This Black Hairstyle Collective Is Embracing the Beauty of Natural Hair in Colombia

Credit: Chontudas

This collective came to life as a Facebook group with 70 black women in 2014. Since then, it has become a place to share the experiences of making the transition to natural hair, and a place to showcase a more diverse standard of beauty as well as a place to trade hair care advice.

Beleño, from Bojayá, a town located in the Chocó region in the Western part of Colombia, was one of the founders of the group and describes the collective's founding as "the result of the need of black women—who at the time were discovering themselves—and who wanted to see examples of regular black women, because we are always seeing other types of women who are very different from us and with whom we do not identify."

The online natural hair collective began to grow, and now has about 5,000 members.

Read more: https://www.okayafrica.com/chontudas-black-hairstyle-collective-is-embracing-natural-hair-colombia/

Rihanna Disrupts Luxury Fashion World, Joining LVMH With 'Fenty' Brand

Credit: Mark Ganzon/Getty Images for Fenty Beauty

The 31-year-old Barbadian singer has partnered with the historic LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton fashion house, becoming the first woman of color to have a label under LVMH and the first woman to start an original brand for the world's largest luxury group.

The new label is named Fenty, after the last name of the singer (born Robyn Rihanna Fenty). It's an expansion of her cosmetics empire of the same name, launched in a 2017 partnership with LVMH.

The Paris-based Fenty line, which will include ready-to-wear clothing, shoes and accessories, will launch this spring 2019 season as the first house established by the group since Christian Lacroix in 1987, joining legacy brands like Dior, Givenchy and Fendi.

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2019/05/12/722519647/rihanna-disrupts-luxury-fashion-world-joining-lvmh-with-fenty-brand

Why Joan Smalls’ “Supermodels Roots” with Vogue International Is Significant to Latinas

Credit: Yahoo

In 2011, Joans was named the first Latina face of Estee Lauder’s global marketing campaignwhich was especially a big deal considering she’s Afro-Latina, as we rarely get recognition. In 2015, she placed sixth on Forbes list of the world’s highest paid supermodels and has worked with top designers including Givenchy, Chanel, and Tom Ford.

Read more: https://hiplatina.com/joan-smalls-supermodels-roots-afrolatina-identity/

DJ Carnage says mental health has been stigmatized in music industry

Credit: Source Magazine

DJ Carnage in a recent interview stated that mental health has been stigmatized in the music industry, saying many artists are afraid to talk about the issue.

“Do you think that people are afraid to talk about these issues mental issues — mental health, depression, drug abuse in the music industry?” asked correspondent Alexandra Oliveira.

“100 percent,” said Carnage, whose real name is Diamanté Anthony Blackmon.

“All of this stuff has been in the industry for decades and decades,” he continued.

Read more: https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/442503-carnage-says-mental-health-has-been-stigmatized-in-music-industry

Ser negra en Argentina: la mirada de una mujer en un país en busca visibilizar a sus afrodescendientes

Credit: CNN Español

“Yo no nací negra. A mí me hicieron ver que yo era negra”, dice Jennifer Parker.

Nacida en la provincia de San Luis, en el noroeste de la Argentina, el padre de Jennifer fue un jugador de baloncesto de Estados Unidos quien viajó para jugar en los clubes locales, allí se enamoró y tuvo una hija. Unos pocos años después de que Jennifer naciera, él volvió a Estados Unidos.

Para Jennifer, cantante de una banda country liderada por la estrella Vane Ruth, nacer negra en Argentina no le fue fácil al crecer. El racismo lo conoció desde muy pequeña, dice. “Era bastante duro crecer en una provincia tan chica porque la gente era muy cerrada”, dice Jennifer quien asegura que había un rechazo a las personas de raza negra y una visión de “supremacía blanca”.

Read more: https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2019/04/10/ser-negra-en-argentina-la-mirada-de-una-mujer-en-un-pais-en-busca-visibilizar-a-sus-afrodescendientes/

Somos raíz: afromexicanos rumbo al reconocimiento constitucional

Credit: Hugo Arrellanas/Chiapas Paralelo

Llegaron con los conquistadores a la Nueva España en 1580, antes de que México se convirtiera en un Estado Nación. Por las epidemias y los trabajos pesados, muchos indígenas murieron y el tráfico de esclavos africanos en Hispanoamérica aumentó. A 400 años de distancia, las personas afrodescendientes están por ser reconocidas como pueblo originario.

