With Pan-Africanist ideology regaining popularity, the increased awareness and acceptance of the African diaspora within America and beyond, as well as the lifting of voices that speak on why Black and Latino are not mutually exclusive, we often find ourselves asking: “What exactly is Afro-Latino?”
The answer to that question is simple. Afro-Latinos are people of African descent in Latin America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean; also extending to those of the diaspora living in the Americas whose families can be traced to either of those two regions. Although the definition was just nicely and neatly packaged, I will be remiss if I don’t mention the ongoing conflict surrounding the label Afro-Latino. This is largely due to many Latinos struggling with the remnants of colonialist thinking, coupled with many non-Latinos within the diaspora increasingly having to consider redefining Black(ness), particularly in the United States. Of course, this is reflective of the complicated histories of Africans and their descendants in the Americas.
Although it gets turned on and off, one thing is for sure – Latinos surely demonstrate pride in our African roots through music, food and some religious practices. Of course, being of African decent is deeper than that, but it does account for important parts of our cultural, political and spiritual foundation and that’s something to celebrate.
Speaking of celebration, although Hispanic Heritage month has technically ended (September 15-October 15), there’s no reason why we can’t keep the party going! Of course the ways that you can observe are endless, but here are some suggestions that will feed your soul through music, education, literature, social media, film, food and philanthropy:
Virtually connect with a few Afro-Latina bloggers who are in various ways innovating, inspiring and moving the needle with their social justice initiatives;
Deepen your understanding of global Afro-Latino history with articles, abstracts and opinions at The Afrolatin@ Project and/or join their ongoing twitter chats, in addition to seeing what’s going on with the Afro-Latin family throughout the Americas with the African American – Latino World blog;
Dance the night away with an Afro-Latin Party or relax and pay homage to the African diaspora with the smooth grooves of Arturo O’Farrill.
Whatever you do, know that acknowledging and celebrating Afro-Latino history and culture throughout the year, will add tremendous value to our lived experiences.
Natalie Diaz is a contributing writer to The Burton Wire.
Lalah Hathaway will release her seventh album Lalah Hathaway LIVE on Friday, October 30, 2015.
(Photo: Provided by Aalyah Duncan)
Lalah Hathaway will release her seventh album Lalah Hathaway LIVE on Friday, October 30, 2015. (Photo Credit: Ali LeRoi)
Lalah Hathaway has been around a long time. The Grammy award-winning songstress has proven that she has staying power in a fickle industry that appears to embrace the opposite of what she represents. The daughter of musicians, legendary singer Donny Hathaway and classically trained vocalist Eulaulah Hathaway, Hathaway takes R&B music seriously and believes that soul music reflects the history, present and future of black culture and society. “I see rhythm and blues music or soul music, as a history book,” says the Berklee College of Music graduate. “At a certain point in history, soul music and rhythm and blues music told the story of blacks in this country and then spoke to other experiences.” Hathaway’s thoughts about black music reflect a life lived amongst black cultural producers like her mother, mentor and collaborator, the late great Joe Sample and a cultural and political identity that influences her melodic and mesmerizing vocals.
Hathaway takes her music and being an artist very seriously and wishes more artists felt the same. She is clear that her father and his contemporaries like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye used music to talk about what they were seeing in the world and to critique society and a profound lack of justice facing black Americans, which influences her music. Social justice is inherently a part of Hathaway’s identity and music. While many musical artists say they’re doing the same thing, Hathaway doesn’t see it. “I try not to judge and it’s really no shade but these artists, and I use the term loosely, just are not seeing enough. The landscape is so narrow. And so when you have people talking about social justice, it really sticks out, because nobody’s really talking about anything.”
Hathaway has been challenging the naysayers and pretenders for nearly twenty-five years, bringing history into her production and performance. The two-time Grammy award winner’s latest effort, a live album entitled, Lalah Hathaway LIVE! was recorded live at the historic Troubadour Theater in Los Angeles earlier this year, in the same place where her father recorded half of his seminal 1972 album Donny HathawayLive. Her seventh album, LIVE! delivers the full-force and intimate live Lalah Hathaway experience that fans everywhere love. Hathaway has sold out performances throughout the country including Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta, where promoters had to add an additional show. Lalah Hathaway sees this album as a continuum in her work, but also recognizes that it is a departure from her previous albums because she put the entire album together, “from soup to nuts.”
