Heroes

In the last year alone, the Chattanooga Hispanic community has been tested in more ways than one as a public health crisis ran rampant through the city and a tornado devastated many areas including the Auburn Hills neighborhood made up of primarily Latino immigrants. 

However, it’s in the darkest of times when local heroes shine the brightest. 

At a time where Hispanics made up approximately 75% of Tennessee’s COVID-19 cases, months went by where many people within the community weren’t up to date or given access to essential details about what was happening with the pandemic, how they could protect themselves and the resources that were available to them. However, with the help of community leaders who dedicated themselves to educating the community, they were able to bridge the gap of communication to slow the spread of the pandemic. 

If that wasn’t enough, an EF-3 tornado also tore through numerous Hispanic communities causing an estimated 150 structures to collapse, trees and power lines to be torn down into the roadways and at least 17 injuries being reported, many of which were trauma-related. As many community members did not know how to access relief resources like Red Cross or FEMA, it was up to them to rally behind one another and start the rebuilding process on their own. 

The Heroes documentary was created to advocate for the Latino community and shed a light on the true leaders who were able to rise to the occasion and bring people together, even in the toughest of times. These stories also highlight the need for more Latino representation in the media and how the lack of communication made slowing the spread of the virus and rebuilding efforts even more difficult for a community that already needed resources and support. 

If you are looking to get involved or have an inspiring story to share of your own, be sure to reach out to Pablo at Pablo@resilientstory.org