afro-latinx
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Dascha Polanco Tells the Story of Dominican-Born Tuskegee Airman, Esteban Hotesse
For Latinx Heritage Month, The Root is highlighting black Latinxs who’ve made 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. In episode 1, actress and Dominican native Dascha Polanco (Orange is the New Black) tells…
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Can We Talk About Amara La Negra’s Appearance on The Breakfast Club?
The Love & Hip Hop franchise has a new Afro-Latina on its roster: Amara La Negra. And the buxom, gray-eyed, Afro-rocking, melanin-poppin’ recording artist is making major waves online, mostly because of the criticism surrounding her dark skin and kinky hair. Before you check your calendar, yes, I can confirm that it is indeed 2018…
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So You’re Afro-Latinx. Now What?
Congratulations, mi negra! It finally happened. Today you looked into the mirror and said, “I’m black. Soy negra. Vaya.” You embraced your black or brown skin, your curls and kink. No small feat for a Dominican. You’re ready to forgo the centuries of Dominican anti-Africanism and embrace your brothers, sisters and cousins of the African…
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Tracing Your Roots: How Do I Research My Cuban Origins?
Inspired by a shocking revelation on Professor Henry Louis Gates’ show, a woman wonders how to research her own heritage. Dear Professor Gates: My family is from Cuba. I have always had a desire to verify the oral histories from both sides of my family about our heritage. The episode of your PBS television show…
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Ilia Calderón Makes History as the 1st Afro-Latina to Anchor a Major News Desk in the United States
It’s #BlackGirlMagic time (psych, it’s always #BlackGirlMagic time), and today we are celebrating Ilia Calderón, who, on Nov. 8, became the first Afro-Latina to anchor a news desk at a major network in the United States, when she replaced María Elena Salinas on Noticiero Univision. “It’s a great responsibility knowing that I’m opening doors for…
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Watch: ‘Yo Soy Afro-Latina’
If there is one thing that Sammy Sosa, an Afro-Latino man, and his skin-bleaching fiasco has taught us, it’s to be proud of who you are. The term “Afro-Latino” (or the gender-neutral “Afro-Latinx”) is used to refer to African descendants from Latin America. For many growing up, being black and Latinx was not always beautiful.…
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Fighting for Black Lives in Colombia: At War’s End, the Search for a Seat at the Table
Editor’s note: This story is the third in a three-part series looking at the fight for rights of black people in Colombia. The first story explored the history of Afro-Colombians and the impact of the recently ended war with the FARC. The second looked at radicalized violence against blacks in Colombia. This final story looks…
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Fighting for Black Lives in Colombia: The Violent Pushout of Blacks in Buenaventura
Editor’s note: This story is the second in a three-part series looking at the fight for rights of black people in Colombia. The first story explored the history of Afro-Colombians and the impact of the recently ended war with the FARC. This story examines the plight of blacks in Buenaventura, caught between booming industry and…
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Fighting for Black Lives in Colombia: ‘The People Do Not Give Up, Damn It’
Editor’s note: This story is the first in a three-part series looking at the fight for rights of black people in Colombia. This first piece explores the history of Afro-Colombians and the impact of the recently ended war with the FARC. Subsequent stories will examine the current political environment. Black activism started in Colombia when…
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Watch: Women at Work: ‘We’re Playing the Game, but at a Different Angle’
Editor’s note: For Women’s History Month, The Root is celebrating women from a wide range of professional industries in our video series Women at Work. Ariel Lopez and Janel Martinez are two Afro-Latinx millennials living in the Bronx, N.Y. And they’re techies, too. “I think tech is the most important industry. It is the lifeline…