RVA Latinas Show gives Richmond’s Hispanic community a voice year-round

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — While Hispanic Heritage Month lasts just a few weeks each year, two women in Richmond are keeping the celebration going all year long.

Every Friday morning, Lucero Plata and Melisa Bates host The RVA Latinas Show on Ultra Radio. It's the station’s first Latina-led program.

Melisa Bates (left) and Lucero Plata (right), co-hosting the RVA Latinas Show.

“The RVA Latina Show is about community, connection and celebrating our culture,” Bates said.

“It’s the bridge that connects our community with all the events and all the restaurants, activities, resources in Spanish,” Plata added.

Plata, who is Mexican, and Bates, who is Salvadoran, started the program seven months ago while working in sales at the station. They wanted to create something new, not just for themselves, but for their community.

The co-hosts describe their show as a mix of entertainment and cultural celebration.

“We wanted to bring something positive," Bates said. "So that’s honestly what I think we would sum it up as... bringing back joy and positivity, especially in this climate.”

From highlighting local Latino artists and entrepreneurs to interviewing political candidates, the show keep listeners entertained and informed.

“There’s a lot of things that are happening in my community especially,” Plata said. “It’s hard times, like you said, and it doesn’t mean we don’t feel it. We feel it and we feel sad, but we want to focus on the good things and the good people.”

Bates says their goal is to ensure the platform is a representation of their community. Many of the topics they discuss resonate with their audience. Listeners have reached out to thank the women for addressing shared experiences.

“‘Thank you for sharing about not growing up speaking Spanish .. same here,’” Bates read from one listener. “Not all of us grew up speaking Spanish but we’re still very proud of our roots.” she said.

Lucero Plata (left) and Melisa Bates (right) reading to students.

Beyond the studio, Plata and Bates attend local events and continue to create spaces that celebrate Latino culture. Their platform has also taken them to Washington, D.C., where they covered the red carpet at the 38th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards.

“It’s opened a lot of doors and a lot of exciting opportunities that we look forward to sharing with our community,” Bates said.

And while the opportunities keep growing, Plata and Bates say their mission remains the same: wherever the platform takes them, they are bringing their community along for the ride.

"We represent our community… Richmond, where[ever] these doors open.”