Writers Read 5 Minute Personal True Stories

May 5, 2026

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Dressed in black, Afro-Latina dancer Mercy stood alone by the DJ booth at her first Salsa social, bypassed for lighter-skinned dancers. In this episode, we explore colorism on the dance floor and the deep West African roots of Salsa. Mercy shares how she navigated her dual identity, embraced the rhythm of La Clave, and ultimately reclaimed her space on the floor.

Her story is a beautiful reminder that Salsa isn't just a dance—it’s Black ancestry in motion.

This episode of the Writers Read podcast was produced and hosted by Edward McCann, with engineering help from Anisah Garcia.

If you’re new to the show, welcome; we’re so glad you’re here! Find and follow us on , and please email us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, suggestions or critiques at info@writersread.org

Podcast # 89

Documentary

Personal Journals

Relationships

Society & Culture

English

United States

explicit content

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IN THIS EPISODE

# mercy stood

# judas ate

Rabbi Yochanan

Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe

Susan Marbin Recorded

Torah

Jewish

Judaism

Jew

613

gabriel oluwakotanmi

kalman strau

batya levine

# debbie friedman

ana b’koach

shalom aleichem

ronan goforth

yaaas shabbos queen

anisah garcia

edward mccann

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