My Time to Speak: Reclaiming Ancestry and Confronting Race

by Ilia Calderón

An inspiring, timely, and conversation-starting memoir from the barrier-breaking and Emmy Award–winning journalist Ilia Calderón—the first Afro-Latina to anchor a high-profile newscast for a major Hispanic broadcast network in the United States—about following your dreams, overcoming prejudice, and embracing your identity.As a child, Ilia Calderón felt like a typical girl from Colombia. In Chocó, the Afro-Latino province where she grew up, your skin could be any shade and you’d still be considered blood. Race was a non-issue, and Ilia didn’t think much about it—until she left her community to attend high school and college in Medellín. For the first time, she became familiar with horrifying racial slurs thrown at her both inside and outside of the classroom. From that point on, she resolved to become “deaf” to racism, determined to overcome it in every way she could, even when she was told time and time again that prominent castings weren’t “for people like you.” When a twist of fate presented her the opportunity of a lifetime at Telemundo in Miami, she was excited to start a new life, and identity, in the United States, where racial boundaries, she believed, had long since dissolved and equality was the rule. Instead, in her new life as an American, she faced a new type of racial discrimination, as an immigrant women of color speaking to the increasingly marginalized Latinx community in Spanish. Now, Ilia draws back the curtain on the ups and downs of her remarkable life and career. From personal inner struggles to professional issues—such as being directly threatened by a Ku Klux Klan member after an interview—she discusses how she built a new identity in the United States in the midst of racially charged violence and political polarization. Along the way, she’ll show how she’s overcome fear and confronted hate head on, and the inspirational philosophy that has always propelled her forward.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Latinx

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 4, 2020

Reviews

[Sue.the.very.busy.reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading this wonderful biography by Ilia Calderon. I will be honest I had never heard of this remarkable lady until I picked this book on @Netgalley. I picked this book because I wanted to read a nonfiction book about racism that was inspiring.

I have been reading several chapters a night and I honestly look forward to reading each night before I go to bed. I am learning so much about racism and how subtle can be. Ilia comes from an Afro-Latina community in El Choco, Colombia. I love her mother’s “work hard” attitude. Ilia has had to overcome a lot of racial injustice in Colombia and in America and she continues to speak out to make our world a better place. What is inspiring about Ilida is that even though she felt she didn’t not have a chance at some of the opportunities in her field. She still put herself out there and gave it a try. She challenges herself to speak up for injustices and face racism head on.

I love this quote Ilia has from her mother, “A woman has to be like a violet, the more discreet, the more appreciated and desired.” Her mother uses this quote to let Ilia know that she doesn’t have to be loud and fashionable to get attention. However I also think you can apply this quote to teaching people about racism as well. I think women can make change together. We don’t have to yell and scream but we can teach and model positive behavior and continue to inform others and that will make a better world for all.

[Heather]

I had no idea who Ilia Calderón was when I picked up this book. I saw it recommended on Twitter but some time passed before I got it from the library and I had forgotten why it was recommended. All I knew about her was the picture on the cover. She starts the book out talking about how the first thing people notice about her is that she is Black. I felt really stupid then because my first response was, "She is?"

Colorism is a hell of a drug. All I could think about as I read this book was how arbitrary the distinctions people place on each other are. This woman has been judged her whole life based on something I didn't even notice. (I looked up other pictures of her and she appears to have darker skin in those photos than on the book cover. That brings up the question of whether her publisher lightened her skin on purpose on her book about being judged by her skin color which is a whole other potentially messed up issue.)

I've never watched Spanish language channels so I knew nothing about the people on them. I started looking up pictures of her coworkers and all of them are very light skinned people. I didn't realize the extent of the discrimination against darker skinned people in Latin American media. She was not invited to auditions based on her skin color. She got hate mail because of it.

It was also interesting to hear about Univision's perspective on news events. They were in Puerto Rico for Hurricane Maria way longer than other U.S. media outlets. They were back to cover protests in San Juan live. I only remember vaguely hearing about those protests.

The story telling in this book is uneven. During the beginning and middle I felt like I had to force myself to keep reading. By the last 1/3 though I felt it got more interesting and I wanted to know what happened.
This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

read this in a single day. what an inspiration the author is and gives me hope for our country's future.
Have you ever read a book and wanted the author to be your friend? Going to be watching Ilia Calderon from now on.

[Gordon Kwok · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro excelente y fue muy necesario por nuestra comunidad.

[Kim Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

"For many years I lied to myself. I would talk about discrimination as if it had never directly affected me. I always thought that whomever experienced discrimination had a problem, and it took me a long time to understand a problem exists when you are discriminated against and don't respond."
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Ilia Calderon has broken many barriers on her way to anchoring the evening news on Univision, and she was the first Afro-Latina to do so. Along the way she has done amazing work, despite the racism she has experienced since she was 10 years old. Her heart shows in her work, and her book. Her love of her country, husband, daughter, co-workers and viewers shows through with every story she told in this book. You find yourself cheering on this young girl as she navigates through life. You cry with her, are angry on her behalf and applaud when she decides not to be silent anymore! There are so many poignant moments in this book, and each one more important, more touching than the last. Thank you Ms. Calderon for sharing your story! ⭐
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Thank you to Netgalley, Ilia Calderon and Atria eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[A Ter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful, touching, powerful story+storyteller.

[Leison Mosquera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro que te llevar a tener varias emociones en cuestión de segundo y sobre todo que te hará reflexionar las veces en las que alzado tu voz.

[Amy]

03Jan2022
D&I Book club -
Borrowed from the library, but only available on Libby app. Need to finished purchased book on Kindle

[Glenda Nelms · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Voice can provide us with convincing and transformation power. It can change a divided country and a broken society and untie them. It can allow us to be a part of the global evolution. and came closer to becoming a fairer country where there's no space for fear and hate."

Ilia Calderon is a strong and courageous journalist, wife and mother who didn't stay silent. She has anchored the evening news for Univision for more than twenty years.. Calderon's book tackles racism and issues of color head on as she candidly talks about how it's shaped her life. She grew up in a pre dominary black town in Colombia called Choco. Calderon has broke barriers in journalism to become the first Afro-Latina to anchor a high-profile newscast for a major Latinx broadcast network in the United States.