By Alberto Vasallo, III
El Mundo Boston – President/CEO
Without mincing words and getting right to the point: non-Afro Latinos MUST stand by the movement Black Lives Matter and MUST show their support in a way that is loud, clear and strong.
Not only is it the right thing to do for all the reasons we have read about and spoken about before, but now – more than ever – we must show our solidarity with the black community, our black friends, brothers and sisters.
As a matter of fact, so many of us actually do have black brothers, sisters, cousins, etc, – as too many are quick to forget our Afro-Latino roots.
Of the nearly 60 million Latinos living in the United States, most of whom can trace back their heritages to Latin America and the Caribbean, a quarter identify as Afro-Latino, Afro-Caribbean or of African descent with roots in Latin America.
As a life-long Bostonian, I can tell you that our own Latino community is as diverse as it comes with Latinos from all races, nations and religions.
But being in solidarity with Black Lives Matter goes beyond embracing and supporting a cause that may impact many of us directly. It is about standing up for justice, taking a stance against racism and for acknowledging the sins of the past.
In my humble opinion, there is a disconnect that too many of my Latino brothers and sisters have with the Black experience that needs to be addressed. It stems not from a dark place, but rather from a place that needs illumination about the sad and tragic history that haunts our nation around Black America.
Yes, the history needs to be spelled out for many in my community.
Since the founding of this nation, African-Americans have experienced harm at the hands of unjust forces that have systematically hindered economic, social and overall progress. And many in my community are not aware of it – or if they are, not to the extent that they should be. It goes beyond watching a movie, or reading a newspaper article.
Too many in my community simply do not understand the real pain, the legitimate struggle, the deep-rooted evil that has been the cause of so much strife, frustration, anger and even rage.
And it’s time my community, my family, my friends, my staff, become more informed, more educated and more involved. It’s time to dig deeper, learn, listen and act.
In order to be part of the solution, El Mundo Boston will not only continue to cover this issue extensively, but we are also creating a new platform for members of the Black community to directly engage our community through a series of op-ed pieces that we will be translating, publishing and posting in the coming weeks.
As a follow up to last week’s Facebook LIVE show which featured an open discussion on her Afro-Latina experiences with Dr. Mariel Navas, we will be be launching a series of El Mundo Boston Facebook LIVES to continue the dialogue and the educational process.
The truth is that embracing and supporting Black Lives Matter is not a foregone conclusion in our community and this needs to change as well.
While our youngsters seem to get it, there is still a lack of enthusiasm that pervades, there is a feeling among many of my black friends that my community is not entirely there for them. I truly believe it comes more from a lack of knowledge, context and understanding of history.
I say this because, where can you really go for this history? I certainly don’t remember it from my books in school.
What I have had is the good fortune of co-hosting or producing for 25 years on Urban Update, a weekly show that has taught me more about the struggles of Black America than any classroom ever did.
I have come to know some of the finest individuals in our city and some of the most amazing stories about the history, contributions and challenges of Black Bostonians. I have come to not only respect but admire this community. I’ve been truly blessed to have had the opportunity to listen and learn and today I am acting.
I am humbly asking my community to also listen, learn and act. Embracing and supporting the spirit of Black Lives Matter is what I am asking from my people today.
And lastly, if there ever was a timely quote that I could offer my community, it would be the following:
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere…Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
― Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from the Birmingham Jail
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Note: Below are a couple of links to resources that could serve to continue to elevate and amplify Black voices:
- Recursos Antirracistas En Español
- https://www.latinosforeducation.org/2020/06/09/difficult-conversations-blacklivesmatter/
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Lea este artículo en Español aquí: https://elmundoboston.com/black-lives-matter-por-que-los-latinos-deben-mantenerse-solidarios/
