Mujeres AfroLatinos at the United Nations

Afro-Latino women are descending on the United Nations this weekend for a conference on topics ranging from domestic violence and AIDS in the Latin American disapora to economic development for Latino women of African descent. I attended one of the talks and for that short time took part in the gathering of black women activists, educators and other participants from countries such as Honduras, Panama, Belize and Costa Rica.

As Miriam Tifre, a Panamanian activist with the Centro de Mujeres Afro-Costarricence noted, the awakening of Latin American people, particularly women, to a greater consciousness of the impact of their African heritage on their cultural, political and socio-economic situation, is a very recent phenomenon (for her, the journey to awareness began when she moved to live in the States and learned about the 3/5ths clause of the Constitution) The struggle for feminist Afro-Latino women defining their place in society and where they stand on global issues such as public health, domestic violence and economic development, she said, is really just beginning. The dialogue continues this evening, as well as social events co-hosted by the Caribbean Cultural Center. Registration is over, but events are being held at 777 44th Street, 8th Floor.