Analyzing the evolving landscape of Latino voter engagement ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Every voice matters, and the potential impact of your engagement is pivotal for shaping our democratic future.
In this latest Presente article, reporter Nigel Thompson delved into the data from Philadelphia City Commissioners to understand how the Latino community in each neighborhood is engaging with the election process.
Election engagement has historically been a challenge in North Philadelphia's Latino neighborhoods. After a mayoral election with only 13% voter participation from these wards, there is a sense of disinterest due to unaddressed concerns like crime, poverty, and housing. If they want more votes from the Latino community, candidates need to intensify efforts to connect with them, as there are less than four months until the presidential election. 🗳️📥
Read the full article: bit.ly/3xFsJnS
🎶Reconnect with the deep emotions of hope, resilience, and the immigrant experience through the captivating storytelling and music of ‘Siluetas.’
🎭Check out ¡Presente! Media interview with playwright Erlina Ortiz about this one-of-a-kind production! Watch the full video here: https://bit.ly/SiluetasMusical
You can catch this unforgettable production by Power Street Theater at Temple University’s Randall Theater until June 23.
#Siluetas #ImmigrantExperience #PowerfulStorytelling 🌟
🗳️🇺🇸Immigration has emerged as a key issue in the upcoming 2024 U.S. elections, with a new survey conducted by The Harris Poll revealing that half of Americans, including 42% of Democrats, support mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. The survey results present a significant challenge for President Biden, grappling with the immigration crisis narrative. #immigration #politics
Find more information here: https://bit.ly/deportation-elections
#iMPerRFeCT Gallery is currently showcasing “LATINAS IN PHILLY: These are our stories”. Curated by #Ayiana Viviana, this multi-sensorial exhibition celebrates the artwork of fifteen Latina artists, including photographers, yarn artists, and painters. #Presente Media attended the Artist Talk on May 1st, where the public could hear firsthand from the artists about how their cultural and personal stories shaped their art. The colorful exhibition pieces highlight the creativity, strength, and power of these Latina artists.
Check out the video recap here:
¡Mi gente! Take a look at the second part of the interview with Betsy Casañas at Taller Puertorriqueño.
She brings attention to the important role artists have:
“I believe strongly that as artists, we have a distinct voice in changing the social landscape of our communities. It’s not about leaving, it’s about investing in our communities and really creating quality programs that we can expose our children to…”
🔗 Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/x2sd8-YokDM?si=Ffp01yZH44_cg4q4
Production by Claudia Ceballos
Video by Becca Haydu
Production supervisor Gabriela Watson-Burkett
A production of ¡Presente! Media
#TallerPuertorriqueño #BetsyCasañas #LatinoArt
🇵🇷 Activist and former Philadelphia resident Berta Joubert-Ceci shared the most crucial facts about Puerto Rico's political, economic, and social situation over the years. Her goal is to put the island in the spotlight and focus on the struggle to achieve Puerto Rico's independence from the United States by becoming its own country.
Read more at www.presentemedia.org
Taller Puertorriqueño, also known as the “cultural heart of the neighborhood," is commemorating five decades of service to the art and culture of the Latino community with the exhibition "Call & Response," which pays tribute to an outstanding Boricua artist who is also celebrating her 50th birthday, Betsy Casañas.
This #WomensHistoryMonth, we honor the extraordinary contributions of JAHWULA to the music community. 🎉 As a gifted R&B/Neo-Soul vocalist and mentor, she embodies resilience, creativity, and empowerment. Let's celebrate her inspiring journey and uplifting influence! #JAHWULA #MusicIndustry 🎤👩🎤@Jahwula
👩🍳 As we celebrate #WomensHistoryMonth, honor Alma Romero, co-owner of Alma del Mar restaurant. Her journey from migrant to entrepreneur is a story of resilience and empowerment. ❤️
Watch ¡Presente! Media's 'Beyond' short documentary to learn more about Alma Romero: http://bit.ly/49hhuOU
Are you an artist looking for a place to connect to and unfold with like-minded people? The Bok Building, found in South Philly, is widely known as a hub for creators to come together and organize events where communities can celebrate cultural holidays. Journalist Daisy Murgia spoke to Reyna Guzman Casaréz and Itzel Gonzalez to learn more about the impact the Bok Building has on the Latinx community. Itzel Gonzalez, an organizer for the club "El Conejo en el faro," shares, "I see the formation of a new community, a different community. It's people that see each other every week which you start to become familiar with because you see them often…" Click the link to read more about the connections nurtured by the Bok Building.
