In 2019, Yollocalli Arts Reach partnered with the Social Justice News Nexus at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University for an in-depth report on sex ed in Chicago Public Schools and attitudes toward sex, LGBTQ+ issues and related topics in Little Village. The team included Gerardo Salgado, Melissa Regalado, Oscar Perez, Katie Rice and Chris Schulz, with additional editing and leadership by Stephanie Manriquez. This project builds on Yollocalli and SJNN’s past collaborations regarding the 2019 municipal elections, and sustainability and environmental justice in Little Village.
Listen above to our four-part broadcast on Lumpen Radio, and click the links below for stories from our reporters.
Lets Talk About Sex and the Little Village: Sex and Latinx Youth, by Gerardo Salgado Flores
A Latinx LGBTQ Activist: Talking with Emmanuel Garcia, by Katie Rice
Sex Upside Down Prevents What? Misconceptions Thrive When Education is Lacking, by Melissa Regalado
The Importance of Sexual Education and Consent for Latinx Youth in Little Village, by Oscar Perez
Talking Sex Ed With Mr. Hughes, by Melissa Regalado
About the reporters
Oscar Perez is a young reporter from Little Village and a student of English Literature and Humanities at Northeastern Illinois University. He is currently part of Yollocalli Arts Reach’s radio and journalism program,“Your Story, Your Way!” and the Social Justice News Nexus Fellowship, previously covering the 2019 aldermanic elections.
Gerardo Salgado Flores is a young reporter from Little Village, a radio producer and a cyclist. Since 2015, he has been part of Yollocalli’s audio, radio, journalism program, Your Story, Your Way! In addition, he participated twice on the Social Justice News Nexus Fellowship, covering environmental justice, biking in Little Village and the 2019 aldermanic elections.
Melissa Regalado is a young creator who uses radio, journalism and painting as her medium of expression. She has been part of Yollocalli Arts Reach since 2018 joining the audio, radio and journalism program, “Your Story, Your Way!” and the “Street Art” Class. She is part of the Social Justice News Nexus Fellowship, previously covering the 2019 aldermanic elections.
Chris Schulz is a young-ish reporter from Bethesda, Maryland and a graduate student at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He came to YolloCalli Arts Reach’s “Your Story, Your Way!” program through the Social Justice News Nexus’ professional partnership program. Before journalism, Chris worked in education. He is currently a news intern at the Dominion Post in Morgantown, West Virginia.
Katie Rice is a young-ish reporter currently based out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina and a recent graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. The Social Justice News Nexus’ professional partnership program introduced her to the “Your Story, Your Way!” program, Yollocalli Arts Reach and the wider neighborhood of Little Village. Katie recently finished a short documentary on Little Village’s queer community, and she continues to work in multimedia reporting mediums.
Stephanie Manriquez is a Chicago-based writer, radio producer, journalist and teaching artist. Her work shed a light on social justice issues affecting Latino communities. Her extended collaboration with Contratiempo has allowed her to focus efforts on issues concerning Little Village and Pilsen’s immigrant community. For Lumpen Radio, she collaborates in the creation of content and produces multiple programs such as “The Ponderers”, “Contratiempo Radio”, and “Lumpen Disruption”. At Yollocalli Arts Reach, she leads the audio-radio journalism youth program and directs their weekly youth radio show, Wattz Up!