There is an ignorance, an ignorance that plagues many of us. It is an ignorance of ourselves and of the identity of our neighbor that constantly prevents us from recognizing and attaining our own greatness.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities are at the forefront of helping minorities, both African Americans and Hispanics achieve a level of self respect otherwise denied to us through the media and sterotypes. Historically Black Colleges have been instrumental in allowing minorities to recognize and bring out that inner greatness in us all. They allow us to dispel the stereotypes brought upon us, those stereotypes which even we fall **** to at times and mimick. The only way that we can break the chain is through education and through finding pride in who we are thus making us true role models for future generations.
The Historically Black Colleges and Universities are sadly one of the few institutions who have raised awareness of our Afro-Hispanic counterparts and their contributions in the Americas and the United States. Whether we are dealing with the influence of Hispanics on Jazz music and the Harlem Renaissance, the Hispanics playing in the Negro baseball leagues or influence of Africans speech patterns into dialects of Spanish, we find a connection between African Americans and Hispanics. It is truely a bond, a similar experience of the people and their origins.
Due to the similarities and bonds we can determine that is crucial to our mission of progess for minorites to find this brotherhood and exploit it. Historically Black Colleges and Universities must continue this tradition of raising the awareness so that we may one day be one huge movement working towards the same goals. This relationship between African Americans and Hispanics can be further strengthened through education and raising peoples awareness of the issue. We must not allow the beauracracies to separate us through their classification systems. Why is a hispanic with mostly pure african lineage forced to check off "hispanic" and is disqualified from "Black (non-hispanic)" when he is just as African American as anyother person from the Carribean of the United States? We must begin to gather our similarities instead of focusing on our differences.
As a collective people, Hispanics and African Americans hold incredible power. Combined, Hispanics and African Americans hold one out of seven dollars in the United States. That is huge purchasing power. We also become a major political force that will not be ignored among other strengths.
In many states such as New York, African Americans and Hispanics have been working alongside for many years but it is ignored on a national level. The reverend Al Sharpton regularly shows support for Hispanic issues such as his protesting of bombing in Vieques, Puerto Rico and for Hispanics victimized by the police. Similarly, Hispanic activists can always be found doing the same for African Americans. This is the direction our country needs to be moving in. When we can look at each other equally, Hispanic and African Americans and be able to recognize each other as brothers and sisters we have made a huge stride. It is then, at that moment that we can capitalize on an idea and begin turning it into a reality. A reality full of promise, progress and equal power for us in all aspects.
