afro-latinx
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Jaylen Barron of Starz’s Blindspotting on Prison Reform, Empathy, and Being An Afro-Latinx Actor
Blindspotting is a spin-off of the 2018 film with Daveed Diggs
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'I Always Lead With Black': Curator Dr. Ariana A. Curtis Wants to Normalize Blackness in Latinidad
“What I am hoping for is just a normalization of Black Latinx within the United States. I hope for that within Latin America as well, because we are still fighting for our recognition there, but I think our rootedness in the United States has been generations deep and our experiences have contributed to this country…
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'I Came Black Out the Womb': Why Filmmaker Dash Harris Denounces Latinidad
“How do we honor the Blackness within Latinidad? We don’t. Power doesn’t negotiate. That’s one. Power does not like to be shared. That’s two. And power is all consuming. — Dash Harris, Multimedia Producer, Filmmaker text It’s no secret that Latinidad has a fraught relationship with Blackness. Black Panamanian Dash Harris says that after centuries…
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La La Anthony: 'Proud to Be Black. Proud to Be Puerto Rican'
“I’m Black and that’s what Afro-Latina means to me.” — La La Anthony, Actor text For actor La La Anthony, there is no separating her Blackness from her identity. After all, the Black and Puerto Rican actor knew from the outset that she was just that—Black and Puerto Rican. In her career, the Power star…
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Emmy Nominations Spark Conversations About Latinx Representation and Anti-Blackness
Recently, the Television Academy and ceremony producers announced that the 2020 Emmys will be officially going virtual, a day after announcing the nominees. However, a much more important conversation materialized out of the nomination results, particularly as it relates to race and culture. On Tuesday, John Leguizamo (When They See Us), tweeted a link to…
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Here's How the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is Erasing Black Latinxs
When Dominican-American poet Melania-Luisa Marte began writing a poem about what it means to be Afro-Latinx, a simple Google search led her to realize that Afro-Latinx/a/o was not in some of the most commonly used dictionaries. For her, the blatant disregard for the term itself reaffirmed the feelings of erasure that black people of Latin…
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Tidal Gives Credit Where It’s Due by Highlighting Black Latinx Musical Icons In New Series
Tidal just launched its first animated project, Footprints, a series dedicated to celebrating the African and Indigenous roots of Latin music that are often overlooked. Episode one, which is narrated by Afro-Latinx artist Amara La Negra, highlights the work of black Latinx like Joe Arroyo and Celia Cruz. “The irony is that we could never…
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The Crossover Queen: Cardi B Is Named ‘Star of the Year’ by People en Español
They like it like that! Continuing her world domination, Cardi B has gotten the nod from People en Español, who named her 2018’s Star of Year. The Bronx-born, Dominican-Trinidadian rapper continues to amp up the glamour in the issue, gracing the cover in a Ralph and Russo gown that was chosen at the last minute…
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Remembering the Afro-Latinx Mother of Cuba: Mariana Grajales Cuello
For the last day of Latinx Heritage Month, The Root is highlighting Mariana Grajales Cuello, the “Mother of Cuba.” This Afro-Cuban woman helped lead the fight against Spanish rule on the island and lost everything in her fight for the freedom of Afro-Cubans. “Mi Gente Afrodescendiente” (My People of African Descent) is a series that…
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Global Blackness and the Legacy of Arturo Schomburg
Janel Martinez, creator of Ain’t I Latina? guest hosts Episode 2 of “Mi Gente Afrodescendiente,” which highlights Arturo Schomburg, one of the most influential curators of black history. “Mi Gente Afrodescendiente” (My People of African Descent) is a series that sheds light on Afro-Latinx figures whose stories are often left out of our history books.…