‘Black Lives Matter’ Is a Global Cry, But White Argentinians Don’t Hear It

Afro-Argentinians want their fellow citizens to stop erasing their past and present

People take part in a demonstration in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on June 2, 2020 during a protest over the death of George Floyd, who died May 25 after he was restrained by Minneapolis police. Photo: Federico Rotter/NurPhoto via Getty Images

“Where are you from?” This question, sometimes loaded with suspicion, hostility, or just simple but no less hurtful ignorance, is heard by people like Jennifer Parker on an almost daily basis. Whether it’s picking up groceries at the corner market, sitting in the bus, posting selfies on Instagram, or meeting new co-workers, the implication is always the same: You’re different. You don’t really belong here.

Jennifer Parker is a 24-year-old Afro-Argentinian who lives in Buenos Aires. On her Instagram account of more than 27,000 followers, she explains why blackface is racist or why it’s problematic that a White Argentinian pop star insists on sporting cornrows. Her role as an anti-racism activist in Argentina consists of educating White people about racism while actively calling for an end to the erasure of Afro-Argentinians from the country’s conscience — something Parker and fellow activists are getting increasingly tired of.

Growing up in San Luis, in west central Argentina, Parker’s childhood was, in her words, “absolute shit.” She continues: “I always felt alone. People would always yell stuff like, ‘You Black piece of shit. You’re not going to play with us because you’re Black.’ Things like that, and always tied to the color of my skin.” It was only after connecting with more Black activists online, both in Argentina and other parts of Latin America, that Parker began more actively fighting racism in her home country.

George Floyd’s murder at the hands of a police officer in Minnesota on May 25 sent shockwaves of outrage throughout the world. There was even a small march in Buenos Aires in early June. However, activists like Parker find themselves frustrated with the way public discourse in Argentina has become swept up with calling out racism in the United States while barely paying attention to the plight of Black and Indigenous Argentinians.

“It makes me angry, because it’s very easy to point fingers instead of looking at yourself in the mirror,” says Luanda, a 25-year-old Afro-Argentinian trap and hip-hop artist based in Buenos Aires who prefers to go…