Los Angeles, CA—Aida Rodriguez talks to me about her experience with race as an Afro-Latina, and how this impacted her relationship with her stepdad who, due to his ignorance, treated her differently than the rest of her family. During a comedy routine, Rodriguez jokes about the moment she saw her stepdad get beat up by a Black man at a bus stop. The experience was in a sense liberating for Rodriguez, and this moment changed her outlook on race and has taught her to challenge the perspective of those who think differently of people who do not look like them.
Tina Sampay, known as Slauson Girl, is a journalist, author and media founder from South Central Los Angeles. Her Bachelor of Arts in Critical Race and Gender Studies informs how she examines race, gender and power in her journalism. She founded Slauson Girl Media Group, a Black woman-owned news and media organization. Her reporting, podcast conversations and video interviews center local news, community voices, culture and the issues shaping Los Angeles.