Celia Cruz is one of the most recognizable Hispanic names within the entertainment industry. The mark she left on the world with her music has had an everlasting impact on Afro-Latinas and other people of Hispanic lineage, with regard to being prideful about their heritage. One of her more notable songs, “La Negra Tiene Tumbao,” speaks about how, despite what the world thinks about black women, we are still so beautiful within our own right. Another one of her recognizable songs, Quimbara, incorporates both Hispanic and African sounds. Cruz often incorporates her culture and identity into her music, which was not common at the time, especially for an Afro-Latina. 

Celia Cruz was born on October 21, 1925, in Havana, Cuba. Prior to singing and performing, she was planning to be a literature teacher. Her fate changed when she won a talent show, singing a tango song, “Nostalgia”. From that point on, she continued to make a name for herself in Cuba until the Cuban Revolution, which halted all forms of entertainment. She was forced to relocate to New Jersey, where she faced unmatched Racism. It took Cruz a while to gain a large audience in the US, but when she did, it was linked with Salsa music which had newly entered the US, earning her the name the “Queen of Salsa Music.” Since that point on she has gone on to receive 4 Latin Grammys, 3 Grammys from the US, and is also the first Afro-Latina to be put on the American quarter. Using her influence, she has raised funds for underprivileged students who wish to study music via The Celia Cruz Foundation. Celia Cruz is undeniably one of the faces of Hispanic Heritage Month, given her accomplishments.

The Ifá religion, which originates from the Yoruba people in West Africa, has had a significant influence on North America. The religion’s influence was brought through the transatlantic slave trade. As Yoruba people were forcibly taken to the Americas, they brought their spiritual practices, which include deities known as Orishas. In cities with large Afro-Caribbean populations, such as Miami and New York, Ifá and related traditions are prevalent, particularly within African American communities seeking to reconnect with their ancestral roots.

Personally, I grew up in an Afrocentric community surrounded by many who practice Ifa or other religions other than the more common religions within our society. I chose to draw an Ifa woman confident in herself with symbols from the religion, like the eleke, and her white attire, which is what many wear during ceremonies to represent divinity.

The piece that I created incorporated aspects of both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., is called Burdens. The American Flag in the background represents the people both political activists were trying to help. The aged wood background behind the flag symbolizes the time period in which the two men took action against the oppressive policies that kept their people down. The big hand above the two men is meant to represent the hand of death that took them away at such a young age. It can also be used to symbolize the combined hand of the two men who assassinated the young leaders. Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X are in black and white because most pictures of the two men taken at that time were in black and white. The same can be said for why they’re wearing suits; most photographs have them dressed professionally. The smaller hands grabbing at the two men are the hands that held them back while fighting for racial equality, such as the demeaning police force, racist, violent groups, the media portraying negative stereotypes of the two men, and their past struggles. 

According to VOGUE Magazine, "Dandyism is often described as a style, but it’s more than just aesthetics. The original dandy—most famously embodied by figures like Beau Brummell in 18th-century Britain—was a man whose primary purpose was to stand out by being impeccably groomed and dressed. Brummell, whose personal motto was “Don’t talk about your clothes, let your clothes do the talking,” revolutionized fashion by elevating personal style to an art form. He rejected the flamboyance of past aristocratic dress, favoring understated, sharp tailoring that emphasized refinement over ostentation."