Our Story
Meet the Voice Behind TBU
Afro Dominican-American scholar, storyteller, and creator of Told By Us — building a platform where Black and Brown voices speak without mediation.
Yanira Sánchez-Rogers
Founded 2022
2022
“We got tired of waiting for someone else to tell our story with the care it deserves.”
How It Began
Born from Frustration, Built with Love
Told By Us began in Tampa, Florida — not in a boardroom or a grant office, but from a deep personal calling. Yanira Sánchez-Rogers, an Afro Dominican-American scholar and sociologist, watched her communities get either erased from history books or reduced to footnotes in someone else’s narrative.
As a University of South Florida sociology graduate, Yanira set out to challenge both individualistic and hegemonic narratives around Black identity — particularly in Latin America. She built TBU to give a platform to marginalized voices, foster recognition of Afro-descendant cultures, and promote social inclusion while challenging colorblind ideologies.
Today, TBU is a growing platform for essays, oral history, community events, visual art, and education — all rooted in the belief that the most powerful stories are the ones we tell ourselves.
What We Stand For
Our Core Values
Narrative Sovereignty
Black communities have the right to define, shape, and own the stories told about them. We create space for that ownership without apology or compromise.
Diaspora Unity
From the Caribbean to the world — we honor the full breadth of the Black diaspora as one interconnected people.
Truth in History
We commit to honest, rigorous, unflinching engagement with Black history — the triumphs and the traumas, the joy and the resistance.
Community First
Every decision we make is guided by the needs of the communities we serve. TBU is built with and for them.
Cultural Celebration
We believe joy is resistance. We actively celebrate the art, music, language, and creativity at the heart of Black culture.
Intergenerational Legacy
We build with the elders’ wisdom and the youth’s fire in mind — creating archives that will serve generations we’ll never meet.
This Story Is
Yours To Tell
TBU is not a publication you consume — it's a community you belong to. There are many ways to add your voice, your skills, and your story to what we're building together.
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