Hosted by Tasha W. Hunter from African American Cultural Center of Long Beach (AACCLB) and Griselda Suarez, Executive Director of the Arts council for Long Beach (ACLB)
Featured Storytellers: Bresheena Baseel, Ryan Hoyle
This conversation aims to break down some of the divides in the Black & Brown community through storytelling. Come to listen, come to share. This event is organized in collaboration with the African American Cultural Center of Long Beach (AACCLB)
Featured Storytellers: Bresheena Baseel, Ryan Hoyle
Bresheena Baseel is the founder of Azúcar Negra Productions, an event production company that focuses on exposing the community to the diversity that exist among African/Black culture. She was inspired to create this company because as a first generation American, product of a Belizean father and a Salvadorian mother, she did not see enough Afrolatinidad represented in the media or in her surrounding community. She was raised in Southern California and later moved to the Bay Area to attend SFSU where she obtained her Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Management. She was heavily involved with multiple student organizations during her academic career and continues her work in community organizing through Original Blackprint, an organization geared towards holistically transforming the material conditions of African/Black people.
Ryan Hoyle is a Long Beach native and multi-hyphenate creative using his gifts to develop and foster positive, lasting change in communities of color. As an adjunct professor and founder of Play Nice Long Beach, his passion lies in bridging the gap between education and outcomes in creative professions and industries.
Tasha W. Hunter is a California-born and based filmmaker, event planner, educator, and writer. Over the past two decades, she has worked in a variety of professional capacities centered around the community, arts, and education-in both the private and public sectors. She currently serves as the Director of the Uptown Business Improvement District. Hunter is currently a Cultural Heritage Commissioner for the City of Long Beach, Founding Member, African American Cultural Center Long Beach, and Past President of the Arts Council for Long Beach
Griselda Suárez is a writer, artist, cook, and a teacher. She was born in unincorporated East Los Angeles and believes that the arts are essential in empowering others to express their thoughts. Throughout her career, she has created programming and trainings dedicated to facilitating transformation and creating agency for her communities. In 2016, she became the Executive Director of the Arts Council for Long Beach. Most recently, Griselda was awarded “40 under 40” by the LB Post for her leadership in the arts and her resiliency in battling cancer. Suárez is dedicated to Long Beach and loves contributing to the city because she strongly believes in the impact of local impact arts has on residents’ lives.
Dr. Gloria Arjona was born in El Paso, Texas and grew up in Mexico City, living as well in the Mexican states of Campeche, Chiapas, and Yucatan. She has lived in Los Angeles for more than thirty years.
Dr. Arjona received her PhD in Spanish from the University of Southern California, where she taught Spanish language and literature for sixteen years. She currently teaches at the California Institute of Technology.
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