Twitter: @AndreaGompf
It’s Black History Month, a time to learn about the important events, figures and contributions of the African diaspora in America. It’s also a time to learn about people who don’t understand what racism is:
But I digress. In honor of Black History Month, we wanted to shine a spotlight on a great site that highlights the long history of African heritage in Latin America year round: Los Afro-Latinos. Explaining the inspiration behind the site, founder Kim Haas writes:
As long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by the enormous contributions of Africans and people of African descent in the Americas, particularly the Spanish and Portuguese speaking worlds.
Estimates place the number of Africans brought to the Americas at 10 -12 million. And since their arrival, for generations, Africans and their descendants have been intimately involved in the history, culture, art, cuisine and daily living of millions in the region. Such is their influence. Try imagining Brazil without samba, Cuban literature without Nicolás Guillén or Puerto Rican cuisine minus the island’s most revered dish, mofongo. “Los Afro-Latinos” honors and celebrates the contributions of Africans, as well as their descendents who helped form and shape the culture of the Spanish and Portuguese speaking Americas. “Los Afro-Latinos” brings you stories about the individuals who maintain these traditions while forging new ones.
Our lives are richer because of them.
For instance, Los Afro-Latinos brought this great video on the complexities of defining racial and cultural identity to our attention:
To find more great stories like this, check out: http://losafrolatinos.com/