Archive for May 2022

With a few weeks passed since the end of the 2022 Missouri legislative session, state Rep. Kevin Windham, D-Hillsdale, believes Democrats were fairly successful, despite being in the minority — especially with the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Windham joined St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Kellogg on the latest episode of Politically Speaking to talk about not only Democratic gains in the budget, but also other thoughts on the recently completed session.

Here are some of the things Windham talked about on the show:

• The slow pace of the Missouri Senate this year, including the prolonged passage of a congressional redistricting map. Windham urged keeping politics out of policy in order to avoid a similar session in the future.
• Some of the wins for Democrats within the budget, including fully funding Lincoln University’s land grant match, as well as what that match will do for the historically Black university.
• The passage of an omnibus elections bill that includes the requirement of a photo ID to vote. Windham was one of the representatives who expressed his disappointment the Senate did not put up a bigger fight against that legislation.
• Republicans’ failure to approve a vote by residents that would make it tougher for initiative petition issues to appear on the ballot and whether Windham expects to see those efforts return.

Windham currently represents the 85th District in the Missouri House, which encompasses part of St. Louis County, including municipalities within the Normandy school district.

He was first elected to the House in 2018 at the age of 25, making him the youngest Black man elected to the legislature.

Prior to serving in the legislature, Windham was a staffer in both the Missouri and U.S. senates. He is a graduate of Southeast Missouri University.

Follow Jason Rosenbaum on Twitter: @jrosenbaum

Follow Sarah Kellogg on Twitter: @sarahkkellogg

Follow Rep. Kevin Windham on Twitter: @KWindham85

Latin TV writer, Emilia Serrano is no stranger to uncomfortable scenarios. She knows what it’s like to feel like a fish out of water and to struggle with internal identity crises as a first-generation daughter of immigrant parents.

As a teenager, Emilia and her family moved from Union City, California to Troy, Missouri. The small, mid-western town was as unfamiliar to her as she was to it. She had only known the predominantly Spanish-speaking community of her youth. In California, she wasn’t diverse either. She grew up constantly surrounded only by Latinos and her family. It was a culture shock for her.

Those experiences shaped her so profoundly that they became inspirational gold for America’s BIG Screen. Along the way, she would use those experiences as story points for humor or something that someone else could relate to and she’s taken her stories all the way to Hollywood!

“Sometimes all the crappy things and all your trauma can actually make you money down on paper”, she quips. “It was oftentimes such a struggle and culturally challenging, but then that’s exactly what helps me write stories now.”

Her time in America’s Heartland and the nurturing influence of her community and family honed her skill as a “Son”-solid storyteller in her own right. Her dad (a mechanic) and her mom (a mariachi-singer) guided her to fight through tough battles and to find her voice. She is proud of her Mexican American culture and her authentic stories reflect her passion to see more inclusive onscreen characters who reflect the real people in her life and culture.

And she’s winning!

Emilia Serrano is co-executive producer of major network television shows like, Promised Land, Mixed*Ish and High School Musical – The Series. Emilia’s creativity and skills have attracted the attention of major production houses. She recently sold exclusive content to Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions and for actress, producer and director, America Ferrera.

In this episode:

• What is code switching?
• What inspires Emilia’s writing for the Silver Screen
• Where she gets her captivating storytelling ability and learned how use her voice to command attention
• The routine she employs when writing a feature
• How our stories and experiences, as well as our traumas and challenges, shape who we are and the ways we navigate life
• Ways Ranchera Music is much like Mariachi Music
• Her mantra, “Stick to Your Truth”, and ways it gives her power
• Challenges of leading positive change and shaping Latinx identity in the entertainment industry
• How the wide popularity and consumption of Latino media translates to actual Latino representation (or not)
• How representation in media contributes to visibility, identity, belief
• Mistakes that Hollywood continues to make
• Why she only works on Brown and Black shows
• How to minimize stereotypes, advance dialog and develop a layered story
• What makes a good story?
• What’s next for Emilia’s big hits

Learn more:IG: @mexemilia

Emiliaserrano.com

Latin TV writer, Emilia Serrano is no stranger to uncomfortable scenarios. She knows what it’s like to feel like a fish out of water and to struggle with internal identity crises as a first-generation daughter of immigrant parents.

As a teenager, Emilia and her family moved from Union City, California to Troy, Missouri. The small, mid-western town was as unfamiliar to her as she was to it. She had only known the predominantly Spanish-speaking community of her youth. In California, she wasn’t diverse either. She grew up constantly surrounded only by Latinos and her family. It was a culture shock for her.