Hathaway, who grew up with a lot of live records, live bands and live musicians, used those experiences to build this album. Her favorite album growing up was Donny Hathaway Live! Some would fall apart growing up in the shadow of a musical genius, but Hathaway rose to the challenge, creating an album that would complement his iconic album. “That record gave me so much…so many dreams and so many visions. I always imagined, because music was heard and not seen in the 70s and 80s, what it looked like. What were the people wearing? How were they seated? Was he in the middle of the floor? Did he keep his hat on the whole performance? I had all these visions. And it was my dream to create something that I felt could stand next to that piece,” says Hathaway.
While many know about her father, Hathaway comes from a long line of musicians, which influences her musical appreciation, performances and stylings. “My parents met at Howard University in the Fine Arts department. They were both musicians. My father’s grandparents were musicians and uncles and aunts were musicians. And so as a musician, that was with me before I even got to the planet.” Hathaway understands her God-given talents and what it takes to hone them. She learns from her mother who still travels with her when she performs. Hathaway stands proudly on the shoulders of a family and community as she continues to make her way in an industry that appears to be more interested in Twitter beefs and music that is seen and not heard.
In spite of this issue, Hathaway continues the tradition of great music, production and performance as she moves into new territory, forming a venture between Hathaway Entertainment and Entertainment One Music (eOne Music) to produce this latest album which will be released on October 30 and will feature her musical take on Anita Baker’s hit song “Angel” and Donny Hathaway’s live song “Little Ghetto Boy.”
Phil Thornton, eOne Music’s Vice-President and General Manager of Urban Inspirational, says: “Lalah Hathaway is a world-class artist with a rich history and talent that’s second to none.” He adds, “She has been creating great music for over 20 years and eOne is excited to work with someone of her stature and continue that success.”
Hathaway is committed to success as she is to making this seventh album a force to be reckoned with in the music industry.
A former ambassador for the Susan G. Komen Circle of Promise Initiative which targets African-American women, Hathaway is committed to creating change in society through her music and actions. A self-described “student at heart,” Hathaway stays on the road practicing and perfecting her tools, soaks up knowledge from mentors and collaborators and stays focused on making music that speaks to and for the world community. At a time when being black is downright dangerous and being a black woman in music or society is precarious, Hathaway keeps it in perspective. “I try to present myself as a lady, not to be stodgy because I spill tea like everyone else. I have a mother that’s still breathing so there’s a certain standard that I have to uphold,” says Hathaway who has Kim Burrell, Terri Lyne Carrington, Kendrick Lamar and Lianne La Havas in heavy rotation.
“As an artist, I feel like I have a responsibility to do better, to do more for audiences, for society” says the soul singer. With Lalah Hathaway LIVE, the soul singer continues to accomplish that goal one musical note at a time.
This article was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of the award-winning news blog, The Burton Wire. Follow her on Twitter @Ntellectual.
LeVar Burton (far left) hosted and executive produced 'Reading Rainbow' on PBS for 23 seasons (Photo Credit: ReadingRainbow.com).
LeVar Burton (far left) hosted and executive produced the family-oriented series Reading Rainbow on PBS for 23 seasons (Photo Credit: ReadingRainbow.com).
LeVar Burton thinks his purpose in life is to provide solutions to persisting educational crises in America. For 23 seasons, he was the soft spoken host and executive producer of the PBS program Reading Rainbow. The show featured field trips and rotating celebrity narrators reading audiobook style, motivating millions of youth and families to take pride in reading and using their imagination.
The memorable Emmy- and Peabody award-winning series cemented its place in television history as the third-longest running children’s program. Six years following the show’s 2006 cancellation, Reading Rainbow made its transition over to digital as one of the first apps available exclusively for the iPad (now Kindle Fire and Android, too). Burton simultaneously launched an interactive portal, RRKIDZ.
