Black History Month is a celebration of Black American achievement in the United States. Since 1976, February has been designated by every U.S. president as Black History Month, and other countries, such as the United Kingdom and Canada, have also devoted months to recognize Black history as well.
We want to honor Black History by recognizing a few Afro-Latino trailblazers who have broken barriers in the U.S. and across the world.
Ariana DeBose – Actress, singer, and dancer, Ariana DeBose, is a triple-threat Broadway star, making history as a queer Afro-Latina Oscar Nominee for her performance as “Anita” in West Side Story. Following in the footsteps of Rita Moreno, she has won the Golden Globe for her role as “Anita,” with a promising Oscar future ahead of her. She is a Tony-nominated actress, having played Donna Summer in “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical,” and featured in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix Movie, “The Prom,” alongside Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman. She continues to make history and showcase Afro-Latino pride across the country.
There is no one way to be Latino, Black, Afro-Latino, or any race—for this reason, we must lift each other’s voices and recognize the greatness we bring together as a community. We are grateful to our community of trailblazers and choose to celebrate Black History Month today and every day.