Black History Month and The Afro Latinx Connection

In Celebration of Black History Month and in honor of the Black experience, we have highlighted a few links to articles and videos featuring Afro Latinx people, who have made notable contributions here in the United States and abroad in the fields of medicine, politics, music and more! 

Articles: 

• Huff Post- Afro-Latinos and Black History Month 
• African American Registry - Blacks in Latin America 
• Pew Research Center - Afro-Latino: A deeply rooted identity among U.S. Hispanics 
• NPR - Amara La Negra and Colorism 

Videos:

Afro Latinx Influence in Dance: 

• Puerto Rico's Bomba, A Dance of The African Diaspora | KQED Arts - Witness the unstoppable joy of dancing bomba, Puerto Rico’s Afro-Puerto Rican dance of resistance. 

• Afro-Mexicans: Dancing Their Way Back To Their Roots - Obatala is an Afro-Mexican dance troop that travels and performs throughout southern Mexico. 

Afro Latinos in Sports: 

• Minnie Minoso - Biography - Saturnino Orestes Armas (Arrieta) Minoso (Cuban Comet) -Leftfielder and Third Baseman 

• Afro-Latino History: Roberto Clemente - Baseball player and important figure in AL community 

The Afro-Latinx Experience: 

• One Nación: Afro-Latinos - In recognition of the estimated 1.5 Million Afro Latinos in the U.S., ESPN produced this feature discussing the Afro Latino experience. 

• Afro Latinas on Amara La Negra, Colorism and Black History | ESSENCE  - being Afro Latina, the rise of "Love & Hip Hop Miami" star Amara La Negra and overcoming ignorance about their ethnicity. 

Featured Afro Latinx author with Strong Afro Latinx Characters in their books:   

Elizabeth Acevedo, author of: 

• The Poet X - Winner of the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, and the Pura Belpré Award! 

• Clap When You Land - A novel-in-verse that brims with grief and love, Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives. 

• With Fire on High - A novel in prose about a girl with talent, pride, and a drive to feed the soul that keeps her fire burning bright. 

 Special Thanks to contributor: Diane Artemis, Manager of our NM Branch