RRKIDZ’s Skybrary includes interactive books, games and virtual field trips. Reading Rainbow’s crowdfunding campaign in 2014 exceeded its $1 million fundraising goal in only 11 hours, raising over $5 million in 35 days from over 100,000 contributors. Also the co-owner of the rights to Reading Rainbow, Burton’s passion for literacy stems from his mother, an English teacher.
Reading was mandatory in their household. Burton thinks being an avid reader throughout life helped to shape and inform his own experiences and outlook on the world. “If you have the facility of literature at your disposal,” says Burton speaking in his unforgettable television voice, “you can discover and discern the truth for yourself. Reading and our ability to engage our imaginations is the unique superpower that human beings have.”
Also famous for portraying the visually impaired, VISOR-wearing Lt. Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Burton recently appeared at the Association for the Study of African American Life and History’s (ASALH) centennial conference in Atlanta. The veteran actor announced that the landmark 1977 miniseries Roots was being remade. Burton portrayed author Alex Haley’s ancestor Kunta Kinte, which earned him an Emmy nod.
Roots was Burton’s first professional audition and acting debut. At the time, he was a 19-year-old sophomore on a scholarship at USC’s School of Theatre. The new Roots will broadcast simultaneously on Lifetime, A&E and The History Channel in 2017. Burton initially had reservations about the historic television moment being updated. The Grammy award-winner had a change of heart after speaking with the upcoming version’s executive producer Mark Wolper.
Mark Wolper, whose father, David L. Wolper produced the original telecast, attempted to show Roots to his children. The young people thought the story didn’t directly affect them. Burton, who contributed the voice of Kwame to the animated Captain Planet franchise, perceived Wolper’s dilemma as a generational disconnect between baby boomers and millennials.
“For this generation, Roots is the house band on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show instead of the story of our common history in America,” says Burton, a multiple NAACP Image award recipient. “It’s time to tell the story. Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. It’s time we re-engage each other in this important conversation that we genuinely believe can lead to healing.”
The Roots remake was originally slated to air in 2016, but the decision was made to take time and develop a strong film. Another reason for revitalizing Roots, Burton says, is to reintroduce viewers and youth to Haley’s legacy. An advocate of great storytelling, Burton, who evolved into a sought after episodic television director, hopes that the made-for-TV movie’s update will spark dialogue spanning generations.
“We want to make sure we do this story right and fully,” says Burton. “Slavery is the original sin that America has never acknowledged. We will once again begin to create a conversation in this culture about how the past informs our present and what we can do in this new moment to move forward.”
Reading Rainbow, Roots and Star Trek: The Next Generation collectively make up what Burton says is a “pretty cool trifecta.” He’s most proud of Reading Rainbow’s cultural impact mainly because it married literature to real world experiences. He’s working to develop a classroom version for instructors and web version for home use.
Reiterating how blessed he has been throughout his close to four-decade career, a chuckling Burton, a Hollywood Walk of Fame recipient, reaffirms that educating audiences with positive programming is his greatest contribution to society and culture.
“We consume television content so differently than we did in 1977,” says Burton. “Reading Rainbow and my work in childhood literacy is the most important thing I’ll ever do. When Roots airs in 2017, we encourage you to gather in front of a cold fire of television and share in our common story.”
This post was written by Christopher A. Daniel, pop cultural critic and music editor for the Burton Wire. He is also contributing writer for Urban Lux Magazine and Blues & Soul Magazine. Follow Christopher @Journalistorian on Twitter.
South African students protest fee hike.
(Google Images)
South African students protest fee hikes. (Google Images: David McKenzie/CNN)
BBC Africa is reporting twenty-nine South Africans have been charged with public violence amid the largest student protests to hit the country since apartheid ended in 1994. The author reports:
“Police again fired stun grenades to disperse students in Cape Town, a day after protesters stormed the parliamentary complex. Thousands also descended on the governing party’s headquarters in the main city, Johannesburg.