El Senado de la República aprobó una iniciativa que busca reconocer a los pueblos afrodescendientes en la Constitución Mexicana. Sin abstenciones ni votos en contra, la iniciativa de la Senadora Susana Harp va ahora por la aprobación en la Cámara de Diputados

La modificación del artículo 2, el cual aborda los temas de la composición pluricultural de la nación mexicana y las aportaciones de los pueblos originarios a la conformación del país, es una deuda contra la invisibilización de los afromexicanos en la historia del país

Lee Más: https://www.chiapasparalelo.com/noticias/chiapas/2019/05/somos-raiz-afromexicanos-rumbo-al-reconocimiento-constitucional/

Afro-Mexicans May Finally Get Recognition in the Mexican Constitution, But Many Say That’s Not Enough

Credit: Ebony Bailey for Remezcla

Several months ago, we reported on the critical fallout from the film La Negrada, which attempted to depict a storyline about Afro-Mexicans only to be accused by Afro-Mexican civil society of perpetuating the same stereotypes. At the time, we noted the film work of a young Afro-Mexican film maker named Ebony Bailey who presented a different narrative from within the community. In this article she shares the journey for recognition currently happening for Afro-Mexicans

“We are talking about 450 years of invisibilization.” With these words, Gina Diédhiou echoes the sentiments of many Afro-Mexicans in the Latin American country. And after centuries of erasure (and because of the work of this community), Mexico is taking its first step in recognizing its Black population. Earlier this week, the Senate unanimously voted to approve recognition of Afro-Mexicans in the national constitution. Although full approval is still pending – the lower house of Mexican Congress still needs to vote on it – the Senate’s action has made history.

Read more: https://remezcla.com/features/culture/afro-mexicans-constitution-recognition/

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On the Coast of Oaxaca, Afro and Indigenous Communities Fight for Water Autonomy

Credit: NACLA/COPUDEVER

At dawn on March 14—celebrated internationally as the Day of Action against Dams and in Defense of Rivers—Afro-Mexican, Indigenous, and mestizo peoples met on the shores of the Río Verde to participate in a ritual of gratitude and resistance.

They were gathered for the Río Verde Festival, organized each March by the Consejo de Pueblos Unidos en Defensa del Río Verde (Council of Peoples United in Defense of the Río Verde, COPUDEVER). This water protector movement was formed in 2007 when dozens of communities organized to stop the Federal Electricity Commission from building a hydroelectric dam on their river, which they say would flood their homes and contaminate their only source of water.

Read more: https://nacla.org/news/2019/05/07/coast-oaxaca-afro-and-indigenous-tribes-fight-water-autonomy

Meet Young M.A: The Afro-Latina She-Rapper Blowing Minds Nationwide

Credit: BE Latina

Brooklyn native Katorah Kasanova Marrero, better known by her stage name Young M.A, has made her own way as an openly-gay, half-Boricua, half-Jamaican rapper by embracing everything about herself that she brings to the table as a force of creativity, identity, and fire. The M.A in her stage name stands for “Me Always,” affirming her commitment to realness in an era when it’s easy to get caught up in the glitz, glam, and pressures of the entertainment industry.

She was only 24 when her breakout hit “OOOUUU” became the only song by a solo female rapper to reach the Billboard top 10 R&B/Hip Hop chart in all of 2016

Read More: https://belatina.com/meet-young-m-a-the-afro-latina-she-rapper-blowing-minds-nationwide/

How a DJ's Experiences With Immigration and Family Separation Inspired a Song for Change

Credit: Time

As the refugee crisis widens across multiple continents, prominent musicians like Coldplay, the RZA and Amanda Palmer have released songs and music videos that grapple with issues of displacement and immigration. Carnage, a DJ and producer, has added one more to the growing canon: “Letting People Go,” a music video that traces the journey of a family from their Nicaraguan hometown to a U.S. detention center.

But Carnage’s aims are not just to comment on politics or empathize with the plight of others. His motivation is deeply personal. Carnage, born Diamanté Anthony Blackmon, grew up in Guatemala and came to the U.S. as a child who did not speak English after his family fled the violence in Nicaragua during the 1970’s revolution.

