Representation is an ‘Encanto’: Afro-Latinos will not be erased

“But you don’t look Latina,” is a phrase IU senior Emillianna Puello knows all too well.

Puello, who is Black and Dominican, identifies as Afro-Latina. Puello and Afro-Latinos everywhere have struggled with passive aggressive comments that discount their culture. 

According to a Pew Research study, Afro-Latinos make up 5% of the Black population in America. Despite this, they had little to no media representation until the Disney movie “Encanto” was released on Nov. 24, 2021. 

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New Initiative Helps Indiana’s Hispanic and Latino Learners Obtain Education and Training Beyond High School

(INDIANAPOLIS) – The Indiana Commission for Higher Education announces today a new initiative aimed at increasing student access and attainment to higher education for the state’s Hispanic and Latino learners and families.

Funded by Indiana’s Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), five Padres Estrellas – translated as “Star Parents” – will work with community organizations focused on empowering Hoosier Hispanic and Latino communities to provide college and career support to students and families across the state.

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What Happened When Pete Buttigieg Tore Down Houses In Black And Latino South Bend

The way Williams-Preston sees it, there’s room for more than one hero in Buttigieg’s story.

“Some people, they’re trying to find the dirt on Pete,” she said. “I just try to encourage people. If you look at the whole story — any good story — the hero is an imperfect hero, you know what I’m saying? We don’t do everything right. The real story here is the fact that the people organized to make a change.”

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IU Libraries celebrates Mexican

Students explored displays of Mexican art, history and immigration Thursday in Herman B Wells Library during the library’s Exploremos open house.

Exploremos was just one event put on as part of IU Arts and Humanities Council’s Mexico Remixed programming. The third annual remixed festival aims to celebrate the culture and history of a certain country each year through a series of events, activities and speakers, said Ed Comentale, director of the Arts and Humanities Council.

“It celebrates our international students, showcases our resources and knowledge in that area and explores current art and culture from that country,” Comentale said. “When we say remixed, we are referring to people who are actively remaking and rethinking the traditions of their country.”

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Black and Brown Arts Festival

Below you will find the link for you to sign up to be a participant at the inaugural Black and Brown Arts Fest.  Please remember art will be reviewed by an independent jury.  There is a $15 non-refundable fee for your provided space.
If you are under the age of 18, there may be scholarships available to you through our corporate sponsors.  If you would like more information regarding this, please contact me via email: gavineverett@gmail.com
We are very excited to have you involved with this great event.
Whether they wish to participate or spectate, the more people that show up, the more successful we will all be.
Sign up:
Thank you for being a part of the first ever Bloomington Black and Brown Arts Fest.  We look forward to seeing you all in May!

 

Indiana’s Working Families More Likely To Be Poor, Have Lower Incomes Than Midwestern Neighbors

(INDIANAPOLIS) – New data finds Indiana has the 19th-highest rate of working families who are low income (11th-highest among racial/ethnic minority families) but also 16th-lowest incomes.

Andrew Bradley, Senior Policy Analyst with Indiana Institute for Working Families, says work should not only be honorable and bring dignity, but should also pay for a family’s basic needs and provide opportunities to continue on a pathway to long-term economic security.

But new data shows that a higher proportion of Indiana’s working families remain low-income compared to our Midwestern neighbors, particularly Hoosiers of color. Indiana’s per capita income also trails most neighbors, with income growth that lags behind the national average suggesting that without a new policy direction, working Hoosier families aren’t likely to catch up soon.

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Who Put The ‘Hispanic’ In Hispanic Heritage Month?

Hispanic Heritage Month is a nationally recognized, not-quite-a-month. (It’s the back half of September and the front half of October).

That, according to the government’s website, is because Sept. 15 marks the anniversary of Independence from Spain in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Costa Rica. (Mexico declared its independence a day later). And Oct. 12 is Día de la Raza, loosely translated as Day of the Race, or “Columbus Day” — a national holiday in a number of Latin American countries.

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Latino students at IU do not visit La Casa

Students reported reasons such as busy schedules and a lack of need or interest in participating with La Casa, which Martinez said she expected. But, what she did not expect was the 12.3 percent of students who said they felt unwelcome.

“After crunching the numbers, that’s about 250 Latino students that we might be missing out on because they don’t feel welcome,” she said. “To me, that’s significant enough.”

