by Eric Cortes
During Black History Month, the United States celebrates the wonderful contributions African-Americans (and others) have made to not only the country but the world. What most people don’t realize is that there are others who aren’t full African-American but which contribute to Black History Month. Last week I discussed the AfroLatino in Philadelphia and how these stories affect their daily lives and those around them. Of course, there are hundreds and thousands more living their daily life; however, there are others who hope to educate the world.
Afrolatinos: “The Untaught Story” is a documentary television series independently produced by Creador Pictures, LLC. The program will illustrate history and celebrates the rich culture of people in Latin America of African descent—from the story of how and when slaves came to Central and South America, to identity issues that still exist in the Hispanic community today. “AfroLatino (to me) means that you claim your decadency to Africa,” said Alicia Anabel, one of the documentary creators. “An AfroLatino is someone who knows their roots and accepts that title.” So ask yourself: Do you accept your African and indigenous roots?
The series wasn’t created overnight. “We’ve been working on this project for three years and traveled to 18 countries,” said Anabel. “It’s this desire to know where we came from. It was never taught to us by our families.” And it’s true. Sure, we know about the conquistadors, but what about the history before them? There are an estimated 200 million Afro-descendants in Latin America, but the majority of them do not have political or economic power. This documentary takes you on a journey to meet Afrolatinos throughout Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nations, and on an exploration and appreciation of their culture. 
In addition to this new series, there’s the Afro Latin@ Project. This project aims to document, promote, coordinate, and support the development of Afro-Latin@ studies and grass roots activities in the United States. This primary focus is informed and enriched by the historical and contemporary experience of African-descendant peoples in the Americas.
Most people identify with the Spanish influence in their lives and not the indigenous or African decadency. I’m glad these few projects are being created to educate not just us, but the world. What’s next? When the documentary series is finally complete, we will hopefully get to see it. I would hope PBS, WHYY, CNN, NPR, and other major media outlets would be open to airing these important series. Because without history, we have no future.
To learn more about Eric, visit hisPanic.
______________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those
of the author and should not be understood to be shared by Being Latino, Inc.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Being Latino Online Magazine 