Beauty from the Struggle

Since February is Black History month, I thought I would celebrate by showing a beautiful picture of my mother in her pollera.  The clothes worn by Black slave women and wet nurses during the Spanish colonial era inspired La Pollera, which is the Panamanian national costume.

This colorful dress represents so much to me of the beauty, freedom, love, and laughter of Afro-Latin American community.  It is a somewhat unnerving truth that what was once attributed to slaves and the lower class has become a symbol of pride. 

Much could be said regarding the old adage that out of every negative is a positive.  Like a butterfly, the struggle of our people has become the strength of who we are.  Our trials and tribulations have given us the fortitude to survive insurmountable odds. 

Our color has enhanced our beauty and now with time the world recognizes the splendor, richness, and grace of who we are. 

It is not our differences that divide us.  It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.  ~ Audre Lorde

¿What’s Your Legacy?

Listening to the memorial tributes of Senator Ted Kennedy, I realized the impact of his legacy. There was many a tale of him assisting the person on the street with whatever was their particular concern. He helped my family with immigration, Vietnam veteran issues, and even donated his staff to work on one of my charity events.

You know they say that dead men tell no tales. This makes me pose the question, what will be your legacy?

“I may be here for a short while, gone tomorrow into oblivion or until the days come to take me away. But, in whatever part you play, be remembered as part of a legacy...of sharing dreams and changing humanity for the better. It's that legacy that never dies” author unknown