All police officers and all white people are not evil or racists. I believe that we are all in danger of being infected by racist and evil views in this society. That includes police officers coming into the police force and realizing that in order to fit in with their colleagues and their work environment they need to dehumanize their suspects who are black or brown. When we start dehumanizing people we start disconnecting ourselves from reality. The color of skin or type of hair is just design. We all bleed red.

Being Afro-latina I’ve had first hand experiences with colorism from the Latino community. We’ve been conditioned to want European features and hate ourselves if we don’t possess them. People will dig up their family tree to find at least one family member with European roots, and bring up these findings every chance they get. Women are praised for marrying someone of lighter skin, because they are ‘improving’ the race and their children will now be lighter and have ‘better’ hair.

Having darker skin doesn’t make you less than anyone else. For too long Latinos have been taught that darker people are the butt of jokes. Pay attention to our vocabulary, songs, and sayings and you’ll see how frequently Latinos degrade people of African roots. I bet that some phrases are so common, you didn’t think twice about it. For instance this saying: ‘Me tienen como un esclavo’ = They have me like a slave. I’ve heard it so frequently from Cubans that they don’t even bat an eyelash when throwing this out in front of me. In songs, people of African ancestry are depicted as being out of control, enraged with little cause and having animalistic qualities.

Parents complain about their child’s dark skin without hesitation. Latinos are afraid to tell their white and black Latino kids, yes you are a black Latino. Instead, they focus on the characteristic the child has due to their white side. We’ve been taught that the word negro/negra is bad. When referring to someone that they don’t like Cubans will say ese(a) negro(a) and when referring to someone they like they’d say ‘mulato(a)’ or ‘persona de color’.

Some Latinos even deny having African or indigenous roots, despite of how absurd it sounds to be a ‘pure’ Latino with European blood running through your veins. Why are we praising Europeans who saw the Indians in Latin America and the Caribbean as animals, raped women, destroyed and burned their villages, and ultimately tried to exterminate their culture? Then captured Africans as if they were animals and brought the ones who ‘survived’ to work the land they had stolen from the Indians. Ultimately, also killing, raping and trying everything in their power to exterminate their culture and beliefs.

Black and brown people exacerbate the problem of racism against us when we don’t love ourselves. Why should someone who already has preconceived notions treat us better, if they see how quick we are to align ourselves with our oppressors? Spread the love you wish to receive. Peace!✌🏾