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Hundreds Stand In Solidarity With Charlottesville At Local Vigil

Hundreds of people gathered in front of the Monroe County courthouse Sunday night to stand in solidarity with Charlottesville, Va. and speak up against hate.

The vigil comes the day after white nationalists became violent in Charlottesville. Among the violence, a car drove into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing one woman and injuring others.

At the Bloomington vigil, residents held signs with handwritten messages saying “love trumps hate” and “stop racism now.”

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First Thursday Festival

Source: https://artsandhumanities.indiana.edu/council-initiatives/first-thursdays/index.html

What: First Thursday festival

When: Thursday, March 2nd, from 5:00 to 7:30 PM

Where: Arts Plaza in front of the IU Auditorium.

It should be a nice spring evening to take a break from work or studies and enjoy the campus and its creative community.

We started this tradition last fall with dozens of student and faculty performers and thousands of guests from campus and the wider Bloomington community. We are excited to kick off the spring season this week with a celebration of Women’s History Month, featuring dozens of IU’s fabulous women artists and scholars and many local and international performances and exhibits. The festival is free and open to the whole Bloomington community.

Some highlights include:

Main Stage: We’ll kick off the evening with The Vallures, a crowd-pleasing singing and dancing group from Bloomington that performs a mix of classic 60s hits and original tracks. Up next is Ladies First, IU’s very own award-winning a cappella group. Lily & Madeleine, the nationally acclaimed indie folk duo from Indianapolis, will round out the set with their warm and uplifting harmonies.

Acclaimed Novelist Ha Jin: Ha Jin’s work explores the tensions between the individual and the family, the modern and the traditional, and personal feelings and duty. His novel, Waiting, won the National Book Award for fiction in 1999, as well as the PEN/Faulkner award. He also wrote the story collection The Bridegroom, which won the Asian American Literary Award, and two collections of poetry. He will be speaking at the Grunwald Gallery at 8:00.

Eskenazi Museum of Art and the Lilly Library: Step inside the Eskenazi for new tours, games, and scavenger hunts. Stop by the African Student Association’s booth for Nigerian Face Painting, experience the art of henna with the Indian Student Association, or examine the critical relationship between women and the arts during a special lecture by Tavy D. Aherne. The Lilly Library is celebrating women collectors and their treasures with an impressive and rarely exhibited display of children’s literature and a collection of over 16,000 miniature books.

World music and Bloomington bands: Tour the world of music with Kaia, an award-winning, Bloomington-based band of seven women performing in over 25 languages. Enjoy Finnish folksongs, African-American gospel, and a thrilling array of other musical styles. Next, ExWo (Explosive Women) takes over. Another local group, ExWo combines jazz, pop, funk, and neo-soul to create an exciting blend of original songs and reimagined classic hits.

Plenty of good food! Grab a blanket and eat dinner around Showalter Fountain. Chef David Tallent has prepared a tribute to famous female cooks and chefs such as Edna Lewis, Elizabeth Davis, and Alice Waters. The delicious menu options include southern fried chicken, chocolate mousse, and goat cheese crouton. As always, we’ll also be giving out free popcorn!

Crafts, trivia, history, and games: Visit the Toast Tent for an edible craft, or work with Collins students to turn your own body into geometric shapes. Recreate famous paintings with props and photographs from the faculty and students of the Art History department. Or stop by the Mathers Museum tent to welcome spring with flower making and other hands-on activities. Delve into Hoosier HERStory!, an exhibition honoring two hundred years of women’s contributions to IU history and culture. Visit the Feminist Student Association for engaging conversations on the contributions that black women have made to social justice

The First Thursdays festival offers great opportunities for you to explore the breadth of the arts and humanities on campus and in the community. It’s an easy-going community event where you can enjoy dinner on the lawn by our Acoustic Tent, explore stunning exhibits at the Grunwald and Lilly, or dash from tent to tent to discover everything there is to offer. Whatever you choose, we invite you to celebrate Women’s History Month and the amazing creativity of the IU community with us this Thursday.

To learn more about our performers and events, check out our website at go.iu.edu/first-thursdays. If you’re interested in performing at a future event, write to us at ahcounc@indiana.edu. We’re always happy to support both professional and amateur artists, whether your talent is music or magic tricks. And be sure to follow us on Twitter for updates on First Thursdays and all Arts & Humanities Council news.