S2 Ep. 2 - Diversity of Blackness

It's Black History Month! Today’s conversation is all about the Diversity of Blackness. The multiple dimensions of Afro-Latino identity reflect the long colonial history of Latin America, during which mixing occurred among indigenous Americans, white Europeans and slaves from Africa and Asians. This episode will explore all shades of blackness and how non-mainstream blackness has been impacted by racism and discrimination.. Now, let’s start today’s conversation!

Transcript

Welcome to the True Talk Café Podcast S2 Ep. 2 - Diversity of Blackness

February is Black History Month, which is officially recognized by governments in the U.S. and Canada and observed in Ireland and the U.K.  It focuses our attention on the contributions of Black people as well as teaches us about noteworthy individuals who have helped shape and change our society. The last few years have been particularly historic, and as a result there has been a major push for racial justice for people of color and marginalized populations.

The 1619 Project, by Nikole Hannah-Jones, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for The New York Times Magazine, has been a catalyst to change the narrative of the origins of the slave trade in America and how it has shaped what the country would become.  

However, Latin America and the Caribbean received 95 percent of the Africans stolen during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. But what does it mean to be a descendent of those Africans today, in a world where more voices are calling out racism in Latin America?  

Show agenda:

• Defining Afro-Latinx?
• Guests Questions
  • When you think about intersectionality within such a diverse culture, what are some of the challenges you have experienced identifying as Afro-Latino? 
  • Often times multi-racial individuals suffer from imposter syndrome or inclusiveness within respective communities.  How have you leveraged your diversity to advance?  Do you think employers have made strides in reducing discrimination? 
  • There’s a saying in Spanish, “Ni de aqui, ni de aya?” (Neither from here nor there).  What can we as a society do better to remove those mindsets?
  • 
    

Summarize Natasha S. Alford's documentary travels to Loiza, Puerto Rio?

• There are many shades of blackness that reside in Puerto Rico.  Afro-Latinos must love themselves and accept their African roots, to directly challenge anti-blackness.
• Today, activists encourage Puerto Ricans with visible black heritage to write in black or afro-descendiente on the census. 
• By claiming and counting black populations they hope to usher in change for a new era.
  
  
• Statistics
• In the U.S. about one-sixth of the Afro-Latino population does not identify as Hispanic.  Skin color is a major factor.
• Afro-Latinos’ views of race are also unique. When asked directly about their race, only 18% of Afro-Latinos identified their race or one of their races as black. 
• In fact, 39% of Afro-Latinos identified as white alone or white in combination with another race
• 24% volunteered that their race or one of their races was Hispanic 
• Only 9% identified as mixed race 
• 
  Guests:
  • Catherine Wyche - Program Manager @ AT&T
    •   LI: http://linkedin.com/in/catherine-reynoso-wyche 
• 
  

Pod crew questions

• • Renee
  • Karla
  • Lollie
  • Anna

• Conclusion

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