Read more: http://time.com/5573948/dj-carnage-letting-people-go-immigration/

Additional sources: https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/442471-dj-carnage-wants-to-use-platform-to-raise-awareness-around-immigration-issues

Yaya DaCosta talks repping her Afro-Latina roots before it was trendy

Credit: CNN

By Natasha S. Alford

Beyond the recognition that Afro-Latinos exist, it’s the actual embracing of Blackness or negritude with pride that is what’s catching fire, particularly in communities online.

DaCosta also stars in the TV show Chicago Med, where the character she plays is actually an Afro-Latina, and Afro-Brazilian American.

“I love it. Occasionally I get to speak Portuguese on the show. It’s like the most fun thing ever,” says DaCosta. “That wouldn’t have happened even 10 years ago.”

But she cautions against getting too comfortable with the current cultural moment, and thinking that on-screen faces are all that matters.

“There’s still some work to do,” she says.

Source: The Grio

Gunmen attack Francia Marquez, prominent Colombian environmental activist

Credit: El Tiempo

BOGOTA, Colombia — One of Colombia’s most-prominent grassroots activists and winner of a prestigious international environmental prize has been attacked at a meeting with community leaders.

Francia Marquez, who survived Saturday’s attack, said gunmen launched a grenade and opened fire into a crowd of activists gathered in the southern town of Santander de Quilichao. Two people were injured as bodyguards protecting some attendees battled the attackers, whose identities are unknown.

President Ivan Duque ordered an investigation.

Marquez won last year’s Goldman Environmental Prize for her work fighting illegal gold mining by armed groups in her Afro-Colombian community.

Attacks on leftists have surged in Colombia since the signing of a peace deal in 2016 with the country’s largest rebel group. Watchdog “Somos Defensores” said 155 activists were killed last year versus 106 in 2017

Source: Washington Post

Francia Marquez responded this morning on Twitter

Muchas gracias a todas las personas que han expresado su solidaridad con migo y todas las lideresas y líderes que estábamos en el lugar de los hechos.
Estamos bien y los heridos están recibiendo atención médica.
Un abrazo ancestral.

— Francia Márquez Mina (@FranciaMarquezM) May 5, 2019

Thank you very much to all the people who have expressed their solidarity with me and all the leaders and leaders who were on the scene. We are well and the injured are receiving medical attention. An ancestral hug. - ALP Translation

El atentado del cual fuimos víctimas líderes y lideresas el día de ayer en la tarde, nos invita a continuar apostandole a lograr la paz en nuestros territorios, en el departamento del Cauca y en nuestro País, ya está bueno de tanta sangre derramada.

— Francia Márquez Mina (@FranciaMarquezM) May 5, 2019

“The [assassination] attempt of which we were victims yesterday afternoon, encourages us to continue to bet on winning the peace in our territories, in the Department of Cauca and in our country, which is already full with the amount of blood spilled.” -ALP Translation

As Panamanians Vote for the Next President, Where Do Afro-Panamanians Stand?

Carlos Jasso Reuters 2019

On Sunday May 5, Panamanians go to the polls to elect a president for a new 5 year term (2019-2024). Seven candidates have run a grueling race which began in earnest in mid 2018. With less than 48 hours before voters go to the polls, Lorentino "Nito" Cortizo Cohen of the Popular Democratic Party (PRD), is favored to win succeeding outgoing president Juan Carlos Varela. His closest competitor, Romulo Roux of the Democratic Change Party (CD) is backed by ex-president Ricardo Martinelli, who is currently incarcerated awaiting trial for corruption. Other candidates include the Mayor of Panama City, José Isabel Blandón, Ricardo Lombana,  and Panama's former attorney general Ana Matilde Gómez and Saul Méndez, leader of SunTracs, Panama’s strongest labor union.

The campaign has been dominated by issues of ongoing corruption scandals across the political spectrum, rising inequality and crime, education system, strengthening /reworking of the country's Constitution, concerns about the viability of Panama's social security system and a general lack of trust by the population that government institutions are able to address the concerns of the people, in particular the most marginalized.

Despite the corruption inquiries and economic malaise that has gripped the country for the last 3 years, Panama remains one of the strongest economies in Latin America with 5.3% growth and is projected by the World Bank to have 6% growth in 2019. However this prosperity belies the the fact that Panama's black and indigenous communities have barely benefited from the economic boom which has been driven in large part by the financial sector, Panama Canal commissions, real estate and  infrastructure development such as the subway expansion in Panama City. In fact,  "nearly one in four of the population has an income less than half of the median level, according to a study by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean [ECLAC] - the highest discrepancy in 18 countries it reviewed".