The students are angry with a proposed increase in tuition fees. The demonstrations began last week at Johannesburg’s prestigious University of the Witwatersrand, and have since spread to at least 10 universities, forcing the closure of many of them.
On at least two occasions, police foiled attempts by the protesters to reach the headquarters of the governing African National Congress (ANC), pushing them back to their campuses. But the students regrouped and finally reached the building, named Luthuli House after South Africa’s first Nobel Peace Prize laureate Albert Luthuli.
The students sang and chanted anti-apartheid songs, invoking memories of the decades-long campaign which led to the overthrow of the apartheid regime in 1994.
The ANC pulled out its election truck and seemed to be wiring a loud speaker, but the students refused to let the party’s secretary-general Gwede Mantashe address them. Instead, they gave him a memorandum outlining their demands.”
John Boyega as Storm Trooper Finn.
(Photo: Google Images)
John Boyega as Storm Trooper Finn. (Photo: Google Images)
CNN is reporting that a social media movement is calling for fans to boycott Star Wars: Episode VII: The Force Awakens, due in theaters December 18.
While most fans lauded the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer, a small faction has attacked the films ethnic diversity, labeling it as a ploy to promote white genocide. Though lead by a small faction, the boycott has gained national media attention due to the #BoycottStarWarsVII hashtag that trended Monday on Twitter.
One Twitter user called for the boycott of the movie “because it’s nothing more than a social justice propaganda piece that alienates it’s (sic) core audience of young white males.”
Star Wars: The Force Awakens features new courageous lead characters, played by Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, as well as some familiar faces from the original trilogy. Boyega is African American, while Isaac has Guatemalan and Cuban ancestry.
The #BoycottStarWarsVII hashtag was then taken up by supporters of the film’s diversity who mocked the racist sentiments of the hashtags originators.
Director J.J. Adams spoke of the need for diversity in the Star Wars Franchise in an interview in San Diego last year saying, “I think it’s important people see themselves represented in film. I think it’s not a small thing.”
This controversy demonstrates that these so-called Star Wars “fans” are not well versed in the franchise’s history. Even the earliest Star Wars films had leading black cast members. In fact, the character Darth Vader was voiced by African American actor James Earl Jones. Billy Dee Williams starred as Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Samuel L. Jackson played Jedi Master Mace Windu in Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (1999). All of these characters were wildly popular with fans.
This post was written by Reginald Calhoun. He is a senior Mass Media Arts major at Clark Atlanta University. Follow him on Twitter @IRMarsean and on Instagram @Les_geaux_jawn.
South African Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has been released from prison.
(Google Images)
South African Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has been released from prison. (Google Images)
BBC News is reporting South African Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, 28, has been released from prison nearly one year after he was jailed for killing his girlfriend.
He is expected to spend the remainder of a five-year prison sentence at his uncle’s upmarket home in Pretoria under house arrest.
Pistorius shot Reeva Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door in 2013 but said he thought she was an intruder.
Ms Steenkamp’s relatives say they think Pistorius is “getting off lightly”.
Pistorius was found guilty of culpable homicide, or manslaughter, of his 29-year-old girlfriend in October 2014.
The prosecution appealed the ruling because they believe Pistorius should have been convicted of murder instead of culpable homicide according to the law and sentencing guidelines. A decision is due to be heard by the Supreme Court of Appeal on November 3 of this year.
Teen Nigerian brothers Anesi, 13 and Osine, 15 Ikhianosime.
Photo: BlackMediaScoop
Teen Nigerian brothers Anesi, 13 and Osine, 15 Ikhianosime. Photo: BlackMediaScoop
Black Media Scoop(BMS) is reporting teen Nigerian brothers Anesi,13 and Osine, 15 Ikhianosime have developed a web browser that challenges Google Chrome. The BMS staff reports that the boys wanted a browser that loaded faster than Google Chrome, so they built one. The BMS author writes:
“The dynamic coding duo are your ordinary African teenagers. They attend school in Greensprings school, Anthony Campus, Lagos. They love their friends, soccer, to have fun and coding, obviously.
