Gabriela Watson-Burkett

BY NIGEL THOMPSON ON JULY 10 2024

Explore the crucial role of Latino voters in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania as the 2024 presidential election approaches. Despite current low turnout trends, discover strategies to mobilize this key demographic and impact the race between Biden and Trump.

BY JENNIFER HERNANDEZ ON MAY 30, 2024

Immigration is a top issue in the upcoming elections, with increased support for conservative policies, including mass deportations and ending birthright citizenship. Advocacy groups are concerned about ICE arrests of immigrants with pending criminal charges, adding to the debate.

BY JENNIFER HERNANDEZ ON MARCH 20, 2024

Los propietarios de negocios en Kensington se enfrentan actualmente a una amplia gama de desafíos que están directamente relacionados con la crisis de los opioides. Algunos de estos desafíos incluyen un aumento en las primas de seguros, recolección de basura perdida, campamentos para personas sin hogar y uso de drogas fuera de sus establecimientos. Estos problemas han disminuido el número de clientes y plantean importantes preocupaciones de salud y seguridad relacionadas con el mercado de drogas al aire libre.

BY JENNIFER HERNANDEZ ON MARCH 5, 2024

Business owners in Kensington are currently facing a wide range of challenges that are directly linked to the opioid crisis. Some of these challenges include an increase in insurance premiums, missed trash pickups, homeless encampments, and drug use outside their establishments. These issues have decreased the number of customers and pose significant health and safety concerns related to the open-air drug market.

BY NEMESIS MORA ON FEBRUARY 27, 2024

‘Determined to Be: The Sculpture of John Rhoden' is the first comprehensive retrospective of 20th-century African-American sculptor John Rhoden and is currently open at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA). To continue the artist's legacy, PAFA celebrated on Saturday, February 10, the launch of the catalog book on the life and work of the award-winning sculptor, featuring seven essays and more than 90 pages of photographs.

BY DAISY MURGUIA ON FEBRUARY 13TH 2024

The Bok Building is widely recognized as a hub for artists and a place for community events to be held without charge. Community leaders and artists share their experience with the Bok Building and the impact it has on the community with journalist Daisy Murguia. Artists share the need for a space where people can come together to collaborate and organize.

POR DAISY MURGUIA. EL 13 DE FEBRERO DEL 2024

El edificio Bok es ampliamente reconocido como un centro para artistas y un lugar para eventos comunitarios que se llevan a cabo sin costo alguno. Líderes comunitarios y artistas comparten su experiencia con el Edificio Bok y el impacto que tiene en la comunidad con la periodista Daisy Murguia. Los artistas comparten la necesidad de un espacio donde las personas puedan reunirse para organizarse y colaborar.

POR MICHELLE MYERS TRADUCCION POR DAISY MURGUIA EL 30 DE ENERO DEL 2024

Mientras aclaraba mi confusión mental— en parte cuestionando mi identidad más allá de mi carrera, y en parte cuestionando si existía un lugar donde podía hacer periodismo que le diera importancia a las comunidades a las que iba a cubrir— me hice la compañera de gerente editorial para ¡Presente! del año 2021. Lo que debió ser nada más un compromiso de tres meses se convirtió rápidamente en siete meses de trabajo significativo y sanador.

BY MICHELLE MYERS ON JANUARY 30, 2024

While sorting out my mental fog —half questioning my identity beyond my career, half questioning if a place to do journalism that cares about the communities it reports on truly existed — I became ¡Presente!’s 2021 Managing Editor Fellow. And what was supposed to be a three-month commitment, quickly turned into seven months of meaningful and healing work.

BY BECCA HAYDU ON DECEMBER 21, 2023

On December 4. Juntos and the ICE Out of Courts Coalition hosted a critical press conference at the Juanita Kidd Stout Center for Criminal Justice in South Philadelphia.

The focus? A disturbing uptick in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests targeting over a dozen immigrant community members with pending criminal charges.

POR CARLOS JOSE PEREZ SAMANO EL 24 DE NOVIEMBRE DEL 2023

Alto al genocidio. Cese inmediato al fuego en Palestina. Estamos siendo testigos de un genocidio histórico y tenemos que detenerlo.

BY BECCA HAYDU, CLAUDIA CEBALLOS, JENNIFER HERNANDEZ, GABRIELA WATSON-BURKETT & KIANNI FIGUEREO, ON NOVEMBER 7, 2023

Join us in this heartwarming short documentary as award-winning Mexican Chef Cristina Martinez opens up about her inspiring path as an immigrant entrepreneur. Discover the power of a strong support system and the impact of programs by the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

POR JENNIFER HERNANDEZ TRADUCCION POR ERICKA CONANT EL 6 DE NOVIEMBRE DEL 2023

La candidata demócrata a la alcaldía Cherelle Parker y el candidato republicano a la alcaldía David Oh discutieron sus planes para hacer frente a la epidemia de opioides en Kensington durante un debate privado con Tina Stankiewicz, una adicta en recuperación de fentanilo, heroína y tranquilizantes vinculada a la comunidad de Kensington, y Frank Rodrigues, un adicto a la heroína en recuperación y defensor de la adicción, moderado por ¡Presente! Media, Kianni Figuereo, natural de Kensington.

