actually wanted to shoot
in in my neighborhood.
Speaker 6 (42:20):
When I show up, so we have some content around
there and things like that. So yeah, I'm excited for
when I close.
Speaker 3 (42:25):
Out, I'm excited and I'm excited for it.
Speaker 7 (42:29):
Thank you, And I'm glad that there's good when you
have that one.
Speaker 1 (42:31):
And I feel like every artist has that one that
like really speaks to them and like best represents in
our fasts, like who they are, who they want other
people to like really consume them as, so like good
for you.
Speaker 8 (42:42):
Yeah no, and honestly, like, don't get me wrong, a
lot of these songs have some sort of connections for me. Yeah,
you know, but I feel like this one in particular,
I've always wanted to merge both worlds, and I think
I will continue to explore that a little bit more
and maybe at some point have some like you know,
features on there, or some really dope collaborations with like
artists from Houston. You know, who knows what will happen
in the future, But I really want to tap into
(43:04):
that where it's like creating something different, you know.
Speaker 6 (43:07):
And I know that not a lot of artists because
there's not that I personally.
Speaker 8 (43:14):
Houston because success to men, because I know you guys
don't days, you know, like I really want to happen
to that.
Speaker 4 (43:19):
Why not?
Speaker 3 (43:20):
You know you better own it?
Speaker 1 (43:21):
Yeah, I'm really thinking about I'm in the ballpark of like,
you know, women, how we you know, express ourselves, like
how we how we look, how we use our bodies,
how we don't you know, what does all that mean
to you in regards to like owning your your body
and your sexual.
Speaker 3 (43:40):
Prowess, Like what does that look like for you?
Speaker 6 (43:43):
It's definitely been challenging.
Speaker 8 (43:44):
I'm not gonna lie to you because I think, like
what is Vanessa As as myself, I have a very
shy tendency to be very like, oh, I'm very like
you know this and that. But when it's happened to
it now, it's like that's kind of like the alter
ego of like where I own it, you know, And
sometimes it's yeah, you know what I mean, Like it's
like almost like you you tap into this other side
of you that you know, I've always been very shy
(44:07):
in that aspect, but like I feel like when I
try to tap into this character, like I really want
to use it to my advantage. It's like it's it's
part of who I am, you know, and like I
mean for as much as like you know, when people
like the astrological things or whatever, you know, they did say,
like you know, someone did explain this to me, Like
you know, depending on where your venus is, like it
(44:27):
will be a huge representation of like how you what
your type of beauty is, you know, and like using
your your image and who you are, and like my
my venus is to tourist's Like those kind of things
are like okay, like that's what.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
Will go really well with your career.
Speaker 8 (44:41):
If you really tappen to that. So I'm like okay,
Like for what it's worth, I'm like, you know, you
can take that with a grain of salt.
Speaker 6 (44:46):
But like I felt like maybe there is a sign there.
Speaker 8 (44:49):
Like you know, like if if God gave me this
you know, glowiness or whatever that looks like to anyone,
Like I want to be able to you know, release
that and show people and like I don't know, like
I guess the perfect example of what that is is like,
I want to be able to inspire confidence more than anything,
because like I remember when I was little and I
(45:10):
would see sitting in Ninthania performing things that she inspired
me to be an artist, you know what I mean.
And I love her confidence and I love her beauty,
and I'm like, I want to be a representation of
what this is and how it makes other people feel.
Speaker 4 (45:21):
Like, oh, like I want to be just like her.
Speaker 6 (45:22):
I want to be confident with her like I want to.
I want people to really embrace that. And I know
that doesn't come very easily to a lot And I
also say the same thing.
Speaker 8 (45:30):
I have not always been the most confident person either,
but with time, like you learn how to really embrace
yourself as a person.
Speaker 7 (45:36):
And I think that's a very beautiful thing.
Speaker 3 (45:38):
I love that I am. I'm the type of person
that I know.
Speaker 7 (45:42):
I'm an arias. I don't know the meads.
Speaker 6 (45:49):
I know a lot of people, you know, So that's
why I was like, I have a lot of very
spiritual people.
Speaker 1 (45:54):
In my world.
Speaker 8 (45:55):
So I just I don't know, I don't know, not.
Speaker 1 (45:58):
Like not trying to have a really good like part
of the app that actually you can swipe and it
tells you everything, and every time someone brings it up,
I'm like, okay, let me see my phone.
Speaker 7 (46:07):
Apparently I'm in pisty, I.
Speaker 1 (46:09):
Know, PA tell you that, yeah, okay, I know I'm
firefire water and then like okay, yea, I.
