For an exclusive collaboration between Sleek and Zalando we sat down with Esra Karakaya – founder of Karakaya Talks – to discuss her work for minorities in Germany and beyond. The shooting had taken place just the previous night, late, as Ramadan had just come to its end.
Years of underrepresentation within the media sphere have led Esra to create a space to empower millennials of color.“I have big dreams and big visions” she confides. Born from a Turkish father and a Korean mother, at a very early age she starts wearing the hijab. It wasn’t imposed but personal choice. While growing up, Esra lived in constant duality. Today, she is determined to make space for the unheard part of the population in German media.
Esra, would you introduce yourself and guide us through your work?
I am a producer, journalist and creator of the talk show Karakaya Talks. The goal is to involve millennials of colour in the media sphere as we’ve been underrepresented for years. Even though we are paying broadcasting fees as does every household in Germany. I wanted to create a safe space where we are represented.
"I wanted to create a safe space where we are represented."
Empowering women is also part of your mission. Why is this topic important to you?
I want to feel empowered. To reach this goal, the only way I can think of is to create a safe space to express. People that are watching my content can get inspired by it and feel empowered as well. I think that the act of empowerment is a way to cope with the anger and negative thoughts we can have on the situation. Instead of using these feelings to serve unproductive actions, we need to utilise them to be empowered and heal from the traumas. In other words, I’d rather take my anger to create and contribute to something useful instead of acting unproductive.
Why did you create Karakaya Talks? What kind of topics do you explore through these talks?
I created Karakaya Talks to allow minorities from Germany to communicate, share and discuss various subjects. We explored topics such as the terrorist attacks last year in Germany or the relevance of the diverse cast in the TV show Bridgeton. The goal is to exchange on these matters and enrich our perceptions. The question of creating a utopia even though it means to erase and transform colonial history, has risen. I think that since our generation will be the most important social group in the years to come, we need to start thinking about how we are going to implement our values and beliefs into the social structure to avoid reproducing the same harmful mechanisms. That is why creating sustainable institutions or organisations is important.
CREDITS
Fotografie von Arnaud Ele
Styling by David Diniz
Make up by Eva Herbohn
Art direction by Lorenzo Pradelli