Crystal Roman: CEO, Founder of Black Latina Movement Shares the Pivot

Crystal S. Roman is the CEO, Founder of Black Latina Movement, Host of the Black Latina Summit, and Curator of Talks & Tequila.

The Puerto Rican-Jamaican activist is a native New Yorker. She attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

In 2008, she launched the Black Latina Movement and began performing her one-woman show, "Black Latinas," about the lives of dark-skinned Latinas and African American Latinas. In 2013, it became an all-female ensemble cast. The revamp led to sold-out shows getting recognition across many film festivals celebrating "Memoirs of a Black Latina," which she produced and directed! The play has been performed in many educational organizations. Among them are Penn State University, Lehigh University, The Smithsonian Institute, and The University of Southern California.

AW sat down with the Latina to discuss inspiration for platform, mission, post-performance feedback from students and faculty of institutions visited, the impact that today's political climate is having on funding, and how changes in the current administration affect the demand for this production, and the pivot she was forced to make after the shift took place.

We also talked about Talks & Tequila and the gatherings that are creating community, as well as how we can stay positive in times of change.

Learn more at www.blacklatinamovement.