“Of Mothers and Men” Opens May 7th: a Powerful Exploration of Afro-Latina Perspectives on Motherhood

Promotional image of the play “Of Mothers and Men”

While Mother’s Day can be a beautiful holiday that honors mothers and celebrates motherhood, it can also be a painful day for many. Mother-daughter dynamics exist on a wide spectrum and, sometimes, they’re complicated and a source of heartache for many different reasons. A new play, “Of Mothers and Men,” opens May 7th to explore some of those complex dynamics from an Afro-Latina perspective.


The dynamic new play is produced by the Black Latina Movement, an award-winning grassroots theater company and cultural group dedicated to advancing African and Latino cultures through storytelling and visual representation. The company provides a platform for diverse talent to showcase their artistry through a variety of creative projects, promote diversity in local communities, and create inclusive spaces.

The Black Latina Movement was founded by Jamaican-Puerto Rican Crystal Shaniece Roman in 2008. Roman is also the writer and director of the critically acclaimed “Of Mothers and Men.” Derived from the American classic written by John Steinbeck, “Of Mice and Men,” the play offers a unique perspective on women, their mothers, and their relationships with men.

“After creating The Black Latina Movement in 2008, I knew it was time for the world to see us for who we are and not the box they put us in. With all the social and economic issues we are facing in the world, I know that time is here. I want to help broaden the spectrum of hues the industry has and provide the further depth it so desperately needs,” Roman says in her Creator Statement.

“Through the medium of the arts, now more than ever we need to showcase the diversity of women and our multiplicities, especially those for women of color. As a Black Latina, my perspective may be unique but shares so many commonalities with many women of multicultural backgrounds,” Roman concluded.

\u200bPromotional image by \u201cOf Mothers and Men\u201d on Instagram

Promotional image by “Of Mothers and Men” on Instagram

“Of Mothers and Men” is a monologue-driven play where each of the 9 vignettes offers a profound look into the significance of two of the most influential people in one’s life. Each monologue is delivered by a different character and their age and background color their perception, making each of their perspectives unique and nuanced. The play is not only female-created, it’s also female-funded and it boasts an all-female cast of Latina and African American women, including Roman herself.

“The lives of Black and Latino people are more than the pain and trauma that has been woven into the tapestry of our strength. We deserve to have more conversations about the dynamics of our healthy relationships, as well as more expressions of the complexities that exist within the arts,” said Roman in a recent press release. This is the core of “Of Mothers and Men” and it accomplishes those conversations beautifully.

What makes the play resonate with women across the board, but especially Latina, Afro-Latina, and African American women, is that each monologue is honest and raw, unraveling the joy and pain that stems from each character’s relationship with their mothers and the men in their lives.

Because each vignette offers a unique perspective, together they explore a wide spectrum of experiences, providing visibility and much-needed contrast while revealing cultural insights. Audiences may easily find at least one story they can directly relate to, and the ones they can’t relate to still provide eye-opening points of view, prompting them to think more deeply about their own dynamics and peel back the layers.

Promotional image by “Of Mothers and Men” on Instagram

First created in 2010, the play had its first off-Broadway run in 2012 and toured the Northeast. Over a decade later, “Of Mothers and Men” is coming back to the stage in New York City from May 7 to May 11 at the wild project in the East Village and it’s one of the Mother’s Day Week events you shouldn’t miss if you’re in the city.

You can get your tickets here and mark your calendar for a transformative experience.

bop the bigot video game logo

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.

a woman giving the side eye to a man

Have you ever met someone who seems overly confident, self-centered, or even downright rude? Maybe they constantly talk about themselves, disregard your feelings, or even manipulate situations to their advantage. And, if you're anything like us and countless other Latinas, you might've thought, is this person just a purebred a**hole, or are they a narcissist?

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