September 15 – October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. Similar to other heritage and history months, it is an opportunity to lift up and share knowledge. There is a wide range of people who fall under the umbrella Hispanic and this includes Afro-Latinos. At times, they are not included as much during Hispanic Heritage Month.
Below are three Afro-Latino Hoosiers you should know. Some were born in Indiana and others lived here for part of their lives.
Arielle Brandy
Arielle was born and raised in South Bend, Indiana and graduated from Indiana State University with a degree in political science. She is the president of Indiana Young Democrats. She co-founded Vote Safe Indiana. She also was the campaign manager for Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg when he was campaigning for the democratic nomination for president of the United States. Through her advocacy work she aims to help Black people and Latinos understand the impact of policies for their communities. You can read more about Arielle at Hoosier Women Forward.
Angela Brito de Rodriguez
Angela is Dominican and is the principal of URBAN ACT Academy. She was part of the founding staff of the academy and served as the culture specialist, director of instruction, and assistant principal prior to becoming principal of the school. She is also a member of Mayor Joe Hogsett’s Latino Advisory Council. She was featured earlier this year during Women’s History Month by WISH-TV.
Sutiweyu Sandoval
Sutiweyu has Central American heritage and is a music producer who is also known as Broso. Through his music, he aims to preserve his Garifuna culture. His music covers the genres of hip-hop, Latin, and electronic dance music. His music can be listened to on Sound Cloud. To learn more about Sutiweyu, listen to his 2018 Cultural Manifesto interview.
To learn about other Afro-Latinos go to https://blackfacts.com/afro-latino/.