Follow these Five Alpha Latinas and Get Inspired

Writer Myriam Gurba

Savvy intellectuals like Gurba congregate each day on Twitter to engage in witty banter, call out politicians, and develop new schools of woke thought in 280 characters or less. Gurba’s never minced words when it comes to taking on institutions and the egalitarian terrain of social media is her battleground.

She is a promotion-pro extraordinaire and while she is quick to call out her grandfather Ricardo Serrano Ríos for his machismo, she also credits him, a Mexican writer and publicist, for her skill at driving movements from the handheld screen of her smartphone. Shortly before the universal scourge of the pandemic leveled our society by exposing the truth behind our oppressive systems, Gurba personally took on one of the pillars of that machinery: Big Five publishers. Read more about Myriam Gurba here and be sure you read her columns on Luz Collective too.

 Actress Mj Rodriguez

Mj Rodriguez has become an idol as she grows a list of firsts: acting in the first tv show to host the largest cast of transgender actresses in leading roles, Pose; being the first openly trans woman awarded Best Television Actress at the Imagen Awards; being the first trans woman of color to play a role in a major production in the Little Shop of Horrors; and entering a partnership with a company, Olay, as the first Latina trans woman. Rodriguez uses these firsts as a platform to advocate for the LGBTQIA community. Rear more about trailblazer Mj Rodriguez here.

Musician Gina Chavez

Now a 2020 Grammy nominee, Gina Chavez released her first all-Spanish EP called “La Que Manda” on May 27. The first track, which is also the title track, is a powerful introduction to the five eclectic tracks that share a story about a “womxn coming into her power.” Her first single and second track, “Ella,” shares a message of empowerment for the Latina community and what it means to be a woman. “I definitely wanted something to be for Latinas,” said Chavez. “For people to get behind them and be like yeah, this is my song.” Read more about Gina Chavez here.

Organizer Rosa Clemente

Organizer, journalist and political commentator Rosa Clemente has spent her life’s work in social justice. Her activism began in college, but since then she has held many roles, including radio show host, vice presidential candidate and, most recently, video web series producer. But one thing has united all of her efforts–a focus on Black liberation.

Clemente’s identity and the labels she uses have evolved over the years. While in the past she described herself as an Afro-Latina, she now embraces her Blackness and identifies as a Black Puerto Rican instead. Read more about Rosa Clemente here.

Musician Lido Pimienta

Lido Pimienta revealed that she’s never been one to write “happy” songs because she tends to write about critical experiences that have shaped her ideologies and that also continue to impact those closest to her. Her Grammy nominated album “Miss Colombia” for example, addresses gender, race, politics, and identity issues, including Indigenous struggles.

“My family is Indigenous, we’re Wayuu from the north coast in Colombia—we’re a people that are surviving still from being a very strong community,” she said. “The Colombian government is continuing to destroy our people by taking away water and other resources, so I’ve grown up with that, that’s a part of my reality, so that’s just what I sing about.”

And in light of the Black Lives Matter protests that have taken place around the world, Pimienta’s music has resonated more than ever before. Read more about Lido Pimienta here.