Last Fall, when we featured a two-part episode on racism in the Armenian culture [episodes #25 and #26], it was intended to be an ongoing conversation. Given the current momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement and the massive societal shift in consciousness regarding police brutality and systemic racism, we felt that it was more important than ever to hear directly from Black Armenians now.

Our first bonus episode features Carene Rose, an Ivy-league educated actress and activist, who wrote an essay for @kooyrigs which instantly captured our attention. She wrote, “To be a Black Armenian woman is to be the legacy of two failed genocides.” Hear Carene’s story in her own words.

Photo credit: Christopher Montgomery

You can reach Carene Rose on Instagram @carenerose as well as on her website www.carenerose.com