Deepa Fernandes, Executive Director

is an award-winning journalist, who is the host of Wakeup Call, the morning news show at WBAI 99.5 FM. Since 2003, Deepa has anchored most of the major national broadcasts for the Pacifica Network, including election year events, Supreme Court nomination hearings and major congressional investigations. Deepa is the author of Targeted, Homeland Security and the Business of Immigration, where she writes about immigration policy and history, published by Seven Stories Press in December 2006. Deepa is also a Puffin Writing Fellow at the Nation Institute. Her writings have appeared in the Village Voice, the Nation Magazine and Mother Jones magazine, among many others. She has an MA from Columbia University.

Leigh Ann Caldwell, DC Director

Leigh Ann is the Washington DC editor for the nationally syndicated newscast Free Speech Radio News. She is one of the few women to hold the top position of Editor in the lively and complex media market of Washington, D.C. As a former instructor for Rootz in New York who believes in its lessons and philosophy, she felt the youth of DC deserved media justice and was instrumental in the launching of Rootz DC in 2006.

 

Radio Rootz Staff

Sylvia Guerrero, Radio Rootz Program Co-Director

Born in El Salvador, Sylvia Guerrero is a Hofstra University Graduate with a B.A. in Communication. She is currently one of the Co-Directors for our Youth Program, Radio Rootz, and a freelance reporter. Always interested in the role of the media, Sylvia teaches media literacy and radio production in New York City public high schools and hopes to inspire youth to become a part of the same media that influences them.

Jacqueline Kook, Radio Rootz Program Co-Director

Jacqueline is a media educator and one of the directors for the youth development and journalism program. Jacqueline had radio shows in high school and college, but studied Public Policy and Dance at Hamilton College. In the classroom she borrows from popular education, her experiences teaching early childhood literacy, her Fulbright teaching fellowship in South Korea, leading health and fitness programs, and her love for dance.

Akeel Ali, Radio Rootz DC Program Associate

Akeel Ali is a painter, sculpture, photographer and filmmaker. He and Radio Rootz DC found each other at Bell Multicultural High School where Akeel wore many hats, including after school coordinator and video production teacher. Before that, Akeel worked primarily as a videographer and photographer. He was the first African American to receive a budget from NASA for a documentary. The film, "The Sun Earth Connection"  was on the ancient civilizations use of the sun and astronomy to create their calendars. He also worked for Nike as lead grassroots filmmaker and photographer, and his fashion photography has been published in numerous high fashion magazines. Akeel is a native of Washington, DC and attended the University of Maryland.
  Kristal Graham, Radio Rootz Program Associate

As one of the Program Associates for Radio Rootz, Kristal co-teaches media production at public schools, conferences and workshop; reports for Radio Rootz and People's Production House; and coordinates events. Kristal took part in the Junior Scholars program which teaches youth black history and media. After an introduction to radio through Junior Scholars she became involved in Radio Rootz. Through Radio Rootz her interest changed from majoring in Economics to Radio Journalism. Kristal now majors in Broadcast Journalism. Ever since she was 12 she has been goal-driven. For example, she achieved honor roll throughout her entire high school career. Her most immense goal is to own her own radio station.

Kristofer Ríos, Policy Program Associate.

Kristofer Ríos is a community radio trainer and the policy program associate at People's Production House. As a journalist, Kristofer reports on communication policies and social justice issues that affect low-income and immigrant communities in New York City. Kristofer also hosts a weekly radio show on East Village Radio.

 

Sacajawea "Saki" Hall, is a native New Yorker. She is the former Director of Radio Rootz. For three years Saki worked as a youth media educator helping to build the radio production, media literacy, and leadership skills of youth across New York City. Saki's radio training experience started as a member of the Free Radio Youth Collective. As a member of the collective for five years she also produced/hosted Rise Up Radio, a youth-produced social justice show on WBAI 99.5fm. She has gone on to file news headlines for Free Speech Radio News (FSRN), Pacifica Radio's national news, and cover local and international issues for WBAI's morning show Wake Up Call. Saki is also an organizer and activist member of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, and co-coordinated the Black August Hip Hop Project for three years.