Speaker 2 (46:18):
Even say yeah.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
So that's time when everything you're just said, I appreciate that. Yes, girl,
give them confidence. The girls need confidence. The girls need,
you know, someone to look up to who's positive and
like who's being a petically themselves.
Speaker 7 (46:32):
So thank you appreciate that. That's the time that we
have today. After that proxima.
Speaker 2 (46:42):
Child by you guys know what time it is. It's
(47:18):
time for I'm excited to hear from one of y'all.
Let's get right into it.
Speaker 1 (47:24):
So I got.
Speaker 3 (47:27):
Pasta mic. I'm super excited because I'm here.
Speaker 1 (47:33):
Agent d m Z. It was an amazing what he
got DJ Actavista.
Speaker 3 (47:40):
And in Puerto ric my love, thank you so much
for being here. I will pass the mic to you.
Tell me what is going on right now.
Speaker 1 (47:49):
I believe that there was an incident that correlated with
the Puerto Rican Day Parade and the festivities afterwards.
Speaker 4 (48:00):
When first I want to say thank you so much,
got that for having me.
Speaker 3 (48:02):
I really appreciate it.
Speaker 10 (48:04):
Thank you for opening you know, your platform for me
to speak up and so people know what's going on,
not only in New York, but it's happening everywhere. As
you can see, it's happening in LA It's happening everywhere.
It doesn't matter if you're a migrant, it doesn't matter
if you're black, it doesn't matter if you're white.
Speaker 3 (48:19):
It's happening everywhere.
Speaker 10 (48:20):
And I feel like it is important for us to
like really speak up and not you know, do what
we are, like what we can do, because not everything
has to be you speaking out, going to protest, but
you know, just like commenting or reposting something or talking
to your family or talking to your friends and having
conversations about, you know, what's going on. It's very important,
(48:42):
I think right now, so as you were saying, like, yeah,
something very unfortunate happened after a week of amazing experiences,
like just like CMO, we just met each other, like
(49:03):
it started on Friday, you know, the events were going on.
There was actually a lot of events happening. I think
it was really great for New York, especially just having
so many events the kickoff of summer as well. So
everything happened. We were all at mood Ring. It's an
(49:24):
annual thing. Everybody knows about this. It's something that you're
expected to go to mood Ring, like it's it's a
pit stop for everybody. It's for people to come after
the parades to just come and hang out, drink, you know,
just have fun. So it happened like around twelve thirty
(49:48):
we were doing a bombaso Chico de Houpi and as
well as people that flew in to be or for
this time to either they had performances or they were
participating in other things.
Speaker 3 (50:05):
Because a lot of us try to bring the.
Speaker 10 (50:07):
Diaspora and the Puerto Ricans and Laila together and I
feel like finally it's kind of like it's really a
lot more than it was before, and it's really beautiful.
So we were all like, you know, dancing bomba you know,
because that's not something that we get to have that experience,
especially here in New York out in the streets, like
(50:27):
just you know, just living our lives, just being joyous
and like.
Speaker 3 (50:32):
Being happy, you know, with each other and family.
Speaker 10 (50:38):
He and Fessamohakanstad and then somebody started dancing. And when
people started dancing, I don't.
Speaker 3 (50:44):
Know who woke up. The ancestors, the evil ancestors.
Speaker 2 (50:48):
I don't know, but.
Speaker 10 (50:53):
They just came towards us like it was like somebody
was shooting or we were fighting, and none of that
was happening. Who was they the cops the eighty third Precinct? Sorry, yes,
eighty third precinct be so, yes, the pos the police
(51:15):
officers at eighty third Precint. And to my understanding, they
had people from other precincts as well. Not sure, but
we're going to focus on eighty third Precint because they're
the ones who.
Speaker 4 (51:25):
Are involved in this and need to be held accountable.
Speaker 1 (51:32):
So in other words, essentially, I'm so sorry. So they
were roughing people up. Did anyone get arrested?
Speaker 4 (51:38):
What happened?
Speaker 1 (51:39):
Yeah?
Speaker 10 (51:39):
So we are there, they come towards us. It was
like a millisecond, Like literally, I felt like one moment
I was like thinking in my head because I remember
because I had a moment a reflection to myself, and
I was like, wow, this is like a beautiful moment,
like nobody's fighting, everybody's here having fun, you know, Like
how sometimes you go to the club, people bump into
you and they're mad, rude. It wasn't even like that,
(52:01):
like people are like, oh, I'm sorry, let me go through,
Like hey, can I help you? You want?
Speaker 3 (52:05):
You want a drink?
Speaker 2 (52:06):
What you want?
Speaker 3 (52:07):
Like it was Mathew.
Speaker 10 (52:08):
So they come in swarming and they kind of caddle
us like they were like we were heard, sort.
