DJALI BROWN-CEPEDA

ABOUT THE FOUNDER

Djali Brown-Cepeda [she/her] is a transdisciplinary cultural preservationist whose work is rooted in defending, preserving, and supporting Black, Brown, and Indigenous autonomy: past, present, future.

She is the Founder and Curator of NuevaYorkinos, a digital counter-archive and multimedia project preserving New York City's Black and Brown diasporas through family photos, videos, and oral histories. A self-taught archivist, she has exhibited at museums including MoMA PS1 and El Museo del Barrio, been covered by publications from The New York Times and The New Yorker, and has spoken at institutions like Harvard University and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. To date, she has collected over 2,500 visual media and stories from Black and Brown New Yorkers, built installations and immersive experiences, and worked with countless brands through community engagement initiatives.

Along with artist Tangina Stone, Djali is the co-founder of Thicker Than Water Polymedia (TTW), a creative house, resource, third space, and sanctuary rooted in Black memory. Equal parts Black Diasporic library, living archive, sonic space, and public programs, TTW views art as a vehicle for preservation and world-building. An Olorisa (initiated priestess within the La Regla de Lucumí religion), her work as a researcher and archivist of Black memory is also the basis of BLK THEN, a digital archive and research space rooted in the preservation of Black Atlantic spirituality.

With a decade of experience working in film and television, Djali has produced documentary features, series, and shorts. Her film credits are below. Holding a Bachelor’s Degree in Culture & Media and Ethnicity & Race from The New School, Djali is a cultural placemaker skilled in: creative development and consultation, cultural strategy, experiential producing, storytelling, and film production.

A Black, Caribbean, Indigenous, Queer mother working across media, Djali brings her communities, narratives, and ancestors everywhere she goes. You can read her blog, Sweet Earth Flying, here.

CONTACT: NUEVAYORKINOS@GMAIL.COM

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Press

Welcome to El Barrio / “Yo Soy Negra” w/ Djali Brown-Cepeda

Convos with Sazón / Preserving Culture, One Story at a Time with Djali Brown-Cepeda

The Art of It All Podcast / A Love Letter to The Ancestors with Djali Brown-Cepeda 

Ladies Who Bronché Podcast / Djali Brown-Cepeda: Ladies Who Archive

The Woo Podcast / Back to the Basics ft. Djali Brown-Cepeda

Growing Up Latina Podcast / Rooted in Love & Joy: The Story Behind NuevaYorkinos and its Founder Djali Brown-Cepeda

All Things Considered on NPR / 100 years ago, social clubs were everything. Now young Latinos carry them forward

PopSugar / How Nostalgic Beauty Trends From the Barrios Became Mainstream

Byline Byline / How Djali Brown-Cepeda Does Both

Off the Cuff Podcast / Djali Brown-Cepeda, Founder of Nuevayorkinos on Community and Leaving A Legacy

All of It Podcast, WNYC / A Digital Archive of Latinx and Caribbean Culture on 'Nuevayorkinos'

Viva La Mujer / Latinas Que Inspiran: ​​​​Djali Brown-Cepeda, Founder of Nuevayorkinos

Saks Fifth Avenue / 3 Inspiring Leaders on Celebrating Their Cultures

h00dzine / Borinquen Edition

NPR / Black and Latinx New Yorkers reframe their experiences through archival photos

The New Yorker / How Does New York City’s Latinx Community See Itself?

Latina Without Borders Podcast / A Love Letter to NYC ft. NuevaYorkinos Founder, Djali Brown-Cepeda

Identity at Play Podcast / Preserving Your History Through Storytelling with NuevaYorkinos Creator Djali Brown-Cepeda

Latina Magazine / Digital Archive Project ‘Nuevayorkinos’ Is Redefining NYC’s Latine History

TIME Magazine / Preserving New York’s Latino History, One Photo at a Time

Studio Museum in Harlem Magazine / Records of Relation

GQ / The Very Fly History of Gold Teeth

The Cut by The New Yorker / Djali Brown-Cepeda Wants Us To Remember the Good Times 

NYC Go / Rising Star: Djali Brown-Cepeda

Hip Latina / Meet Djali Brown-Cepeda, the Afro-Latina Preserving Latinx & Black New York

FILA USA / Black History Month Spotlight

The Latinx Project at NYU / Archiving NYC’s Diverse Diasporic Communities

Somos Refinery29 / Somos Class of 2020

The New School Free Press / 2020 NuevaYorkinos Back to School Drive

The New York Times / How Latinos Can Win the Culture War

1010 Wins / Digital archive ‘Nuevayorkinos’ celebrates NYC life by Latinx community

Univision / Real Talk: Celebrating Afro-Latinx Authors & Artists

Vice / Americanos on GoUSA TV

Nike NYC / You Can’t Stop Sport

Architectural Digest / This Must-Follow Instagram Account Is a Visual Archive of Old Latinx New York

NY1 Noticias / Recupera la historia del Nueva York latino con fotografías digitalizadas

The New York Times / Preserving Latinx History Through Vintage Photos

Dazed Digital / The visual archive dedicated to the memories of NYC’s Latinx community

Remezcla / This New Instagram Account Is a Tribute to Old School Latinx New York