WATCH THE SERIES
Kailey’s Story | Our Stories: In Vivid Color
Kailey (She/Her) is a Dominican-American young woman living in Queens, New York. Kailey reflects on her experience growing up as a person of color navigating two cultures who is passionate about family, community, and representation.
Kailey uses her experience as an opportunity to give back to these BIPOC students in her community by working at a local library, “It’s a lot of work and very stressful at times, but then seeing these kids three days a week gave me motivation, and they kind of gave me a small window into their lives. That meant so much to me.”
Ta’Lor’s Story | Our Stories: In Vivid Color
Ta’Lor (They/Them) is a young actor, model with We Speak Models, writer, and artist living in New York City. Creativity and community are core elements that help them stay grounded and connected.
Whether it’s acting, modeling or photography, Ta’Lor will utilize creativity as an outlet for self-expression and healing, “I have a love for art and I have a love for expression,” says Ta’Lor, “When I can find outlets to express myself that is like my healthiest coping mechanism.”
Charlie’s Story | Our Stories: In Vivid Color
Charlie Amáyá Scott (They/She) is a Diné (Navajo) scholar born and raised within the central part of the Navajo Nation. When they made the move from their small town to Brown University, it was a big shift, “My graduating class for high school was 98% Navajo,” says Charlie, “It wasn’t until I went to Brown my first year that I had a lot more experience interacting with folks from different communities [and] different cultures.”
This experience and Charlie’s experience as queer, trans, and Diné led Charlie to create their blog, dineaesthetics.com. With an audience of over 74,000, Charlie continues to inspire, educate, and change the world for the better.
Diana’s Story | Our Stories: In Vivid Color
Diana Castro (They/She) is a queer, immigrant, person of color from Los Angeles. Their ethics were shaped by their mother’s dedication to being a childcare worker. Despite working hard, the family faced challenging livable conditions and discrimination due to a language barrier. Diana often assisted their parents in times of need.
Diana’s message for younger generations is for them to take up space knowing that there are others out there that have similar backgrounds and “there’s a light at the end of the tunnel”.
Tomiko’s Story | Our Stories: In Vivid Color
Tomiko (She/Her) is a hip hop dancer, creative, leader, and activist. Since the age of six, she has been dancing with the nonprofit organization Culture Shock LA and founded Girls Can Create at Eagle Rock High School, which inspires young women on campus through art, activism, and entrepreneurship.
Her advocacy is inspired by her experience growing up in Los Angeles, California, and being both Black and Filipina. Tomiko knows that media representation is essential and has the opportunity to inspire “other little girls” to rock their curls and live life with confidence.
Vladonna’s Story | Our Stories: In Vivid Color
Vladonna Rose (She/Her) is a transgender actress, model, and activist from Los Angeles who calls out injustices that the LBGTQIA+ community faces. Recounting her childhood, Valdonna heard the word gay on the playground. Upon further research, she discovered the word “trans.”
“I want to give a voice to every queer person who recognizes that there’s bullshit going on, and we need to now more than ever, really come together.”
Eutalia’s Story | Our Stories: In Vivid Color
Eutalia (She/Her0 is a proud Filipina-American that celebrates her culture through her artwork, “A lot of what I do includes my background as a Filipino-American and really just telling stories through charismatic women,” she says.
Approaching stories with playful perspectives and vibrant color palettes, her art centers on bold and flirty women inspired by the women and memories in her family.
Summer’s Story | Our Stories: In Vivid Color
Summer (She/Her) is an Armenian, Japanese and Jewish musician from Hawaii who studied in a predominately white university. Being from Hawaii, where only 2% of the population is white and mainly comprises people of color, the transition to a primarily white university made Summer hyper-aware of racial inequality and white ignorance.
Deciding to pursue a degree in musical theater, Summer was one of the very few students of color, and she describes that her college peers perceived her as “less and unknown.” “The ignorance was something I had to kind of learn how to deal with,” says Summer, “But for the first year, I was angry.” The experience prompted her to think about race critically and protect her multifaceted, rich identity.
Cheyenne’s Story | Our Stories: In Vivid Color
Cheyenne (She/Her) is a Latina, former Junior Paralympian, actress/model, student, and accessibility advocate from the West Coast. Drawing from her mother’s unyielding support, she began to combat systemic injustices during her youth.
“Representation matters within the media,” says Cheyenne, “we need to hear diverse stories and diverse voices so that we know what everyone is going through and can help others to live their greatest lives.”