The young problem solvers got tired of waiting for Google Chrome to load on their mobile phones, so decided to do something about it instead of complain. They decided to build a better mobile browser last year and called it Crocodile Browser Lite. It is currently live and ready for your download in the Google Play store right now.”
The duo’s parents emphasized education and say the boys knew how to use computers before they could read. Anesi and Osine taught themselves how to code by using Google Academy, Code Avenger and books like Android for Games and Games for Dummies.
The boys plan to attend MIT after high school graduation.
Season 3 of Being Mary Jane returns to television tonight on BET at 9 p.m. EST.
Season 3 of Being Mary Jane returns to television tonight on BET at 9 p.m. EST.
The blogosphere is in a tizzy over the return of audience favorite Being Mary Jane, BET‘s breakout hit starring Gabrielle Union, Lisa Vidal, Aaron D. Spears, Margaret Avery, Richard Brooks, Raven Goodwin, Stephen Bishop, Latarsha Rose, B.J. Britt and Richard Roundtree.
Last season ended with a slew of cliffhangers including Mary Jane Paul (Union) learning the truth about Lisa (Rose) and David (Bishop) and getting into what looks to be a horrific car crash in the process. Will Mary Jane’s career and personal life survive the car crash?
Below, Tai Beauchamp discusses the series with co-creator Mara Brock-Akil about Mary Jane’s last relationship with Sheldon (Gary Dourdan) and Mary Jane’s discovery of Lisa and David’s “relationship.”
Check out Being Mary Jane‘s (#beingmaryjane) two-hour Season 3 premiere tonight at 9p.m. EST on BET.
This post was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of the award-winning news site The Burton Wire. Follow her on Twitter @Ntellectual.
Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne (left) greets Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro (r).
Image: Caribbean 360
Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne (left) greets Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro. Google Images/Caribbean 360
Caribbean 360 is reporting Venezuela’s state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA will buy a 25 per cent stake in Antigua and Barbuda’s West Indies Oil Company as the first of many “joint investments” between the countries, President Nicolás Maduro says. The article states:
“Caracas will also establish a regional bank with the twin-island nation to fund several projects, including a new Simon Bolivar Resort Hotel. Funds for that will come from the Petrocaribe program. Maduro announced those plans in Antigua yesterday, on one of the stops on his tour of the Caribbean that also includes Suriname, St. Lucia and Grenada.”
Venezuela will also fund an eye clinic in Grenada.
Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem.
Thelma Golden is Director and Chief Curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem. (Google Images)
Hilarie M. Sheets of the New York Timesis reporting that Thelma Golden, the director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem, has been awarded the 2016 Audrey Irmas Award for Curatorial Excellence by Bard College’s Center for Curatorial Studies. The award includes an unrestricted $25,000 prize.
The Executive Director of the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, Tom Eccles, told the New York Times:
“Thelma today may be thought of as part of the system but she still is a gritty, independent voice raising many issues broader in society from the art world…many of my students in the graduate program are thinking about the work of Thelma Golden and asking to look at the 1993 Whitney Biennial and ‘Black Male’ and the kinds of issues she’s brought up at the Studio Museum.”
Golden joins previous recipients of the 19-year-old award including: Christine Tome and Martha Wilson (2015), Charles Esche (2014), and Elisabeth Sussman (2013).
Golden began her career at the Studio Museum in 1987, then spending a decade at the Whitney Museum, before returning to the Harlem institution in 2000 as deputy director. Golden has led the Studio Museum since 2005.
Earlier this year Golden announced plans for a new building designed by David Adjaye. Eccles elaborated on the judge’s decision to select Golden as the award winner, saying Golden’s devotion to “maintaining a vision and a commitment over a long time to an institution that’s not glamorous or wealthy,” was also a consideration of the panel.
This post was written by Reginald Calhoun. He is a senior Mass Media Arts major at Clark Atlanta University. Follow him on Twitter @IRMarsean and on Instagram @Les_geaux_jawn.
will be released Friday, October 30, 2015.
