“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” The quote famously uttered by Mahatma Gandhi. Also, apparently a message not lost on Gloria “Goyo” Martínez. She is not only the lead vocalist of the Afro-Colombian hip-hop group ChocQuibTown. It is she leading the charge to create ‘Conciencia Collective’. A new initiative focusing on creating awareness about racial and social injustice in the Latin music world and beyond. Why did Conciencia Collective form? What is Conciencia Collective? What does it do? Read on to find out.
Why Conciencia Collective?
You’d have to be living under a rock if you haven’t taken note of the protests across the world. In response, business, education, entertainment and industries across the spectrum have voiced their opposition to systemic racism and police brutality.
However, as a result the Latin music world came under fire. Not for anything it’s done, but rather for what it hasn’t. In the wake of the protests many of the genre’s prominent artists either responded with tone deaf messages or fell eerily silent. Enter Goyo, who began to organize in response to well…the lack of response. In a tweet she stated, “Latin America should seriously [consider] ethno-education.” But she went beyond hashtag activism. Goyo set upon recruiting her peers to combat prejudice in the Latin music industry. So, the Conciencia Collective was born.
What Is Conciencia Collective?
The group is composed of 35 executives from across the artist, management, media, publicity and other fields within the Latin music industry. According to their mission statement, they have come together “in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement” and with the intent to “educate our colleagues, artists, and peers of influence in order to gain their advocacy,” as they told Billboard.com The group will also focus on issues impacting the Latin community. “We want to extend our platforms to our brothers and sisters so that their voices and needs can be heard. We want our brothers and sisters across the U.S. and Latin America to know that we see them, we hear them, and we will champion equality and justice on behalf of our industry.”
What It Aims to Do?
As part of its initiative, the group launched a series of online conversations, dubbed “Conciencia Talk”. The talks are in partnership with Mitu and features artists and figures from the entertainment and political worlds discussing the pressing issues of the day. The inaugural session was broadcast via Mitu Facebook Live on June 26th. A subsequent session occurred on July 3rd featuring a round-table discussion with Becky G, Kali Uchis and Rapeton where they discussed how white privilege affects the Afro-Latino community.
What’s Next?
Therein lies the biggest question. The group saw a problem and took action to create the change they want to see. It has gone beyond social media posts and into building awareness by engaging colleagues and fostering dialogue. Will it go beyond these phases? To perhaps effect change in commerce, culture and legislation? Only time will tell. But they are off to a good start!