https://bit.ly/BokLatineCommunity
🎨👀 Discover the captivating sculptures of African-American artist John Rhoden! Thanks to a National Endowment for the Humanities grant, more than 5,000 objects from Rhoden's career have been digitized and are now accessible online.
Check out the full article: https://bit.ly/JohnRhodenexhibit
PAFA's retrospective exhibition of his work, 'Determined to Be: The Sculpture of John Rhoden', is on view through April 7.
#JohnRhoden #PAFA #AfricanAmericanArt #Sculpture
Kensington business owners confront distinct challenges and heightened costs amid Philadelphia's opioid crisis. Chef Sunny Phanthavong, co-owner of Vientiane Bistro candidly reveals the daily obstacles in #PresenteMedia’s latest short doc, "The Challenges of Running a Business in Kensington." From addressing storefront waste to navigating encampments and coping with delayed police responses, these struggles impact not just the well-being of business owners but also their ability to build and sustain a clientele crucial for survival. Dionicio Jimenez of Cantina La Martina echoes these challenges, shedding light on increased costs and safety-related service disruptions.
Explore the full documentary and article here: https://bit.ly/KensingtonBusinesses
🎥 Kianni Figuereo
📝 Jennifer Hernandez
🎬Production Supervisor: Gabriela Watson-Burkett
#KensingtonBizStruggles #BusinessInKensington #PhillyChallenges
🎉 Exciting news! ¡Presente! Media’s Reporter and Multimedia Producer, Kianni Figuereo, is a nominee for the 2024 Philly News Awards by the Pen & Pencil Club, one of the nation's oldest press clubs. She's nominated in the 'Video Storytelling of the Year' category. We're so proud of her! 🌟Show your support by participating in the voting process. Cast your vote before 11:59 a.m. Tuesday, March 5. 🗳️ Vote here: https://bit.ly/PhillyAwards #PhillyNewsAwards #KianniFiguereo #VideoStorytelling #PresenteMediaSuccess 🏆
Harriett's Bookshop in Fishtown, North Philly, is a true gem of our community! Founded by the visionary Jeannine A. Cook, this independent bookstore is more than just a place to pick up a
book - it's a hub for community connections and diverse voices.
As we end Black History Month, we're proud to spotlight Jeannine and her incredible work, celebrating women authors, artists, and activists. Join us in supporting Harriett's mission, and stay tuned with @harrietts_bookshop throughout March for exciting book events. Let's keep the conversation going!
#HarriettsBookshop #CommunityConnection #BlackHistoryMonth #AfroLatinxLeaders
🌟 Meet Alyssa Reynoso-Morris
¡Presente! Media continues to celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth by spotlighting Afro-Latine and African American artists. Today, we meet Alyssa Reynoso-Morris, who is from the Bronx but is currently based in Philadelphia. She is an award-winning multicultural and bilingual storyteller. As a queer Afro-Latine/x Dominican and Puerto Rican, she tells stories about home, family, food, and the places she traveled.
Since childhood, Alyssa dreamed of being an author. Today, her award-winning book "Plátanos are Love" celebrates heritage, family, and Afro-Latinx identity through Esme and her Abuela's journey.
Recognized for her talent, Alyssa received the Yuyi Morales Diversity and More Merit Scholarship, championing diverse voices in children's literature. With Las Musas Books, she reshapes storytelling for every child. 📚✊
Here's to Alyssa Reynoso-Morris: a visionary and a storyteller.
