Championing Arts & Civic Engagement

In this episode of That Sounds Terrific in the 585, hosts Nick and Christine chat with community leader Annette Ramos. Ramos moved to Rochester twenty-five years ago by way of New York then Los Angeles. After meeting her future spouse at a retreat in Puerto Rico she found her way to the 585.

Theater and acting have always been passions for Ramos, and in 2011 she helped establish the Rochester Latino Theater Company, Inc. along with Stephanie Paredes, a fellow Rochester actor.

Today Ramos is a fierce community supporter speaking out about Latina pay equity (“Latina women working full time, year-round earn fifty-eight cents for every dollar paid to white men”) as well as being a strong voice advocating for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) artists. In addition, she is a proudly outspoken champion of the LGBTQA+ community and pushes for equal treatment and protections.

Today Ramos works at the Monroe County Board Elections as Recruiter /Voter Registration Coordinator. “Civic engagement is a way of life,” says Ramos. “I grew up where civic engagement was just a natural part of my everyday community activism and engagement.” Working to register people to vote in the recent 2024 presidential election was quite a lot of work but brought joy to Ramos as she and her team helped countless area residents become registered voters. She organized more than 175 public events for the board of elections, and hosted forty classroom sessions educating local high school students about voting.

What connects all of Ramos’s endeavors past, present, and future? Storytelling. She has been a professional storyteller in local schools, theaters, and other programs for most of her life. Her favorite story is the story of the coquí frog of Puerto Rico. This traditional story highlights the value of perseverance and the ability of even the most humble and small creature to achieve greatness.

What’s next for Ramos? More community work, of course. She is currently mentoring a young Latinix artist, helping plan more programs for the Rochester Latino Theater Company, and preparing to help educate middle school children about volunteering and civics. Follow her at.instagram.com/latinastorytellerroc and.linkedin.com/in/annette-ramos-a5288430/.