My name is Adrianna Poindexter. My mother was born and raised in Nicaragua and my father is African-American. Being of Nicaraguan/African-American descent and a woman, I am considered a double, possibly a triple minority in this country. My mother has raised me to take pride my background and to not be discouraged by the ethnic biases that are engrained in the very fabric of our society. I am very proud of my Latino/African-American heritage and am intimately familiar with both cultures as well as their history of struggle for equality in this country. My people, Latinos and African-Americans, have an impressive history of battling inequality and fighting to have the rights we are entitled to. I am proud and honored to be a part of a long line of freedom fighters.Great advances have been made in the area of civil rights and equality. We must always honor, respect, and be mindful of the contributions our ancestors made to the life we enjoy today. It is important to always remember that these advances came at a very high price which our ancestors gladly paid. However, there is still work to be done. We still don’t receive equal treatment. Although we have more political representation than ever before, we are not yet equally represented in our government. We are still subject to stereotypes and are discriminated against because of these stereotypes. We are still made to feel conscious of our ethnicity and how it will affect how others perceive us upon first sight.Unification of Latinos and African-Americans is key to continue the push for equality. Latinos and African-Americans share a history of inequality in this country. We both have experienced a lack of representation in the government who has failed to provide the protection we are entitled to as U.S. citizens. This, of course, includes the indifference to the importance of our cultures. Why is it that Latinos and African-Americans only get one month out of the year to celebrate our history? Why is it that American history has not fully embraced the history of our cultures in this country? Are we not also Americans? If the government looked out on a crowd of Latinos and African-Americans today, they would see two separate groups screaming for what they want. Their desires would not be discernable, and would be drowned out by the sound of separate voices shouting out their wishes. This suggests that opening the lines of communication between Latinos and African-Americans is imperative if we are to make ourselves heard. There is strength in numbers. Why not be heard as one voice, one voice that would become a powerhouse? This powerhouse would be a force to be reckoned with which would bring about change and MAKE the government listen. Having Latinos and African/Americans unite to address all of our issues in this country has unlimited potential to bring about more change.In order to bring about significant change, there must be a bond between Latinos and African-Americans. Two of the most effective ingredients to strengthen ties between these two groups in our country are knowledge and understanding of one another’s cultures. Through community activities we can educate one another about our history and our culture. We can hold art exhibitions displaying cultural and present plays that depict important aspects of our history and culture. We could provide the chance to try various foods in the two cultures and to celebrate one another’s holidays. We can hold activities that offer the opportunity to have first hand experience in one another’s culture. All these activities will encourage mutual appreciation and respect for the richness of our cultures. When you appreciate and respect another person’s culture, you want to protect it. We may find that we are more similar than we are different. If we accept that African-Americans and Latinos share the same plight, unification would seem to be the natural course.HBCU can play a significant role in the advancement of our people. Their greatest contribution should be education. As we, Latinos and African-Americans, become more well-versed about our cultures, we can join the ranks of the freedom fighters who continue the legacy of struggle for equality left to us so long ago by our ancestors. It is our responsibility to keep the dream of equality alive and to ensure that someday it becomes a reality.
