should black history month include entire diaspora or should it be kept strictly African-American?

[beanz]

Ur question doesnt make sense. The history of African Americans dont start in the slaveships. Black history as a whole is AA history as well. And the particular AA experience is just one facet of the greater black history. Theres no seperation between the two.

i didnt mean for it to come off like im suggesting that. im asking because as i looked for afro-latinos and black history month, i came upon an article where the writer mentioned his friend's son choosing roberto clemente as a subject, and being told he wasnt black.

When we think about Black History month, our thoughts go to the enormous amount of invaluable contributions African-Americans have given to the United States and to the world. This celebratory month has allowed us to reflect on the past while contemplating our present, and thus giving us hope for the future. Perhaps we can look forward to a future where we don't need to dedicate months to learn about history or recognize an accomplished group of people -- instead we just learn and internalize this information every day.

February is called Black History month and, as Latinos, we need to understand our part in this celebration outside of the learning component. Black History is not simply about African-Americans, but African descendants. Latinos have a long history of African heritage within their linage that is not brought to light enough. We are willing to recognize the greatness of Roberto Clemente but are we prepared to celebrate his African roots?

It is no secret that Latinos are increasing in population within the United States, and with this comes a large strength politically and economically. While we tend to think that progress means looking forward, it is months like February where we need to look back and see ourselves in the same historical landscape as our African American brethren. If anything else, we can look back a few figures who have shaped our histories and deserve proper praise during Black History Month:

• Arturo Schomburg (1874-1938) was an Afro-Puerto Rican whose research on African descendants in the early 20th Century made him an important figure during the Harlem Renaissance. His work is the inspiration for the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture located in Harlem.

• Nicomedes Santa Cruz (1925-1992) was a Peruvian poet, journalist, and folklorist. His work often reflected black issues in Peru. His contributions to the awareness and preservation of the Afro-Peruvian culture are so significant that in 2006 Peru officially declared his birthday, June 4, "Day of the Afro-Peruvian Culture"

• Dr. Jose Barbosa (1857-1921) was the first native born Puerto Rican to have a medical degree from the United States. Notably, he graduated with a medical degree from the University of Michigan and was valedictorian of the class of 1880. Taking the knowledge that he learned, he moved back to Bayamón and opened his own practice.

• Juan Gualberto Gómez Ferrer (1854-1933) was an Afro-Cuban revolutionary who fought alongside Jose Martí in the Cuban War of Independence. He founded the Central Directory of Societies of Color in 1890. He fought for the rights of the black population in which he stressed that Afro-Cubans need to have the same right to education than everyone else. Slavery ended in Cuba in 1886.

• Jaime Hurtado González (1937-1999) was an Afro-Ecuadorian politician and was the first black man to run for president of the Republic of Ecuador. Many say he was the voice and advocate of the disenfranchised groups of color within Ecuador. He was an outspoken congressman that was assassinated in 1999 near the country's Supreme Court Building.

The struggle for education and basic civil rights is at the heart of all African descendants, whether they are from the United States or the African Diaspora. Black History month should be something that we all embrace to learn not only about other people, but ourselves.

A few years ago, a friend and I were discussing how her son had to pick a Black person to do a report for Black History Month. The choice that her son made (mostly likely with the help of his mother) was Roberto Clemente. He was told that Clemente cannot be chosen because he is not African-American. So the question is, should Black History Month truly be restricted to about being African-American?

 

[GreatestLaker]

His son's teacher is an idiot.

@ him not being black.

 

[↓R↑LYB]

His son's teacher is an idiot.

@ him not being black.

according to some of the coli geneticists, he's not

 

[2stainz]

coli geneticists

we got people in every field of science here

 

[WaveGang]

In the UK we celebrate Black History Month in October

 

[_Anghellic_]

i made the thread because i was going to post some afro-latinos in the black history month thread but wanted to see how ya felt about it first. i have no ill intentions. fukk u.

No offense breh but y'all "Afro-Latinos" are the biggest monkey wrench in the bind of Pan-Africanism. I agree with the thread title, but no Afro Latinos.

 

[WaveGang]

No offense breh but y'all "Afro-Latinos" are the biggest monkey wrench in the bind of Pan-Africanism. I agree with the thread title, but no Afro Latinos.

This kinda division is fuel to the white supremacy machine

The only difference between an Afro Latino and African American is one boat stopped and one kept going, fukk outta here with that bullshyt

 

[↓R↑LYB]

This kinda division is fuel to the white supremacy machine

The only difference between an Afro Latino and African American is one boat stopped and one kept going, fukk outta here with that bullshyt

Breh, I'm sitting here confused as hell at some of the shyt I've been reading the last couple days now. It's like nikkas don't know the vast majority of the descendants of African slaves aren't even in the US, they're in South America (aka Afro Latino's).

I swear this site is fukkin hilarious sometimes

 

[Supercoolmayo]

His son's teacher is an idiot.

@ him not being black.

@marcuz Verdict?

 

[_Anghellic_]

This kinda division is fuel to the white supremacy machine

The only difference between an Afro Latino and African American is one boat stopped and one kept going, fukk outta here with that bullshyt

I find it a waste of time trying to claim someone who as a whole does not want to be claimed. Many Pan-African/Pro-Black activist like Umar, Tariq, Dr Boyce, etc. has said reaching out to Afro-Latinos is not worth their time. Do we really need people like Sammy Sosa and Zoe Saldana in our communities?

 

[↓R↑LYB]

In the UK we celebrate Black History Month in October

Be careful with saying that breh. Pretty soon you'll have dudes on here saying you're not really black if you're born in the UK

On another note, I literally don't know shyt about African History in Europe. I'm assuming you all had your own version of the Civil Rights Movement and shyt. Is there a UK version of MLK or Malcolm X

 

[↓R↑LYB]

I find it a waste of time trying to claim someone who as a whole does not want to be claimed. Many Pan-African/Pro-Black activist like Umar, Tariq, Dr Boyce, etc. has said reaching out to Afro-Latinos is not worth their time. Do we really need people like Sammy Sosa and Zoe Saldana in our communities?

bruh

 

[WaveGang]

Breh, I'm sitting here confused as hell at some of the shyt I've been reading the last couple days now. It's like nikkas don't know the vast majority of the descendants of African slaves aren't even in the US, they're in South America (aka Afro Latino's).

I swear this site is fukkin hilarious sometimes

Like I said, its fuel to the white supremacy machine. These people marketed slavery as an African American plight, I didn't even know Jamaicans were enslaved until my teens. Only until a few years ago did I realize the extent it reached across the continent

Our ignorance is their power

 

[newarkhiphop]

It should include everybody of African descent

 

[NahFam]

according to some of the coli geneticists, he's not

How? As far as I know he isn't biracial, he's Afro-Latino. So who on the coli would say he isn't black?

Secondly, even IF he were biracial, that wouldn't stop him from being a black historical figure while being acknowledged as mixed.