Saludos, amigos!
I want a send a sincere message of gratitude to all who supported the Third Annual Latino Tennessee Voices Storytellers Live. We pulled off a beautiful show that amplified the personal and vulnerable stories of five local Latina and Latino community members.
One of our audience members, Elizabeth Garza Bumpas, wrote a powerful LinkedIn post that captured the spirit of the program. Here is an excerpt: "People's stories are a powerful way to learn and build connections. The Tennessean's Latino Tennessee Voices brings together 5 Latino community members to share their stories of self discovery and overcoming insecurities ... Thank you ... for this wonderful series and showcasing the rich diversity of Nashville especially during Hispanic Heritage Month."
My heart is filled.
Gracias to our storytellers, Metro Council Member Sandra Sepúlveda, Nuestro Financial Founder Diego Eguiarte, Nash Latina Bosses Founder Viridiana De León, Tennessee Human Rights' spokesman Jacob Aparicio and The Tennessean photojournalist Stephanie Amador.
Thank you to our host Trevecca Nazarene University, the alma mater of two of our storytellers as well as Yenín Echeverría, who co-emceed the program with me and was a Year 1 storyteller in 2022. To our sponsors, BlueCross Blue Shield of Tennessee the Vanderbilt Center for Latin American, Caribbean and Latinx Studies. To our audience. And, finally, to our staff that has backed this effort through moral support, attending the event and covering it.
If you missed it, read the story by reporter Craig Shoup along with pictures from photographer Nicole Hester. A video will be published soon. You can view all the photos in Nicole's gallery .
If you want to learn more about the origins of Latino Tennessee Voices and its companion Black Tennessee Voices, read my recent column on how we decided to go from telling stories about underrepresented communities to telling stories for, with and by them. Storytellers Live is an evolution of that mission.
As we start planning our 2025 programming, please reach out to me at dplazas@tennessean.com if you or someone you know has a story to tell.
What else you'll find in the newsletter
Spanish-language fact checks via Factchequeado
Bonus: Radio Ambulante and Telemundo have joined forces on a new podcast called “El péndulo" about the Latino vote in key battleground states during the 2024 presidential election. The six-part series is hosted by Noticias Telemundo’s Julio Vaqueiro.
Upcoming events
Send events and announcements to dplazas@tennessean.com .
Announcements
- Project LEAD is a youth leadership program that encourages and prepares students — ages 12-18 — to continue their education and gain confidence to realize their true leadership qualities. Select participants that complete the program will receive funded checking accounts. Students will learn leadership principles that focus on accountability and decision-making, financial literacy and investment, community engagement, and fitness. Saturdays, Sept. 7 - Nov. 9, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Bellevue Community Center, Community Room 1. Register now and check your email for confirmation and details.
Resources
Please send your recommendations, story ideas and events.
¡Muchas gracias!
David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network - Tennessee. He is of Colombian and Cuban descent, has studied or worked in several Spanish-speaking countries, and was the founding editor of Gaceta Tropical in Southwest Florida. He has lived in Tennessee since 2014. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or tweet to him at @davidplazas.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Storytellers inspired as they shared tales of self-discovery and overcoming insecurities
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