Speaker 3 (52:14):
Of like we were just animals.
Speaker 10 (52:16):
And they come around us and they pin us to
the wall towards mood ring, yelling at us. They come
in yelling at us, telling us you need to disperse,
you need to disfirst, you need to leave, you need
to leave. Mind you, they are literally not allowing us
to leave because the whole purpose was that was to
get bodies. They wanted to arrest people, They wanted to
(52:37):
rough us up. That was the whole purpose. Because if
you're a cop and that's a noise complaint, because apparently
it was a noise complaint.
Speaker 3 (52:45):
That's that's not the reaction.
Speaker 10 (52:47):
And as a social worker, I've dealt with people with
mental health issues, I've dealt people with like disorderly conduct,
like I've built with a whole bunch of situations and
for them to come in there without even going into
the venue.
Speaker 4 (52:59):
Hey, what's going on?
Speaker 10 (53:00):
Like, can you guys tell the people that they can't
be outside like that they can't be congrant, whatever the
case may be. But to come in and like start
screaming at us, or they could have been like, oh,
what is this?
Speaker 3 (53:14):
Is this bomba? This looks like fun.
Speaker 10 (53:17):
I'm sorry that you guys, but like this is an emergent,
like this is a hazard having you on the side,
I don't know, something like to de escalate the situation,
not come in and start shoving you and shoving us
and pushing us towards the wall where it could have
been a more serious situation.
Speaker 1 (53:37):
With these this new administration, there are i mean across
the board, this harash plane old harassment that's going on
across the board with just black people people of color
just simply existing really gets white supremacists upset. And this
is just like a pure example of that. So I'm
(53:58):
I'm very sorry that this how and weblow for those
of you are listening, this of course should not go
without any sort of consequence or response. Let's pay attention
to this, let's follow up, let's keep up with this,
and let's hold for accountability, because without that, it'll continue
to happen and we will get off scott free.
Speaker 3 (54:18):
Mia mosulting.
Speaker 1 (54:19):
If you had any sort of message for those who
were affected or for those who are tuning in and
want to help with this, what would that mean?
Speaker 10 (54:26):
I will say if anybody wants to help out, I
know hupy dot USA is collecting funds for all the
victims that were injured, as well as legal assistance. So
if y'all want to give money towards that, a dollar
five dollars helped anything, because I know my best friend
was actually one of the ones that was was arrested,
(54:48):
and you're literally trying to get her arrest and touching
it off.
Speaker 3 (54:53):
When they were like there's a little video of them
pushing her so and she's trying to get away.
Speaker 10 (55:00):
She is as well a domestic violence survivor, so that
was very triggering for her and for them to do
that was unnecessary because they don't know who is in there,
Like they could have really mitigated that situation. They could
have given us summons, they could have given us tickets,
they could have done all other things except beat us.
(55:21):
They wanted to beat us because when I looked in
their eyes, and I spoke to one of the cops
calmly because I know, you know, I've been in training
and things like that.
Speaker 3 (55:32):
Up, why are you, Why are you? Why are you
doing this? Like I don't I'm not trying.
Speaker 4 (55:35):
To hurt you.
Speaker 3 (55:36):
Like I want to leave too. I don't want to
be here with you either. Let me leave.
Speaker 10 (55:40):
And they just kept pushing us towards and they try
to grab my hand, one of them because they were
just trying to get bodies.
Speaker 3 (55:45):
They were trying to detain people, and they grabbed my.
Speaker 10 (55:49):
Hand and I went like that and one of the
police officers held my hand here and I have a
bruise here.
Speaker 3 (55:58):
For eighty third person, that's how hands.
Speaker 1 (56:01):
Yeah, so like it's ridiculous, Like it's it's giving I
need to reach my quota.
Speaker 10 (56:07):
Yeah, Like, not even my dad put his hands on me,
Not even my father, like you, I'm fucking forty two
years old. Nobody's ever put their hands on me, and
these motherfuckers are gonna come put their hands on me.
Speaker 7 (56:21):
No behind that.
Speaker 1 (56:22):
Thank you so much for tapping in. This was past
the mic with Agent DMZ. Make sure to follow Agent
DMZ empedial to the people like an Agent d m.
Speaker 7 (56:31):
Z Overnight.
Speaker 1 (56:40):
Yalla Floaters an I Heart Media production co executive produced
by Media Get, produced by Grace Gonsalez. THEMMO edited by
sasaang El Duro, music by Habbi Vibe, Deloma Delomio. And
(57:01):
shout out to my production assistance, Kayla Egliston and Naomi A.
Speaker 2 (57:05):
Savello.
Speaker 1 (57:06):
I'm your host, La Gatta see you next week right
here on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you listen
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