Raquel Cepeda

Award-Winning Author and Journalist; Filmmaker, Producer & Cultural Activist

Travels From Travels From:
New York, NY, USA
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Raquel Cepeda Biography

Born in Harlem to Dominican parents, award-winning filmmaker and writer Raquel Cepeda is the author of "Bird of Paradise: How I Became Latina." "Bird of Paradise" is equal parts memoir about Cepeda’s coming of age in New York City and Santo Domingo, and detective story chronicling her year-long journey to discover the truth about her ancestry. The book also looks at what it means to be a hyphenated American-Latina today.

Her latest film, the award-winning LA MADRINA: THE SAVAGE OF LORINE PADILLA, is currently available for streaming on Showtime. Directed, written, and produced by Cepeda, the documentary follows a beloved South Bronx matriarch and former “First Lady” of the Savage Skulls gang as she struggles to remain visible in a rapidly gentrifying community she helped rebuild in the 1980s. With one foot firmly grounded in the outlaw life and the other as an activist and spiritual advisor, Lorine straddles the complexities of multiple worlds. Employing rich never-before-seen archives of the borough that gifted the world both salsa and hip-hop culture, we will go on a complicated and, at times, surreal journey through five decades of Bronx history and resilience in LA MADRINA’s own words. Henry Chalfant and Sacha Jenkins are the film’s executive producers.

Cepeda’s documentary film, Some Girls, produced by Henry Chalfant and Sam Pollard, focuses on a group of troubled Latina teens from a Bronx-based suicide prevention program who are transformed by an exploration of their roots via the use of ancestral DNA testing, followed by a trip to the seat of the Americas. On that journey to modern-day Dominican Republic, the white supremacist narratives about American history they’ve been taught are challenged, leaving them free to reconstruct their own respective identities. What does it really mean to be American? And, more importantly, what does that look like? The Some Girls companion curricula for 6-8th grade, High School, and Undergraduate students is available for free download here.

Cepeda directed and produced the award-nominated Bling: A Planet Rock, a documentary about American hip-hop culture’s obsession with diamonds and all of its social trappings, and how the infatuation with “blinging” became intertwined in Sierra Leone’s decade-long conflict. The film was co-produced by VH1/MTV Networks and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The film had a limited theatrical release and aired in 2007 on VH1.

Cepeda co-created the podcast "Our National Conversation About Conversations About Race." For more than two decades, her writings have been widely anthologized and her byline has been featured in media outlets including The New York Times, The Village Voice, GQ, and many others. A former magazine editor, Cepeda edited the anthology "And It Don’t Stop: The Best Hip-Hop Journalism of the Last 25 Years." In November 2014, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Cepeda was presented with an award from celebrated Dominican artist German Perez at the United Nations.

A proud dominiyorker, women’s boxing enthusiast and amateur fighter, Cepeda is a two-time National Golden Gloves winner. She lives with her husband and producing partner, Sacha Jenkins, and their son, in New York City, the "concrete jungle where dreams are made of." Together, Jenkins and Cepeda are developing documentary, narrative, and commercial projects under their shingle, RESURGENT PICTURES.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 06/28/2024.

Raquel Cepeda Videos

  • White Fund Enlightenment Series Presents Raquel Cepeda
    White Fund Enlightenment Series Presents Raquel Cepeda
  • Raquel Cepeda Confidence Chronicles Interview - part 1
    This is part 1 of my 2 part interview with Raquel Cepeda, author of Bird of Paradise How I Became Latina, a memoir. Raquel's also an award winning...

Speaker Lists Featuring Raquel Cepeda

FAQs on booking Raquel Cepeda

  • How do I book Raquel Cepeda to speak at my event?

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  • What are the speaker fees for Raquel Cepeda

    Speaking fees for Raquel Cepeda, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Raquel Cepeda are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Raquel Cepeda, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Raquel Cepeda speak about?

    Raquel Cepeda is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Authors, Culture, Diversity & Inclusion, Hispanic Heritage, Literary, Television & Film.
  • Where does Raquel Cepeda travel from?

    Raquel Cepeda generally travels from New York, NY, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Raquel Cepeda’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Raquel Cepeda for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Raquel Cepeda for your next private or corporate function.
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Raquel Cepeda is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Raquel Cepeda for your event is $5,000 - $10,000. Raquel Cepeda generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Erika Andiola, Dr. Antonia Darder, Gina Rodriguez, Aishah Shahidah Simmons and Esmeralda Santiago. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Raquel Cepeda for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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