Interview with WHEELS HS on their Annual Cuba Research Trip

Last year, a group of students from WHEELS (Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School) High School's Critical Theory and Social Justice Club made history by becoming the first public high school from the United States to visit Cuba since the recent easing of travel restrictions. The students spent time researching Cuban life and will focus on getting first-hand accounts about the country's history, day-to-day life in Cuba, relationships with the United States and learning about Afro-Cuban culture. Daniel Morales-Armstrong, Lead College Counselor/Faculty Advisor, Critical Theory and Social Justice Club at WHEELS and former WHEELS students Dilenia Santos and Katherine Santos answered some questions we asked them about the trip. You can read those here.

AfroLatin@s Now: Connecting Stories

AfroLatin@s Now: Connecting Stories is a podcast series produced by the AfroLatin@ Forum offering thoughtful and informed analyses of pressing stories from around the globe that are connected to the experience of Latin@s of African descent in the United States.

The Juan Flores AfroLatin@ Studies Scholarship Fund

Juan Flores was an educator who was thoroughly committed to his many students over the course of an academic career that spanned more than 45 years.  In acknowledgement of his dedication to teaching, learning, and critical thinking, and his deep concern with furthering the cause of social justice, the AfroLatin@ Forum has established The Juan Flores AfroLatin@ Scholarship Fund. Your donation will be appreciated.

Let’s Talk About Race (in Latin@ Communities)

by Melissa M. Valle for NACLA
10/16/2014

They say that the Devil’s greatest trick is convincing the world he didn’t exist. While I’m not a religious person, I find something alarming about the notion that a sinister force is exacting its will on humanity while successfully going undetected, and therefore uncontested. Racism in Latin America has a similar invisible, but insidious, sort of quality.

Bring up racism amongst those from Latin America and you’ll often get an exasperated groan, followed by something about how class is the predominate stratifying principle in Latin America, and a plea to stop applying your U.S.-based take on race to those in Latin America and the Caribbean. They may even throw in a “we’re all mixed” or “what is race?” rejoinder for good measure. Keep reading.