Mitch Jeserich was the Director of CNPI. Mitch Jeserich is a veteran Capitol Hill reporter who has received accolades from both community activists and elected officials for his daily coverage over the last three years. Members of the Black Congressional Caucus have acknowledged that Mitch’s coverage of certain issues, like the REAL ID act, exposed the true nature of the punitive legislation like no other reporter had done. Mitch has also anchored major national Pacifica Radio broadcasts from Capitol Hill. Mitch is now the Executive Producer for the morning news show at KPFA in Berkeley, CA.

 

Selina Musuta was the main teacher for Radio Rootz DC. She's also a Free Speech Radio News Correspondent and freelance writer. Selina’s radio skills are a product of a community radio project called the DC Radio Co-op. The Radio Co-op inspired her to train people from the community on editing, interviewing, and constructing their own stories. More importantly she enjoys learning from the people she trains. Selina hopes to continue building with people locally as well as internationally, a community media movement.

Arturo Contreras was the Program & Technology Associate.  Arturo grew up in California (the Valley). Growing up he had a knack for just fiddling & figuring out how things worked, inside and out. He pretty much destroyed everything in my path, intermittently trying to figure out what exactly made that little toy jump like that, or that airplane flip the way it did, and how does that computer tell that screen to do that!?, you know, the ol' "curious boy" story. Alot of people thought Arturo was a crazy kid (some still do). Over time he learned too much though!; drawing, painting, photography, video etc. along the way, computers also got mixed up in the whole thing, Arturo wanted to know EVERYTHING (and he still does).  Put the two together and you get an irreversible interest multimedia-design. So here there he was, he moved to New York to start a career in Multimedia-Design. Arturo says that PPH allowed me to explore multiple characteristics of my creative persona.

Mihai Malciu was a Radio Rootz Intern. Mihais is from Romania. Ever since he was little, he traveled around the world. Mihai lived in Netherlands, Nigeria, and Hungary. Mihai moved to the US about a few years ago and he really likes it here. He speaks three languages, which include English, Romanian, and Hungarian. Mihai joined Radio Rootz soon after he moved to NY. Mihai really enjoys being a part of Radio Rootz. He's learned many interesting things about the media. For example, who really controls the media and also, how to use the studio board. Of all my projects that I’ve worked on, Mihai really enjoyed reporting at rallies. Mihai's covered several rallies like the “Day Without an Immigrant” Rally and the Rally against the War in Iraq. At the rallies Mihai had the opportunity to meet great reporters. Meeting journalists, working with Radio Rootz and learning about the media has really inspired him to become a journalist one day.

Hana Georg, SMOP Program Coordinator

Hana Georg is committed to pushing the link between independent media and community organizing.  She graduated in 2009 from UC, Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Feminist Studies and now channels her energy into the production of amazing and inspiring youth media.  Hana's experience with radio and audio production is began on New York's Pacifica station WBAI on which she was a producer for the youth radio show, Rise up Radio.  She also wrote and produced the Radio Rootz Radical Days in History segments.  Hana's work with community media outlets is driven by the idea that media should be the voice of the people, and also that the observation that the current power dynamic between those who produce mainstream media and those who receive it is it is drastically unequal.

Mera Beckford, Youth Trainer for Radio Rootz.

Mera Beckford is an able, unwavering, and self-starting seventeen year old. She enjoys reading, writing, cycling, and doing new things. Mera grew up in Arverne, New York with her single mother and twin brother, Malcolm. Of her family she says, “They’re annoying sometimes but it’s nice to have people I can count on.” 2006 being her senior year at Brooklyn Technical High School, Mera looks forward to attending college outside of New York State. When she’s through with school Mera will be a news anchor/reporter