Meet Rafiq Taylor, The Fellow Turned PR Pro Bringing a Creator’s Perspective to Bass Lab
Meet Rafiq Taylor, the former Bass Lab Fellow turned Bass Lab PR associate, exploring how technology, creative platforms, and performance can be wielded to amplify underrepresented stories and creativity. Read our interview with the writer, podcaster, and PR multi-hyphenate below:
Rafiq’s Work With Bass Lab
Rafiq has covered numerous underreported stories of West Coast Black Media & Culture for Bass Lab’s “Bearing Witness” journal, including Biddy Mason’s legacy and Little Tokyo, and amplified Bass Lab’s introspective interviews with trailblazing creators like Roxane Gay and Ava DuVernay. His commitment to Bass Lab’s mission motivates his continued work with us throughout different eras of his media journey. Here is more about his work with Bass Lab below:
Bass Lab: You were an inaugural Bass Lab Fellow and later became its Public Relations Associate. How has your connection to our mission evolved throughout?
Rafiq Taylor: As a fellow, the Bass Lab has directly contributed to my professional confidence in a way I never imagined it would. The mission resonated with me because I’ve always been curious about exploring new perspectives and sharing underrepresented truths. As a fellow, I received a first-hand learning experience of what that exploration entails, discovering investigative skills I didn’t realize I had. I knew I wanted to play a role in the lab’s evolution and growth. As a PR Associate, I not only get to represent the Bass Lab, but I also get to play a role in providing our student workers and fellows with the same eye-opening experience I received.
Bass Lab: What Bass Lab piece was the most eye-opening or insightful to work on, and why?
Rafiq Taylor: I traveled to Biddy Mason Memorial Park to write a piece highlighting the historical landmark. When I arrived, I didn’t expect it to be a single sandwiched between a restaurant and an apartment complex. Upon closer examination, I uncovered that the monument was built in the 1970s and was still standing. This was eye-opening because it revealed how Los Angeles’s history hides in plain sight.
Bass Lab: What Bass Lab series or initiatives are you most excited about, and why?
Rafiq Taylor: That is why the Monumental App is the most exciting idea to me. It perfectly encapsulates the Bass Lab’s mission of shedding light on histories that have been weathered or overshadowed.
Rafiq’s Media Journey
Before joining Bass Lab, Rafiq held unique roles that provided unique insight into media from wide-ranging perspectives. He came to Bass Lab with experience as an independent creator, as the Co-Host and producer of the Tubi or Not Tubi podcast, and as the founder of Garbled Twistory. He also has arts education experience as a City Year corps member. He’s previously worked with Writer’s Block Ink, an innovative youth-led arts education organization using theater and performance to amplify youth voices and perspectives on social issues. Experiences like these inform how he engages audiences and media creators; they’ve also helped instill a proactive approach to storytelling and media production. Below is an insight into Rafiq’s diverse media influences:
Bass Lab: During your time with City Year, you had the opportunity to educate and mentor the next generation of performers and storytellers. What impact did that experience have on your journey?
Rafiq Taylor: My experience with City Year in Washington, D.C., taught me how to organize with limited resources. As a teaching assistant for a class of savvy second-graders, I learned to recognize which communication strategies are compelling and which aren’t.
Bass Lab: How has your background as a creator and performer (comedy writing/improv) influenced your work in media?
Rafiq Taylor: My performance background helps me use the right words at the right time. One element of journalism or public relations often overlooked is that artistry is a secret ingredient to a compelling narrative. From my perspective, there are a million different ways to deliver a single message or tell a single story, and the way a message is presented can have a direct impact on how it is interpreted.
Bass Lab: On your podcast Tubi Not Tubi, you not only co-hosted but also led the advertising and promotion. What tips can you share with other creators looking to promote their projects independently?
Rafiq Taylor: Be consistent with whatever projects you’re working on. Take your favorite idea and make the time to execute it. My second major piece of advice is to always keep an eye out for potential collaborators and reach out to/tag them when you’re marketing your work. You never know who has time to work with you until you ask. You’ll be surprised by how many are willing to collaborate!
Bass Lab: What is a subject, genre, or nuance in Black media that you want to be part of representing in the future?
Rafiq Taylor: I’m particularly interested in how artists navigate the American media landscape. The tools to create and publish meaningful art have become democratized to a point where there is always more to discover. I want to play a role in making and elevating new discoveries.
About the Author
Kathleen Anaza
Kathleen ‘Kat’ Anaza is a multi-genre storyteller, organizer, and entrepreneur whose works center on narratives and experiences of the Black Diaspora. She has been featured in Vogue Magazine, Lonely Planet, Viator, and more. Connect with her work at https://linktr.ee/Kat_Anaza.
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