Afro-Latinx Student Organization

Founded in Spring of 2017 By

Kevin Westfield (CO’ 2019)

Creation

The founder wanted to create an organization for bodies that did not fit perfectly within the constraints of Latinx-ness of Blackness. ALSO was founded to help propel the notion of dynamic identities within the University’s mainstream. In other words, people are not always going to be this or that. They may be both or a little more of this or a little less of that, and all of these are valid and mean something different to each person. In this way, ALSO functions as a mechanism of authentication; a place where students can feel fully themselves as they wade in their non-singularity.

It was not until the anniversary of the Pulse shooting that the organization began to pick up traction as ALSO held a Pulse remembrance event to honor the primarily Black, Latinx, and Afro-Latinx people who lost their lives in Orlando, Florida.

In the case of CIO status, the official founding status came a long ways after. ALSO recently achieved CIO status in the fall of 2018 due to the recruiting and efforts of younger executive board students.

Mission

ALSO’s mission is to educate the student population about the nuances of one’s body: accounting for the dynamics of race/color, ethnicity, and other intersecting identities that affect one’s navigation through the world: gender, sexual preference, class, ability, etc. It is through advocacy, education, and community events that ALSO wishes to build this awareness. ALSO seeks to make the University of Virginia a more supportive, mindful, and knowledgeable environment for Afro-latinx students and allies.

On-Going Efforts

Some of ALSO’s efforts include the PULSE Remembrance event, The March to Reclaim Our Grounds, Co-sponsored a Colorism Discussion with LSA, Co-hosted Open Mic Event with PLUMAS, Blackness in the Diaspora co-hosted with BSA, OAS, and SOCA, and the Let's Talk About Series