I’m Afro-Latina and I feel left out of my Black community because I don’t look like them. What can I do to feel included?

It's important to understand that being African-American and being of Latinx descent are not the same, and because anti-blackness is prominent in many Latinx communities, Black people are often on guard with walls up due to constant experiences of racial trauma from PoC, and therefore, it can leave folks with Black heritage feeling excluded from the movement. It's going to be your job to continue to show up anyway. This is not about inclusivity, it's about recognizing the symptoms of racial trauma, and when a group of people is constantly traumatized due to the color of their skin, it's important to recognize the privileges you may hold, especially when you say "I don't look like them."

Do the work of understanding issues like colorism in the Black and Latinx community, while also understanding the privileges you might have when you can identify as Black but in the same breath say, I don't look Black. Also, what does blackness mean to you? Is it a culture that you can put on and take off, or is it an everyday experience? You are who you are, and there is space for you to hold both your Black and Latin heritage, but it's also important to educate yourself on the divide within these two communities, and lean in, support, amplify and continue to show up for black people all year round.

Minaa B.