Those experiences shaped her so profoundly that they became inspirational gold for America’s BIG Screen. Along the way, she would use those experiences as story points for humor or something that someone else could relate to and she’s taken her stories all the way to Hollywood!

“Sometimes all the crappy things and all your trauma can actually make you money down on paper”, she quips. “It was oftentimes such a struggle and culturally challenging, but then that’s exactly what helps me write stories now.”

Her time in America’s Heartland and the nurturing influence of her community and family honed her skill as a “Son”-solid storyteller in her own right. Her dad (a mechanic) and her mom (a mariachi-singer) guided her to fight through tough battles and to find her voice. She is proud of her Mexican American culture and her authentic stories reflect her passion to see more inclusive onscreen characters who reflect the real people in her life and culture.

And she’s winning!

Emilia Serrano is co-executive producer of major network television shows like, Promised Land, Mixed*Ish and High School Musical – The Series. Emilia’s creativity and skills have attracted the attention of major production houses. She recently sold exclusive content to Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions and for actress, producer and director, America Ferrera.

In this episode:

• What is code switching?
• What inspires Emilia’s writing for the Silver Screen
• Where she gets her captivating storytelling ability and learned how use her voice to command attention
• The routine she employs when writing a feature
• How our stories and experiences, as well as our traumas and challenges, shape who we are and the ways we navigate life
• Ways Ranchera Music is much like Mariachi Music
• Her mantra, “Stick to Your Truth”, and ways it gives her power
• Challenges of leading positive change and shaping Latinx identity in the entertainment industry
• How the wide popularity and consumption of Latino media translates to actual Latino representation (or not)
• How representation in media contributes to visibility, identity, belief
• Mistakes that Hollywood continues to make
• Why she only works on Brown and Black shows
• How to minimize stereotypes, advance dialog and develop a layered story
• What makes a good story?
• What’s next for Emilia’s big hits

Learn more:IG: @mexemilia

Emiliaserrano.com

Latin TV writer, Emilia Serrano is no stranger to uncomfortable scenarios. She knows what it’s like to feel like a fish out of water and to struggle with internal identity crises as a first-generation daughter of immigrant parents.

As a teenager, Emilia and her family moved from Union City, California to Troy, Missouri. The small, mid-western town was as unfamiliar to her as she was to it. She had only known the predominantly Spanish-speaking community of her youth. In California, she wasn’t diverse either. She grew up constantly surrounded only by Latinos and her family. It was a culture shock for her.

Those experiences shaped her so profoundly that they became inspirational gold for America’s BIG Screen. Along the way, she would use those experiences as story points for humor or something that someone else could relate to and she’s taken her stories all the way to Hollywood!

“Sometimes all the crappy things and all your trauma can actually make you money down on paper”, she quips. “It was oftentimes such a struggle and culturally challenging, but then that’s exactly what helps me write stories now.”

Her time in America’s Heartland and the nurturing influence of her community and family honed her skill as a “Son”-solid storyteller in her own right. Her dad (a mechanic) and her mom (a mariachi-singer) guided her to fight through tough battles and to find her voice. She is proud of her Mexican American culture and her authentic stories reflect her passion to see more inclusive onscreen characters who reflect the real people in her life and culture.

And she’s winning!

Emilia Serrano is co-executive producer of major network television shows like, Promised Land, Mixed*Ish and High School Musical – The Series. Emilia’s creativity and skills have attracted the attention of major production houses. She recently sold exclusive content to Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions and for actress, producer and director, America Ferrera.

In this episode:

• What is code switching?
• What inspires Emilia’s writing for the Silver Screen
• Where she gets her captivating storytelling ability and learned how use her voice to command attention
• The routine she employs when writing a feature
• How our stories and experiences, as well as our traumas and challenges, shape who we are and the ways we navigate life
• Ways Ranchera Music is much like Mariachi Music
• Her mantra, “Stick to Your Truth”, and ways it gives her power
• Challenges of leading positive change and shaping Latinx identity in the entertainment industry
• How the wide popularity and consumption of Latino media translates to actual Latino representation (or not)
• How representation in media contributes to visibility, identity, belief
• Mistakes that Hollywood continues to make
• Why she only works on Brown and Black shows
• How to minimize stereotypes, advance dialog and develop a layered story
• What makes a good story?
• What’s next for Emilia’s big hits

Learn more:IG: @mexemilia

Emiliaserrano.com