racism – Afroféminas

“Mercedes…. Tu nombre es en Español… Pero….. Tu eres Americana.... ” they always say to me with the same confused vocal infliction, and furrowed eyebrows. What they genuinely mean by that is “Mercedes, tu nombre es en Español, pero… tu eres Morena.” I am an Afro Latina from New York by way of the Washington, D.C. area who felt a burdening need for change as I finished up my first two years as an educator and Master’s degree in Education in May 2017. In September, I packed up two large suitcases and moved across the Atlantic Ocean to teach English in Spain. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was looking for, but what I found here was a country full of rich culture, beautiful architecture, interesting food, fascinating people and – racism. You may be wondering: “but you’re from America! Isn’t Ame...

We have been two days trying to grab attention about a feast that has surprised us in a negative way. The Alcoy Christmas, which has among one of its representative acts the so-called pajes, or patges in Valencian. It is about a massive blackface that insults our entire community. These personages, surely anonymous, are dedicated to give gifts away, they go up and down stairs, floors, and come into houses. Up here all right, but why the shoe polish? The issue of traditions is somewhat ticklish, and we can’t hide behind these anachronistic acts, that also displeases a sector of the population. We are surprised that nobody from the progressist local government sees the untimeliness of that picture in the poster. We are surprised by such short-sightedness. We understand the silence, there is...

Etiqueta: racism

Blackface in Spain: How can she tell me, a black person, that shit ISN’T racist?

A massive blackface in Alcoy, may be an Intangible heritage of Humanity?