Over the past several years, I have experienced repeated instances of bullying and disrespect from Monique Suarez, also known as AgentDMZ. Despite my efforts to uplift her and provide opportunities for visibility, her actions toward me have consistently been hurtful, dismissive, and undermining.
Early in the rollout of my podcast, Perreo 101, I reached out to Monique with the intention of including her voice. At that time, I was still figuring out many aspects of producing and promoting the show on my own. Even with limited capacity, I made a concerted effort to include voices like hers—voices that were often underrepresented and overlooked. For context, there have been many contributors featured who were not promoted widely on social media due to my individual capacity, including Eva Arreguin, Kisha Gulley, Melaner, among others.
Despite these efforts, Monique responded in ways that were dismissive and discouraging. In 2024, during the podcast rollout, she told me, “Nobody is looking for podcasts, or cares about your podcast, there are real things going on.” While she may have intended to critique, her comments were hurtful because educating and amplifying important stories is part of how I combat the very issues she referenced. At the time, I was also on tour, working to support the podcast financially during a personally challenging period, and her response felt cruel and dismissive when I had approached her in good faith.
In 2025, despite this history, I invited Monique onto my podcast, demonstrating an ongoing effort to support and elevate her. More recently, I featured her as the central focus in a music video—flying her out and showcasing her prominently—while promoting her through email campaigns and industry channels to create opportunities for visibility. Even with these efforts, her response has been consistently lacking in respect, appreciation, or acknowledgment.
I have learned through these experiences—and through conversations with peers—that Monique’s behavior extends beyond our interactions. It is clear that, over time, she has engaged in patterns of dismissiveness and disrespect toward those who have sought to support her.
This is not a statement seeking drama, but a call for reflection on the impact of one’s actions. I am committed to uplifting other Black women and marginalized voices, building community, and promoting collaboration rather than tearing others down. I will continue to support others, but I will no longer tolerate being undermined, dismissed, or disrespected in my professional or personal spaces.
To my peers and community: this statement is a reminder that respect, accountability, and integrity are essential. Advocacy and uplift are acts of responsibility, and dismissing or undermining someone who has opened a platform to elevate you is harmful, counterproductive, and unacceptable.
I hope this serves as a reflection and a boundary: I will continue to build, educate, and amplify, but I will not allow my efforts to be devalued or disrespected.
