Meet Rebecca Azor

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Azor.

Rebecca, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My love for journalism started when I was about five. Although my parents who are Haitians, wanted me to be a doctor, lawyer, or nurse (like most Caribbean parents), I wanted to use my voice. Just like those people I seen on the news. My father used to watch news and sports religiously. And would always sit with him and admire the female reporters and anchors. Then when I watched shows like the view, and all the host that was on style network, I knew that this was my calling. I started out doing the morning announcements at my elementary school, I took a journalism course during middle school and helped create the 2003 yearbook. In high school I took a television news class, and also did the morning announcements. Then came college. Florida A&M University is where everything just clicked for me, and I knew that journalism was my calling. My extracurricular activities throughout my life, like chorus, dancing, acting, and debate, all helped me to fine tune my gift of voice and being a journalist.

Has it been a smooth road?
No, honey, Lol. The road was full of bumps, road blocks, bad weather… you name it. But I’ll just name a few of the struggles because it really wasn’t easy. I thought going through college the hard part. And while FAMU’s journalism program was very strict and competitive, I would soon learn that was the least of my worries.

Upon graduating from college, one of my professors sat me down, just to tell me I would have it harder than others finding my place within the broadcast world. Now, some people may have found that to be rude or alarming, but at a HBCU, your professors always keep it 100 with you. He told me that I would have it harder because I was dark skin, I was a product of Haitian immigrants, I was a woman and my look and personality weren’t “conventional”. My hair and my nails. And he was right. Back then there was a look they were still going by. Social media hadn’t made its merge with mainstream media just yet. So the white or fair skinned woman with straight hair and in opinion boring clothes just regurgitating the news was what they were looking for. I hardly seen anyone who looked like me on air. And honestly, I thought I would be fine. I did many internships, I worked at the radio station and news station during college. I did above and beyond for my assignments.

I wore my hair straight and started to only wear nude color nails. None of it worked. I got rejection, after rejection, after rejection. No one could tell me why, exactly. They loved me in on paper, and over the phone, but not in person. I finally decided I would move on from trying to work in T.V. news. I scored big while living in N.Y. right after undergrad and worked on a Bravo TV news show called Blood Sweat & Heels. I worked for a Fashion Journalist on the show who showed me a whole new life. Best of all, she looked like me. I was inspired and have been ever since.

Fast forward to 2015 through now, I decided to bring my talents to Atlanta and get my Masters back to school for New Media. After graduating, I found a job in politics. Yes, politics. I was able to use my voice to bring change, fight for justice, speak up on racial and social inequality and so much more. All of this on my online news show Like It Or Not. I didn’t have to change who I was to help be a voice for the voiceless. During this time I also found out that I had precancerous cells in my cervix, and I got those removed. Recovery set me back for most of 2018, but I was able to heal and come back to this. This is just a tiny bit of what I went through. Just know, life does get in the way. But, it’s how you deal with the circumstance that makes the difference.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am a multimedia-multicultural journalist. My focus is politics as of now. I hosted a political show called Like It Or Not. I specialize in social, race, and immigrant issues. I also am the communications director and one of the faces for the organization, Young Atlanta Haitians. I specialize in reporting, hosting and speaking. So all in all, that means using my voice.

I am known for my huge personality, off and on air. I am always approached about some of the stories I’ve done. Hitting over 5 million views collectively in under a year is a huge accomplishment for me. However, it’s the people that I speak for and how they are uplifted by me. That makes me proud. I remember when Trump called Haiti a “Shit-hole country”. As a Haitian American, that hurt me to my core. Especially with Trump’s constant attack on Black and Brown immigrants. I had to speak up. And I did. The next day, I received voicemails, phone calls, DMS, you name it, with people from Haiti saying they were so proud of me. They told me I represented them very well and I was their voice when the rest of the world didn’t want to listen. I cried. And I remembered why I decided to do this. It’s bigger than me.

I have something to say, and if it means going against the usual regurgitation and beating around the bush of a serious issue…. then so be it and hand me my megaphone.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I see myself still using my voice but under the pretext of my own business. I see myself leading initiatives for immigration, women and race issues. I see myself shifting into a more positive space to have these conversations and allow those who have been silenced, to speak again. Similar to Necole Kane of XONecole. She shifted from a popular celebrity gossip website to a Women’s empowerment website. I want more positivity in my life. And granted, while I love politics, it can be draining with the current political climate. I want to be able to empower people, still, with my words, but giving out more love. And less division. Working on something now that very excited about, and I can’t wait to talk about in the Spring. Hint: Women. That all I got for you.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Theesongstress

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