Teacher, documentarian and artist Diana Quiñones Riviera uses her passion for filming dance to empower marginalized voices in the arts community. Originally from Puerto Rico, she moved to Chicago from New York City in 2015 and began collaborating with local filmmakers, artists and dancers. Diana’s films reveal the connections traditional dance has to culture, history and political protest. This is what her Chicago sounds like. This episode of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Mejia. Keep up with Diana and her work on Twitter @diaquiri.

As the founder of Chicago Rewilding Society, Beatrice Scescke reintroduces Chicagoans to the wonder of nature through education, animal assisted therapy and visits to her Garfield Park nature sanctuary. This is what her Chicago sounds like. This episode of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Mejia. To learn more about the Chicago Rewilding Society, visit www.chicagorewildingsociety.org.

As the co-leader of arts collective Burning Orchid and the founder of company The Energetic Body, Rosé Hernandez strives to foster human connection through energy healing and performance art. This is what her Chicago sounds like. This episode of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Mejia. To learn more about Rosé and The Energetic Body, visit www.theenergeticbody.org.

Katelyn Johnson is the executive director of Blackroots Alliance, a network working toward Black liberation through connecting organizations in the Chicagoland area. She believes in staying grounded in the present in order to make change for the future. This is what her Chicago sounds like. This episode of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Mejia. To learn more about Blackroots Alliance visit www.blackrootsalliance.org.

22-year-old Joe(y) spreads life-saving first response knowledge as the training coordinator for Ujimaa Medics, a Chicago grassroots nonprofit collective of Black individuals dedicated to expanding access to first response education and trauma centers on the South Side. Joe(y) finds fulfillment in helping out his neighbors — whether it’s fixing their stairs or teaching them how to respond in medical emergencies. This is what his Chicago sounds like.

This segment of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Mejia. To learn more about Ujimaa Medics, visit www.umedics.org.

Andrea Ortiz, the director of organizing for the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, works tirelessly to provide resources to Chicago's Latinx and immigrant communities. When it comes to community power, Ortiz finds there is strength in standing together. This is what her Chicago sounds like. This episode of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Mejia. To learn more about the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, visit www.bpncchicago.org.

Paul Fitzgerald is the executive director of Chicago nonprofit Friends of Big Marsh, as well as a DJ. Paul works to facilitate connections between Chicagoans using nature, music, biking and communal spaces. This is what his Chicago sounds like. This episode of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Mejia. To learn more about Big Marsh Park and Friends of Big Marsh, visit bigmarsh.org.

AnnMarie Brown is the co-executive director of Circles and Ciphers, a non-profit restorative justice organization led by and for young people using hip-hop and peace circles to promote creative expression and healing This is what her Chicago sounds like.

This episode of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Mejia. To learn more about Circles and Ciphers, visit circlesandciphers.org.

Sarah Ross is the co-director of the Prison + Neighborhood Arts/Education Project, or PNAP, a project providing classes, workshops and educational resources to the incarcerated. Sarah believes art has the power to give voice to incarcerated individuals and envision new realities. She feels the arts can be used in this way as a driver toward new policy and social change. This is what her Chicago sounds like.

This segment of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Mejia. To learn more about the Prison + Neighborhood Arts/Education Project visit p-nap.org.

Teshika, or Tesh, Silver is a graphic designer and illustrator currently residing in Woodlawn. Through her work, she strives to uplift Black femme identities and other historically marginalized people by depicting them in ethereal, positive settings. This is what her Chicago sounds like. This episode of “This Is What Chicago Sounds Like” was produced by Ari Mejia. To see more of Tesh’s art, check out @astratesh on Instagram.