The list of things Bianca Garcia loves runs long: she loves getting stronger and spending time at the gym; she loves being with friends; she loves the outdoors; she loves her work. But, more than anything, she loves her community — and it’s this love that’s driven her for the past few years.

In 2016, Garcia moved to P.E.I. from Santo Domingo – the Dominican Republic’s capital city – and enrolled in a two-year marketing program at Holland College. It was a big transition — beyond the geographic move, she was still learning to speak English. Since then, Garcia’s made an impact in her new home: she’s established herself in Charlottetown as an influencer and digital marketer committed to promoting local businesses and sharing BIPOC stories.

“There’s a lot of stuff happening in the BIPOC community that people do not see in the news,” she says. “It’s important for us to have a voice.”

Before moving to Canada, Garcia studied journalism, which shaped her into someone passionate about honest storytelling. Garcia now does social media work for BIPOC USHR, a PEI organization providing advocacy and support for the BIPOC community.

She’s also the co-founder of The Black Collective Media, a digital media platform with the goal of amplifying Black voices. During Black History Month, the collective launched their first issue of their online magazine, The Block. They’re currently working on a second issue.

“It’s a media company that wants to change a little bit of the narrative,” Garcia says.

Between Covid and last year’s wave of Black Lives Matter protests, Garcia says it’s been a hard year.

Last summer, she was supposed to go home to the Dominican for her first visit since 2018, a trip that got cancelled because of travel restrictions. Being away from her family for so long has proved immensely difficult, especially during such turbulent times.

“It was very, very, very hard,” she says of the last year and a half. “But I find Black Lives Matter brings me closer with my community — with my Black community, my blackness.”

After such a difficult year, Garcia is always happy to celebrate Pride. She says living at the intersection of being both BIPOC and queer can be difficult, so taking the time to celebrate and find joy feels important. She enjoys participating in Pride events — and, most importantly, spending time with BIPOC and queer friends.

“I love hanging out with them. That makes me feel really happy.”