“If you don’t know who you are, how will you know where you're headed?”

Thank you Sigma Lambda Upsilon, Black Women’s Forum, National Council Negro Women @ George Washington University for hosting the Afrolatinos presentation during your Bleeding Black celebration during Black History Month~

“If you don’t know who you are, how will you know where you're headed?” My father raised me to KNOW THIS!

The message that I am left with after our event last night is the importance of claiming WHO YOU ARE!

It’s not about making a choice of “If I choose one I must let go of the other… because I can’t be both!”

Who says?

We can embrace ALL of it! We can stand in the truth of who we are. Whatever that means for US... as decided by us. We no longer need to accept the labels and definitions as decided by others.

Hispanic
Hispana/o
Latina/o
Latinegra/o
Black Latina/o
Afro
Negra/o
African American
Black
Mestizo
Mulatto
AFROLATINA/O


There are so many debates on labels being social constructs being placed on us. Some labels we like some we dislike. Yet I am all for those labels that UNITE rather than divide us. Choose whatever feels like HOME for you... Me personally, I identify as Latina, Hispana, Dominicana, AfroDominicana... I am ALL of that!

Its moments like these that make me feel so blessed to do the work that I do. I could not have asked for a better experience. Thank you for allowing me to share this story.

Thank you to all of the schools who came out: Georgetown, American University, George Mason, Catholic University, Marymount and the many people in attendance that I have met on this journey. THANK YOU!

Special thank you to Raissa, Dara, Nichell, Sadjada, Maurissa and the countless people who helped put this event together. Please join the movement by helping to spread the word www.afrolatinos.tv ~

Let’s celebrate BLACK HISTORY and AFROLATINOS every month!

Sending you all mucho ACHE~