February is not just another month — it is a powerful reminder of resilience, culture, and Black excellence. February celebrates Black History Month (BHM), a period that honors the struggles, achievements and impact of Black Americans throughout U.S. history. This history is complex and often challenged, but is nevertheless celebrated as a pathway for many new cultural experiences in the U.S. As an Afro-Latina with Black American southern roots, it is important for me to highlight Afro-Latinos’ contributions to the Black American fight in the most critical times in American history.
What is the History of Black History Month?
Over the years, Black American history has become widely regarded as American history and as a time exclusively devoted to showcasing the achievements of Black Americans.
The fight that Black Americans endured in the United States opened doors for many communities and immigrants over the decades. The question arises: What is the connection between Afro-Latinos and Black American History?
“We get caught up in where the ship dropped us off versus where the ship picked us up,” said Laz Alonso, an Afro-Cuban Hollywood star, in a radio interview. This statement helps bridge the gap of ambiguity between the historical and genetic relationships between the Black Americans and Afro-Latinos.
Afro-Latinao’ ancestors were brought to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade and are a mix of Spanish, African and Native Indigenous people. Many Afro-Latinos share the same complex history as Black Americans, and through the years have shared a common connection in the fight for equality.
Do you know Arturo Schomburg?
Arturo Schomburg, a Puerto Rican historian, writer, and collector of African Diaspora artifacts, came to the United States, specifically New York, at the age of 17 and began to immerse himself in black culture. While attending grade school, one of Schomburg’s teachers claimed that Black people had no history, heroes or accomplishments. This ignorant statement deeply troubled him and sparked a determination to prove the claim wrong. Schomburg helped preserve Black history and culture by showcasing his personal collection in what eventually became the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, located in Central Harlem.
In 1925, Schomburg wrote an influential essay that encouraged Black Americans to reclaim and acknowledge their history. Additionally, Arturo Schomburg’s research center became a place for many scholars like W.E.B Du Bois and Langston Hughes, who used his materials to fuel their own innovative advocacy. Arturo’s message was simple: if you know your history, you will understand your value. Schomburg’s call to reclaim our history did not stop with libraries and archives — it echoed through the voices of poets and activists who turned that history into powerful movements.
How did Afro-Latino poets impact the Civil Right Movement?
Felipe Luciano is a Puerto Rican poet, journalist and activist who became an important voice in the Civil Rights Movement during the late 1960s and 1970s. He was also part of a spoken-word group called The Last Poets, whose poetry talked about racism, identity and social justice. A lot of people even say their style helped influence the beginnings of hip-hop. Through voices like Luciano’s, culture, activism and identity come together to expand the meaning of Black history beyond a single narrative.
As we reflect on the powerful legacies of Arturo Schomburg and Felipe Luciano, it becomes clear that Black history in the United States has never been one-dimensional. The story of Black America is layered, multicultural and deeply interconnected with the African diaspora. Afro-Latinos have not stood on the sidelines of this history — they have helped write it, preserve it and push forward. To honor Black history fully, we must embrace all of its faces. When we acknowledge Afro-Latino contributions, we do not divide Black history — we deepen it. Black history is American history, and Afro-Latino history is part of it.
