Conversations on Colorism with Amara La Negra!

Amara La Negra graced our screens in 2018 as a cast member of Love and Hip-Hop Miami. She immediately gained the attention of viewers with her distinct style, musical talent, and pride in being Afro-Latina. From the start she fought against colorism and spoke out about it during the first season of the show. Her story and the discrimination she faced growing up based on her physical attributes (skin and hair) are experiences many Afro-Latinos through the Caribbean and Latin America.

“Someone out there is waiting to relate to someone just like you.”

“If you allow someone or something to change one part of you, it’s only a matter of time before they start picking away at the rest of you,” Amara said when I asked why she stands steadfast in not changing her look to conform to certain perceived industry standards. She says she already knows that as an Afro-Latina woman, she can be judged solely based on her appearance. She won’t give others the power to make her feel small or that she isn’t adequate. She embraces her melanin skin and natural hairstyle because she wants to show the other side of the Latina community, the Afro side, and because of the lack of representation in US mainstream media and Latino media outlets she feels that now more than ever this is important to display her culture.

At the early age of four she was a child star on “Sabado Gigante.” For those of you who don’t know, this was the longest-running program for Univision, featuring activities such as contests and live entertainment. “So,I knew what it was like to have all eyes on me and be critiqued for being myself,” said Amara. It was evident then that she was being judged by her skin tone and accent. For her to be happy with herself she had to find inspiration to rise above judgements and opinions, and be happy with the skin she was in.

Amara said,” My roots are everything,” when I asked how her Dominican roots influenced her music, brand, and style. She said it’s everything because in the Dominican Republic it’s about the celebration of life and you see that with bright colors, fun patterns, and the laughter of the people. This is what people think when they think of Amara and she is proud because she loves where she comes from and what it means to be Afro-Latina and both sides of her cultural heritage.

Amara goes beyond the music and is a philanthropist. From the Dominican Republic to Miami, she gave where she could. Frequently she’s traveled to the Dominican Republic to provide additional resources and services to assist with communities there who were already underprivileged and underserved.

She partners with Empower “U” which is a community center in Miami that advocates for women, children, and families in lower-income minority neighborhoods in the area. “I wanted to partner with a foundation that actually makes a difference in the community I live in,” said Amara after I asked why she chose this organization. Communities across the globe are facing multiple difficulties that were present prior to COVID but now with the pandemic what they are facing is amplified. She is doing her part and wants to encourage others to do theirs because Resources are things necessary for these communities to get back on their feet to stay and remain healthy.

Before ending this amazing interview with Amara, I asked her what advice she would give others who are looking to use outlets and platforms to get noticed. “Take everything they see everyone else doing on the internet, and do something totally different,” said Amara. This is something you see she obviously lives by and it is working. Everyone loves her authenticity and how she embraces all sides of herself. She advises to post all that makes a person unique. In the day and age of trends and challenges on social media it is easy for others to fall into the trap of copying others. It is about being you because there is only one you. Someone is looking for representation and you might not know it. People appreciate Amara La Negra for amplifying the voice of the Afro-Latino community. Where you see issues in who you are or what people say you should be, Amara sees this even more of an opportunity to ignore them and embrace, love, and show off what Makes YOU Special.