First, let’s start by asking, why do people want to say n***a so badly?

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let me take you on a journey to my freshman year at my beloved HBCU.

It was fall 2001 and Jennifer Lopez was making headlines for her song, “I’m Real,” during which she told some n***as to mind they biz, but they ain’t hear her, though.

Enter dorm conflict.

The first thing you need to know is that I was a J-Lo stan back then. I was excited to see a Boricua in such a spotlight. So, naturally, the women in my dorm, whom I had only just become friends with, rushed me with the controversy.

“She can’t say it and you can’t either!” one of them told me.

I was 18 and full of fire, so I won’t transcribe this entire memory, but let’s just say we all had a wonderful conversation about Blackness that day. It concluded in an agreement that while J-Lo was not permitted to use the word, Leslie was entitled to do so if she so pleased. Though, I will tell you I’m not vying for an opportunity to reclaim the word.

The larger conversation here is that while my newfound sisters recognized me as Black, when a racial conflict came into effect, they decided that I was no longer Black enough to stand on their side of the fence.

Many times I’ve been told that I am not Black because I am Latino, followed by some form of ‘Latinos don’t want to be Black anyway.’ That twisted thought erases so many of us who stand proudly in our Blackness. I do recognize, however, that every Latino isn’t Black. Some of you already know that I’ll be the first to call out a Latino for stepping out of line. But, the idea that because some folks don’t represent the wholeness of their identities doesn’t mean those of us who appreciate ourselves fully also fit that definition.

Hispanic Heritage Month

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