Stereotypes have continued to ridicule the existence of certain races, especially those of African descent who have suffered a lot of existential setbacks in history and modern times. Slavery and marginalization have long affected black people, however, many are brave enough to change the narrative.
One person from Latin America who is doing just that is ‘Love & Hip Hop: Miami’ star Amara La Negra. She is dark-skinned, wears an afro, and is committed to breaking stereotypes and standing out as a proud Afro-Caribbean from the Latin American country of the Dominican Republic.
The now North American star had already made a name for herself in the Latin American urban music scene after her breakthrough participation in Univision’s Sábado Gigante as a child.
She has been racially abused in her home country where a beauty queen had once polished her face black to mock the music star during a pageant.
Only a day after her debut in the Love & Hip Hop: Miami reality show which premiered on New Year’s day, Amara La Negra won the love and support of many black Americans and Caribbeans, not because of her dark skin, but for standing her grounds against a racist co-star, Young Hollywood, who blatantly told her he didn’t like her afro, skin and anything related to her being black.
This got people angry and at the same time applauding her much-adored defense of her blackness and afro which she has always maintained.
“I Want to Thank Everyone who saw the show last night! Now yall Know and see with the type of shit I gotta deal with! I really just wanted to put my story out there! I know someone else in the world can relate!!
“Please don’t say you won’t watch the show because of what happened to me… because of what Hollywood said. That’s the reason you need to keep watching the show and help me make a difference,” she tweeted on Wednesday.
Billboard reported hours later that the fast-rising star had just signed a multi-album record deal with Fast Life Entertainment Worldwide and BMG, and will release her first single in the first quarter of 2018. It will be produced by Rock City.
“I’m still in shock! At times, I am caught pinching myself because there is a part of me that still is in awe of being signed to a franchise that will heighten my success … I am thankful for my team at Fast Life Ent. Worldwide and BMG for this opportunity as an artist. And I cannot wait for my fans to hear my new music,” she said in a statement.
Amara La Negra’s successes have been described as worthy by many of her fans on social media who are supporting her in the fight against racism and racial abuses she has faced as an artist representing the bicultural and Afro-Caribbean people.
We haven’t had an Afro-Latina go mainstream in YEARS since la Cubana, Celia Cruz… I hope Amara La Negra makes it big like Cardi B . She’s so talented and she’d open the doors to show the uneducated and racist that Latinas come in ALL shades #LHHMIA pic.twitter.com/NRTtxaCrz3
— ً (@yoncesfentyy) January 2, 2018
I appreciate Amara La Negra and her love for her African heritage. Some Latinxs act like they weren’t dropped off first on the slave trade from West Africa.
— Maxwell. (@Notorious_MAX) January 2, 2018
that convo between Amara La Negra and that brown dude on Love and Hip Hop is proof, on national television that there will never be “POC solidarity” cuz y’all really view black people as inferiors, but just don’t wanna outright call us the n-word.
— Richey Collazo (@lilricheyrich) January 2, 2018
This article by Ismail Akwei was first published on face2faceafrica.com
Ismail Akwei 