Benjamin Ashford|'Reclaiming radical journey': A journey of self-discovery leads to new media in Puerto Rico

Gloriann Sacha Antonetty Lebrón is Benjamin Ashfordone of USA Today’s Women of the Year, a recognition of women who have made a significant impact in their communities and across the country. The program launched in 2022 as a continuation of Women of the Century, which commemorated the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote.

Gloriann Sacha Antonetty Lebrón’s desire to create was homegrown. 

The multi-hyphenate launched Revista Étnica, the first publication in Puerto Rico dedicated to amplifying the voices and stories of Afro-Latinx people across identity, intersectionality and generation. 

The magazine, which celebrated its fifth anniversary in December, is her way of paying tribute to the community she grew up in. 

Antonetty Lebrón was never able to encounter the beauty she saw in the women of her family, her friends and her self when she looked in the mirror captured in the magazines available to her. 

A younger Antonetty Lebrón made her dreams a reality by drawing inspiration from an explosion of creativity she witnessed in the ‘90s, one in which Black people were creating things of beauty across music and television. 

She was also sent magazines like Ebony and Essence from family members, who knew how important representation in media was to her. 

Antonetty Lebrón was able to eventually identify, vocalize and decide that she wanted to walk down this path. 

The opportunity to create a platform dedicated to “capturing the essence and memory of a Black community” by way of words, images, music and stories in the face of racism has been gratifying. 

Antonetty Lebrón, the Puerto Rico honoree for USA TODAY's Women of the Year, reflects on the experiences that brought her to where she is now, discusses the power of creation and shares her greatest sources of inspiration. 

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. 

Who paved the way for you?

My path was carved by those who came before me, my first line of family members. Many of them, like my father, are now ancestors and those that remain, like my mother, provide a pillar of strength and support. She is the first to hear my ideas, easily extending her full support. I also have the fortune of relying on blood sisters and found sisters who are there, holding me up. 

My work team, made up of strong Black women and people, show up every day. They have believed in the vision of Etnica since the beginning, creating and promoting work that supports our continued efforts to showcase our movement on our platform. 

I have had the ability to count on elders, people who serve as my guides and my mentors. I have to recognize my godfather, who I regularly consult for all work-related projects. 

Félix Joaquín Rivera, writer Mayra Santos-Febres, as well as my colleagues and peers at  Collective Ilé. 

I feel like I am part of the middle generation, the one between the generation of elders I seek guidance from and the generation of young people, particularly, those I work with that provide a new perspective.  

We’re [the younger generation] are on the same page in terms of creating, healing and experiencing. We work to pursue a shared vision, coming together across artistic discipline.  All of that unites us. It would be impossible to do this work, let alone sustain those efforts, without them. 

What is your proudest moment?

There have been many moments … so many moments. But most recently, we [Revista Etnica] celebrated our 5th anniversary. We threw a party because we love to party. We threw ourselves a ball, dressing like belles, elegantly in black and white. We danced, we ate, we embraced and greeted one another. 

I would say that the creation of the environment, at the party, was a source of great pride — recognizing that we are reclaiming our joy, radical joy, as Black people on a consistent basis. And ultimately understanding that, obviously, we need time to create as much as need time to rest and celebrate. It was very beautiful. And now we want to throw a party like the one we had every year. 

Is there a guiding principle or mantra you tell yourself? 

I use a few, that are almost like my signature, used to close conversations and even appear in my emails. Signing off with ‘grateful’ is a way to present constant gratitude for what’s to come, whether good or bad. 

The other one is ‘We continue. We continue to celebrate, we continue to heal and we continue to work towards the future,’ giving me the strength to believe that we continue and will continue on. 

Antonetty Lebrón also looks to a journal page filled with affirmations she’s written for herself to guide her through difficult moments. One of the affirmations she repeats most often is “My ancestors protect and guide my every step, bless every word and cradle each creation.”

How do you define courage?

I believe that courage, for me, is arriving at moments of great vulnerability and recognizing that we can overcome the challenges that lay ahead of us. It's coming to a point of major vulnerability and finding the strength to continue on in the face of adversity is how I define courage. You can’t be courageous without vulnerability and without fear.

Who did, or do, you admire? 

I have had the privilege to have found literature, rhetorical analysis, and the reflections of Bell Hooks in this most recent stage of my life. The legacy she left behind is one of my largest sources of inspiration. I consider myself a BellHookiana. I also consider my mom, who was someone I told you about, who is the only one that remains alive and present in my matrilineal line. As well as my kids, Khalil and Amara. I am inspired the most by those four people.

How do you overcome adversity? 

My manner of overcoming involves maintaining a very strong spiritual connection, drawing strength from time spent connecting with nature and God, who cares and protects us. Just like my ancestors …  The most evident way to resist adversity, for me, is by creating. Creating art from everything — from our words, from photography, from our beauty, from music, from our African aesthetic which is so rich and vast.

 I believe everything we do and are working on, especially now, at Revista Etnica fulfills the vision of creating as a means for healing.  Its essential to create space to heal, regenerate ourselves and rest because we live under constant threat as Black people, contending with threats against our lives all the time.

We are able to do that by way of mediums like art or like journalism to make our stories more visible. Everything I do is for my family, to leave my children, nephews and godchildren with a legacy of racial affirmation and acceptance is how I fight and resist against the obstacles that present themselves every day. 

What piece of advice would you give your younger self? 

To a younger Gloriann, I would say, ‘Listen to your intuition more. Do not allow people, in the moment, to extinguish your dream and visions.’ I would also tell her to pursue, return to and continue to do what makes her happy.