I know that black people deserve to be acknowledged all year round and any chance I get I make sure to do so. But this month is extra special, so I’m taking advantage of it and dedicating the entire edition to my black friends and community.
I’m not being inclusive because it’s the right thing to do these days I was always taught as a little girl that we were all the same and I wasn’t taught to treat anyone differently because they had darker skin than me but rather that I needed to treat everyone with respect. I’m also proud of my Afro-Latino roots and ancestors. As a Latina, I recognize what blacks have brought to our Latino culture, like our food and dance. We Latinos still cook our recipes that came from the African culture, like mofongos and other recipes and we continue to do African dances like the Bomba that originated from Africans brought to our island by the Spaniards.
In this edition, I had the help of Ebony McNeil. He is featured on our cover for all the work he is doing with The Forge, a non-profit organization that helps men. You will need to read the article to learn more. He also helped me in finding some great black people in the community to showcase for things they have done or accomplished.
I’m also grateful to the Berks History Center as this month they choose to talk about a book that existed for blacks to know where they could stay overnight when they traveled during times that they were not allowed to do so freely or safely. This book was called the Green Book. I didn’t even know this guide existed had I not recently seen the movie on an airplane. I was crying as it still hurts me to know the pain black people had to go through just based on their skin color. However, when I saw the movie, I didn’t know that there was a woman here in Reading that advertised in the Green Book and did so for over 30 years, so please read BHC’s article found in this Palo edition and if you like watching movies then check out the movie as well, it’s a sad but great story.
This month don’t forget to extra support your black community but also remember to do it every day that you can. When we embrace diversity, it makes us happier, trust me on this one.
Rosa J. Parra
Ceo & Founder