#DiverseVoices #RepresentationMatters #StorytellerExtraordinaire
🎨 ¡Presente! Media celebrates #BlackHistoryMonth by spotlighting local Afro-Latine and African American artists. Today, meet Wit López (@wit_lopez), an acclaimed multidisciplinary artist and Founder of the Till Arts Project. How do you celebrate your identity during BHM? Share with us! 🌈✨
Wit shares, ”'I love to celebrate my Afro-Boricua identity in the same way as one of my Afro-Boricua idols--Arturo Alfonso Schomburg--by researching, archiving, and lifting up Blackness from all around the world. Much like him, I spend my time away from my art practice helping build archives and managing my own collection of art and books by people of African descent, with a focus on creatives in the LGBTQ+ community.”
Explore Wit's work at (re)FOCUS: Then and Now at Moore College (@thegalleriesatmoore) and witlopez.com. Let’s support local artists like Wit! 🖼️👏 #BoricuaArtists #Afrolatine #PhillyArtist"
We are thrilled to share the story of Chef Cristina Martinez, an award-winning Mexican chef and immigrant entrepreneur who embodies the spirit of determination, resilience, and hope. Cristina arrived in Philadelphia in 2009 with a backpack full of dreams and a strong desire to work hard and invest in her passion for cooking. She overcame the challenges of being an immigrant and a small business owner and launched her restaurant, Casa Mexico, in South Philly.
Cristina's story is a powerful reminder of the importance of immigrant entrepreneurship, the resilience of small business owners, and the role that support networks and community organizations can play in empowering them. She candidly shares her journey, the significance of her restaurant, and the challenges she faced along the way. We are inspired by her courage, vision, and commitment to her community, and we hope that her story inspires others to pursue their dreams and embrace diversity and inclusivity in their local economies.
Check out the full video here: https://www.presentemedia.org/stories/cristinamartinez
#immigrantentrepreneur #smallbusinessowner #diversityandinclusivity
Ya escuchaste hablar del edificio BOK? Es un edificio gigante estilo art déco del ano 1938, localizado en el Sur de Filadelfia. Se ha convertido en un espacio donde muchos miembros de la comunidad cultural latina se reunen, colaboran y producen eventos. Así como Itzel González, organizadora del cineclub “El conejo en el faro” y Reyna Casarez que ha organizado una celebración acerca del Dia de los Muertos. Como dice la reportera de @PresenteMediaCollective Daisy Murguia: “No todo se tiene que derrumbar, se le puede dar nueva vida a los espacios. En estos espacios nacen nuevas comunidades y se crean nuevas oportunidades. Lee el articulo completo aqui: https://bit.ly/3HYkZyC
In 2023 ¡Presente! Media furthered its mission to produce bilingual articles and videos on some of the issues that most impacted our communities, from providing a breakdown of how each mayoral candidate would address critical issues related to our Latine community to discussing how immigrants could help promote civic engagement, addressing the challenges of artists to create sustainable careers, highlighting important cultural demonstrations such as the Desfiles de Carros by Reyna Casarez, showing how the Philly local community came together to fight for justice for Eddie Irrizary to documenting Juntos’s Ice of Out of Courts campaign, and the critical role of civic participation by small business owners and the obstacles Latino micro-entrepreneurs face in Philadelphia's economy. Our team showed up to our communities!
Part of ¡Presente! Media’s mission is also to create a space for Black and Brown creatives to thrive. We are proud to share that in 2023 we collaborated with more than twenty journalists, producers, and filmmakers.
In 2024, we plan to continue to hold our elected officials accountable, build on various social movements, and celebrate our rich culture and the perseverance of our community.
We want to thank our community for your continued support and love. We know that juntos we can continue to make our voices Presente! Pa’lante!
Check out our latest stories on our website: presentemedia.org. Link in bio.
Season's greetings from ¡Presente! Media! 🌟 May this holiday season bring you moments of joy, connection, and comunidad with your loved ones. Wishing you all a wonderful and heartwarming celebration! 🎄✨ #HappyHolidays
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Saludos navideños desde ¡Presente! Media. 🌟 Que estas fiestas te traigan momentos de alegría, conexión y comunidad con tus seres queridos. ¡Les deseamos a todes una celebración maravillosa! 🎄✨ #FelicesFiestas