Carlos Jasso Reuters 2019

On March 22 and April 22 respectively, the Foro Afropanameño, a nationwide entity of various social movement organizations representing Afro-Panamanians and the National Coordinator of Indigenous Peoples (CONAPIP) representing indigenous communities, held candidates forums for those running. The objective of each was to address the issues of concern to these communities but also to assess the agendas of the candidates towards these communities.

In addition to national elections, May is also the Month of Black Ethnicity in Panama (the officially recognized “Day”, May 30, was made law in 2000, yet is observed the entire month). According to the Panama based watchdog organization, the Observatory Panama Afro, of the seven candidates in attendance on March 22, four submitted action plans with respect to the Afro-Panamanian community or signed onto the Plan of Action developed by the Foro Afropanameño. Generally, the candidates have agreed to ensure fulfillment of the country’s obligations to the Black community under international conventions, in particular the U.N. International Decade of Afrodescendants. On April 5, frontrunner Nito Cortizo presented his plan, followed by Ana Matilde Gómez whose “Government Plan” called for the creation of a permanent national entity to protect afrodescendant rights within the framework of the sustainable development of the country. On April 15, José Isabel Blandón acknowledged his commitment to the community based on the Plan of Action. Since one of these candidates will likely be the next president of the Republic it is important to understand the public policy agenda they will need to embrace. Mr. Cortizo, in fact provided the most detailed plan, parts of which were extracted from the Foro Afropanameño "Plan of Action: 4 Pillars and 1 Star" presented to all candidates. These included 1) realization of the Afrodescendant Census 2020 in a serious, exact and scientific way to ensure verifiable and useful statistics that ensure fair political inclusivity, 2) a relaunch of the National Plan for Afro-Panamanian Development established in 2007, 3) honor and visibilize accomplished community members and inclusion of AfroPanamanian historical and cultural contributions to the educational system and 4) transparent inclusion of public policy concerns relevant to Afro-Panamanians public sector.

Follow through of the winning candidate will be critical. The first two tests will be the appointment of a secretary for Afro-Panamanian development as well as the expeditious assessment and implementation of the Afrodescendant Cenus 2020 plan. Having campaigned on a platform of participatory community-focused reform, should Nito Cortizo prevail, as has been predicted, his administration will be monitored closely to ensure their plan of action is actually put into action.

Visit the New Afro-Latino Festival NYC Online Merchandise Store Now

We are excited to announce the launch of our new online merchandise store. Support the work of the Festival. Proceeds go towards funding the Afro-Latino Festival NYC and the relaunch of the Afrolatin@ Project oral history archive with more than 70 oral histories representing over 17 countries. The archive, launched in 2011 serves to preserve the lived experiences of Afro-Latinos in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean. As we celebrate our 7th year , get your merchandise that celebrates our previous 6 years of the Afro-Latino Festival NYC.

In Colombia, Civil Society Fights for Peace

Eddie Arrossi Photos

By: Jaskiran Kaur Chohan and Verónica Ramírez Montenegro

In the early morning of April 2, 2019, Colombian police violently attacked Indigenous, Afro-Colombian and peasant protestors near the Pan-American Highway in Cauca—mere hours before they were set to meet with the Minister of the Interior for negotiations. According to a press release from the Consejo Regional Indígena Regional de Cauca (Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca, CRIC), at least one protestor was shot dead and several more were gravely injured. The protestors, participants of the Minga Nacional (national minga- a Quechua word meaning “collective work”), had been blockading the highway for over three weeks, demanding that President Iván Duque meet with the council to discuss their concerns.

The demands of the Minga Nacional include implementation of the peace accords between the Colombian state and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (FARC-EP) guerrilla group. The movement is especially concerned with the ethnic chapter, a part of the accords that refers to how the agreements should be implemented in Indigenous and Afro-majority territories, and reject the government’s decision to block the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), the judicial mechanism in the peace accords that addresses justice for victims of violence, mass atrocities, and human rights violations. They are also calling on the government to fulfil previous agreements these groups have reached with the government.