BY JENNIFER HERNANDEZ ON OCTOBER 26, 2023

Democratic mayoral nominee Cherelle Parker and Republican mayoral nominee David Oh discussed their plans to address the opioid epidemic in Kensington during a private discussion with Tina Stankiewicz, a fentanyl, heroin, and tranq recovering addict with ties to the Kensington community, and Frank Rodriguez, a recovering heroin addict and addiction advocate, moderated by ¡Presente! Media multimedia producer Kianni Figuereo, a Kensington native.

BY JENNIFER HERNANDEZ ON OCTOBER 25, 2023

Power Street Theatre (PST) hosted the 1st Annual Souletri Fest on Saturday, October 7th, 2023, at the Lighthouse Sports Complex Field to honor Philadelphia’s vibrant arts scene and amplify dynamic voices across the city.

POR NIGEL THOMPSON EL 7 DE OCTUBRE DEL 2023

La semana pasada, un juez retiró todos los cargos de asesinato presentados por el fiscal de distrito Larry Krasner contra el oficial Mark Dial, lo que marcó otra mancha más en la historia entre la justicia penal de Filadelfia y la comunidad latina. Es una relación similar para muchas comunidades latinas en todo el país.

BY NIGEL THOMPSON ON OCTOBER 7, 2023

This past week, all murder charges filed by District Attorney Larry Krasner against Officer Mark Dial were dropped by a judge, marking yet another stain on the history between Philly criminal justice and the Latine community. It’s a similar relationship for many Latine communities across the country. 

BY DAISY MURGUIA, ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

Reyna Guzmán Casarez talks about her work as a community leader, the barriers she’s had to overcome, and the reasons why the Parade of Allegorical Cars means so much to the Latine people in Philadelphia.

BY KIANNI FIGUEREO, ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2023

On August 15, and in collaboration with Esperanza Health Center, Power Street Theatre reunited community members to share their stories of immigration, migration, diaspora, and displacement. The ultimate goal was to connect the community around a central theme: home.

POR NIGEL THOMPSON EL 1 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 2023

Dirigida por activistas locales, la comunidad latina de Filadelfia mostró unidad y fuerza en una manifestación y marcha dedicada a obtener justicia para Eddie Irizarry, quien fue asesinado a tiros por un oficial del PPD el mes pasado.

BY NIGEL THOMPSON ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2023

Led by local activists, Philadelphia’s Latine community displayed unity and strength in a rally and march dedicated to getting justice for Eddie Irizarry, who was shot and killed by a PPD officer last month.

POR KIANNI FIGUEREO, TRADUCCION POR GABRIELA WATSON-BURKETT EL 5 DE SEPTEMBER DEL 2023

El 15 de agosto, y en colaboración con Esperanza Health Center, Power Street Theatre dedicó un espacio en Kensington a reunir a un grupo diverso de inmigrantes, latines de primera generación y filadelfianos para que compartieran sus historias de inmigración, migración, diáspora y desplazamiento. El objetivo final era conectar a la comunidad en torno a un tema central: el hogar.

POR DAISY MURGUIA EDITADO POR SILVIA FERRER EL 8 DE SEPTIEMBRE DEL 2023

Reyna Guzmán Casarez habla sobre su trabajo como líder comunitaria, las barreras que ha tenido que superar y las razones por las que el Desfile de Carros Alegóricos significa tanto para los latines de Filadelfia.

BY  GABRIELA WATSON-BURKETT, MELISSA BEATRIZ AND KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR ON AUGUST 18, 2023

¡Presente! Media is celebrating 3 years of producing media for social justice. In the last 3 years we have dedicated ourselves to community-centered journalism, celebrating Latine culture, and telling stories from the perspective of Black and Brown voices.

BY GABRIELA WATSON-BURKETT & KIANNI FIGUEREO, ON JUNE 20, 2023

Spanish is one of the most common languages spoken in Philly yet there aren't sufficient city services and programs translated into Spanish. That’s why ¡Presente¡ Media was on the ground to explore how this issue will be addressed by Democratic-Elect Mayoral Candidate, Cherelle Parker.

BY KIANNI FIGUEREO, ON JUNE 12, 2023

¡Presente! Media team attended the Rec It Philly’s Post Primary Meeting where action plans and policies were formulated for the next Philly mayor around their wants for safe and clean sites, more rec programming, and growing the urban forest.

POR SILVIA FERRER EL 7 DE JUNIO DEL 2023

Las comunidades de inmigrantes de Filadelfia no se quedarán en silencio: el próximo alcalde debe escucharlas

POR VALERIE DOWRET EL 16 DE MAYO, 2023

¡Presente! Media habló con cuatro artistas latinos locales sobre lo que les gustaría ver del próximo alcalde. Más espacios de arte, contratos municipales y ser escuchados están en la lista de pedidos de los artistas.

BY VALERIE DOWRET ON MAY 16, 2023

¡Presente! Media spoke to four local Latine artists about what they’d like to see from the next mayor, more artistic spaces, city contracts, and being heard are on the roster.

BY SILVIA FERRER ON MAY 12, 2023

Philadelphia residents talk about the hurdles that are preventing immigrants from casting their vote, what grassroots organizations are doing to help, and what candidates owe Philadelphia’s immigrant community.