The Exhibition

“Afróntalo” in Spanish means “Face It.” This reflects the intention of Afrolatinizamos to recognize the erasure of Afro-descendants and the prevalence of anti-blackness in the Americas. Additional meaning can be found in breaking the title into two separate phrases, “Afro” and “Ntalo.” The first phrase, “Afro,” reflects the Afro-descendant focus of the exhibition. The second phrase “Ntalo,” has at least three meanings in African languages. In Xitsonga, spoken in parts of Zimbabwe and Eswatini, ntalo means “abundance.” In Lingala, a language spoken in the Democratic Republic of Congo, ntalo means “value.” Finally in Ganda, the primary language spoken in Uganda, ntalo means “war.” Collectively, these three words reflect the impetus of Afróntalo to make clear the widespread and deep roots of Afro-descendants in the Americas, the incredible importance of Afro-descendant contributions and populations historically and today, and the need for action to bring attention to these matters and the contemporary needs of Afro-descendant communities.

Why Use the Term "Afrolatine"?

Afro-descendants (persons of African descent) who have heritage ties in Latin America, inclusive of the Caribbean, use a variety of terms for identity and self-description. These include Afro-Latino, Afro-Latina, Afro-Latinx, and more geographically-specific terms like Black Panamanian or Afro-Salvadorian. In this exhibition we use “Afrolatine” for consistency when referring to the population generally or as a whole. Afrolatiné is a non-cisgendered term based in Spanish (rather than English) morphology. Choosing a non-hyphenated term was also a deliberate choice, based in our partners’ reflections on Afrolatiné identity as holistic rather than binary or fractured. 

Where is Latin America?

“Latin America” is a political term coined during the colonial era referring to regions that were part of New World Spanish, French, and Portuguese empires. In this exhibition we use “Latin America” in reference to all of Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean, regardless of colonization and official languages today. This is in recognition of the historical, gastronomic, musical, religious, and other cultural and identity ties that exist across the region, particularly among Afro-descendants.