Source: https://nacla.org/news/2019/04/25/colombia-civil-society-fights-peace

In 2016, the Afro-Latino Festival NYC presented a panel entitled “Afro-Colombian Participation in the Peace Process” at the Schomburg Center in Harlem. The panel addressed some concerns during the negotiations themselves which concluded in Habana, Cuba. You can see the panel here: https://livestream.com/schomburgcenter/events/5770992/videos/129125858

A census undercount could cost California billions — and L.A. is famously hard to track

By Sarah Parvini

California Calls, a coalition of community groups, recently created a program focusing on the census and redistricting in African American communities — another group that is at risk of an undercount.

“What’s most in our face is the amount of homelessness that L.A. is seeing, and we know that black folks are disproportionately affected by homelessness,” said Kevin Cosney, the organization’s special projects manager.

California Calls plans on teaming up with other groups and black churches to encourage census participation through phone banks, text message blasts, canvassing and social media campaigns, he said.

Black immigrants, he added, will be particularly hard to reach.

“Some, being Afro-Latino, would have the double whammy of a fear of government and how you’re treated as someone who presents as black on top of potential language barriers and a fear of deportation,” Cosney said.

Source: https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-la-county-census-hard-to-count-20190429-htmlstory.html

A Bookstore, Finally, Comes to the Bronx

By Ginia Bellafante

Noëlle Santos, who worked in human resources, was especially torn up. In 2014 she was on Facebook when she stumbled upon a petition to save Barnes & Noble. It pointed out how alarming it was that the Bronx was getting more and more cellphone stores and chain restaurants but would be left without a place to buy novels or training manuals or SAT preparation guides. Ms. Santos grew up in the Bronx, in Soundview, a rough neighborhood, and she stayed in the Bronx for college and graduate school. But she suddenly felt a radical need to do change things.

“Up to that point I had measured my success by how far I could get away from the Bronx,’’ she told me recently. “I was disappointed in myself for thinking about leaving a community in no better condition that I had found it,’’ she said.

Read more @nytimes: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/25/nyregion/bronx-bookstore.html

NEW MUSIC: "Otro Trago (Remix)" Sech ft. Darell

Sech ft. Darrell Otro Trago (Remix) off the new EP Sueños. Full EP available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8EqIKI8yBM&list=PLeyDm-yUdpqCix7LP_RqBfCVRAIoinr36

As El Museo del Barrio Celebrates 50 Years, Critics Say It’s Straying From Its Mission

By Janel Martinez, Aint I Latina [@aintilatina]

“While the 50th anniversary is supposed to be a celebration of the museum, the latest exhibition has only placed El Museo under further scrutiny. Though the institution states that it remains dedicated to Latinx and Latin American artists, some don’t believe it reflects the neighborhood where it’s located or represent Puerto Rican and other Latinx communities. As a result, many El Barrio natives and activists have spoken out about the present and future of the museum.

Less than a month before the exhibition debuted, Dr. Marta Moreno Vega, second director of El Museo, released a statement on Facebook detailing why she chose to withdraw her self portrait. In it, she mentions how El Museo is “excluding the communities it was created to serve” and “not addressing the issues that are impacting our people.”

“What has happened is that the homegrown community has been marginalized in its own institution and that’s the issue,” Moreno Vega tells me. “If you have an elitist economic vision of what art is from Latin American countries and what those people look like who hold that point of view, most of us don’t reflect that. That’s why we built El Museo to reflect who we are away from home in the urban areas that our parents forcibly came to because they couldn’t make it in colonial settings that were [prejudiced] and discriminatory in their own homes.”

Similarly, the “Mirror Manifesto,” an open letter pointing out El Museo’s missteps and the community’s demands, is pointing out how the museum tends to showcase Latin American artists instead of US-based Latinxs. The missive urges El Museo to acknowledge their concerns and implement several important changes, such as the expansion of its collection of Puerto Rican art, implementing a residency program for emerging Latinx artists, and ensuring that the Chief Curator be a Latinx art historian and Latinx curator.”

Read more @Remezcla: https://remezcla.com/features/culture/museo-del-barrio-50-years/

NEW MUSIC: "No Te Calles" Rubén Blades ft. Making Movies

Ruben Blades ft. Making Movies off the forthcoming album by Ruben Blades “Paraiso Road Gang

“SAL A LA CALLE” equivale a “NO TE ESCONDAS MÁS”, exprésate contra el mal y marcha contra la corrupción. Los que apoyamos al bien somos más. Los que apoyan al mal son menos que nosotros, en cualquier sociedad. Tengan fe. – RUBÉN BLADES