Episode 10 – July 19, 2021
Jennifer Bennett Brown, Israel Herndon, and Dennis Espejo: A Thirst for Knowledge: Students and Afrolatinidad
This three-part episode features conversations with Jennifer Bennett Brown, a K-12 Spanish language educator; Israel Herndon, a college senior majoring in Africana Studies and History; and Dennis Espejo, a rising junior concentrating in Psychology, Spanish, and Latin American Studies. Together, they bring perspectives on the importance of connecting students to topics and issues concerning the African Diaspora in Latin America and Afro-Latinx communities in the U.S.
Jennifer Bennett Brown: Website; Instagram
Dennis Espejo: Instagram
Israel Herndon: LinkedIn
Episode Resources
Social Media/Websites on Afrolatinidad
The Afro-Latin Diaspora – A site aimed at decolonizing and redefining the narrative of AfroLatinidad within the African Diaspora.
Afrolatinidad Studies Initiative, University of Pittsburgh – The aim the initiative is to enhance interdisciplinary scholarly exchange, research and student development in Afro-Latin American and Afro-Latinx Studies. (Website)
Juliana Pache created the hashtag #BlackLatinxHistory in 2016 in an effort to honor the often overlooked Black history makers of Latin nations. (Instagram)
Mitú – A leading digital media company representing the Latino point of view through video, editorial, social media and commerce.
Pitt Afro-Latin – This is the Instagram for Pitt’s official Afrolatinidad Studies Initiative.
Books
George Reid Andrews and Alejandro de la Fuente, Afro-Latin America: An Introduction, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018.
Eduard Arriaga and Andrés Villar, eds., Afro-Latinx Digital Connections. Gainesville: University of Florida Press, 2021.
Miriam Jiménez Román and Juan Flores, editors, The Afro-Latin@ Reader, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2010.
Jennifer A. Jones, Petra R. Rivera-Rideau, and Tianna S. Paschel, Afro-Latin@s in Movement Critical Approaches to Blackness and Transnationalism in the Americas, New York: Palgrave Macmillan US, 2016.
David Maranis, Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero, New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007.
Organizations
Department of Africana Studies, University of Pittsburgh – The Department’s mission is to advance the study, research, interpretation, production, and dissemination of knowledge pertaining to the experiences of people of African descent in Africa and the Diaspora.
Latinx Student Association, University of Pittsburgh – This undergraduate student organization aims to motivate Latinx leaders, educate others, advocate for our values, and celebrate our culture!
Films/Videos/Music
Black in Latin America Series – Brazil, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, Peru (2011) – This documentary is a new four-part series on the influence of African descent on Latin America.
Cheky, “7 Black Latin American Artists Reinventing Their Roots Through Electronic Music,” Remezcla, March 12, 2010.
Cheky, “9 Overlooked Black Latinx Artists You Should Have on Your Radar,” Remezcla, October 10, 2019.
I, A Black Woman, Resist, Director Dr. Sharelle Barber, Amber Delgado (2019) – A documentary on Afro-Brazilian activist and politician Marielle Franco.
¡Looking Bilingüe! – A storytelling celebration of biculturalism and bilingualism in the Latinx community seen through a growing collection of vibrant conversations, soul-baring interviews and unifying stories.
Shereen Marisol Meraji and Justin Richmond, “‘Se Que Soy’: Amara La Negra Embraces Her Afro-Latinidad,” NPR March 14, 2018.
Spanish Fenomenal – Jennifer Bennett Brown’s website for Spanish language learning and Afrolatinidad in education.
Transnational Dialogues in Afrolatinidad Webinars – This webinar series features panels of scholars and experts who specialize in Afro-Latin American and Afro-Latinx studies. Series topics have included Education and Anti-Blackness; Gender, Identity, and Health; and Migration, Policing, and Political Movements.
Michele Reid-Vazquez, Ph.D. 