Seen Elsewhere:Why We Need Afro-Latin@ Theatre

Photo via Black Girl, Latin World

When my play The Stories of Us was chosen for the Teatro Vivo’s annual Austin Latino Play Festival 2015, I was shocked to say the least. My play was Black—Blacker than Black. It called out African Americans, Latin@s, and Afro-Latin@s for the broken bonds between us, racism, and many things that we fail to say in normal conversations. I confided in a colleague about my nervousness about work being in that space and he told me, “It’s needed there.” Although I am not Afro-Latin@, I identify with Afro-Latin@ experiences. Being a Black American and speaking Spanish in Texas, I am often met with the question “You know Spanish?” or “How did you learn Spanish?” These questions reflect the lack of exposure to Afro-Latinidad and the hidden erasure of these stories. Why is my language ability even a question? 

Seen Elsewhere: 4 Ways to Cope with Wanderlust

via Black Girl, Latin World

You did it! You went on an amazing study abroad trip to South Africa.  Or maybe you took a 2 week vacation in Spain.  Now, you’re back home reliving your experience through Instagram photos and conversations with your fellow travelers. It seems that your family and friends don’t understand and you are itching to see some place new and interesting.  However, you have to be responsible.  Either you haven’t racked up enough vacation days or you don’t have the funds at the moment. You can’t travel right now and it’s driving you loca!  Wanderlust is incurable.  You will always be tempted to spend your rent money on a plan ticket to India, but you don’t want to end up broke. Luckily, there are ways to cope.

Join a travel club

Did you spend a summer in Rio? Have an unforgettable vacay in China? You can connect with a travel club to cope with your wanderlust. Can’t locate one? Meetup.com is the perfect place to start your own. Nine times out of ten there are others in your city who share your passion for travel.

Embrace where you are

It has been said that we need to learn to be content with our present in order to be truly happy. It makes no sense to spend time wishing you could cuddle with your study abroad fling. Embrace your family, friends and current situation and use your experience to inspire their travel bug. Get them excited and on board to accompany you on your next escapade.

 Read more here.

© Black Girl, Latin World

The Latinegr@s Who Inspire Me

Let’s be real.  On this journey called life, we have folks who keep us going.  As a Black American engrossed in and connected to Afro-Latinidad, I find real inspiration in the tenacity, creativity and shear brilliance of the writer’s, artists, activists, and scholars on this list.  Whenever I feel ‘some type of way’ about my journey, these are some of the members of the grand diasporic familia that I look to for guidance in their work/words/social media presence/etc.

The LatiNegrxs Project Team

via lati-negros.tumblr.com

These folks.  As a team, they are some of the most inspiring individuals ever.  Each comitted to the cause of LatiNegrxs awareness.   I learn so much about activism, academia, art, culture and life in our meetings and I can’t thank them enough for allowing me to be apart of it all.  Daniel, Bianca, Jessica, Vio, Marissa, Kayla and Anna thank you.