Congratulations to all the 2026 Carnaval performers for all the hard work and time spent preparing for the show. All students involved displayed a masterclass of elegance with performances of dance, music, and theater. WashU Carnaval is a wonderful tradition to express and represent many of its Latin American roots. However, Afro-descendant and Afro-Caribbean cultural practices and those descending from African traditions are limited — in both the time and number of acts — not properly acknowledged, and misrepresented as Eurocentric. I define the misrepresentation as Afro-erasure or African/Black erasure.

With WashU being a predominantly white institution, or PWI, white Latine — yes, white because of European immigration, like white Afrikaner — students will demographically dominate the production. However, WU Carnaval cannot come at the expense of Afro-descendant cultural practices that stem from resistance and liberation from colonialism and enslavement.

I am not speaking in bad faith or attacking the work of the Carnaval performers. I support protecting Indigenous and marginalized spaces on campus in a time when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and xenophobia detrimentally impact communities of color. I am not speaking on behalf of any WashU organization. I am speaking from the position of a Black and African student — and a 2026 Carnaval performer — who understands the African and Caribbean influence and presence in Latine culture and believes they should be respected.

Although I contend WashU Carnaval is participating in the erasure of African culture, I am also arguing that Latin America is erasing African and Indigenous practices, and misrepresenting many parts that could result in Afro-Indigenous cultural erasure. This is also emblematic of many racialized issues in Latin America, ranging from colorism, non-Black people saying anti-Black racial slurs, and even cultural appropriation.

The major issue that I raise with the current organization of WashU Carnaval is that it does not recognize, in an intentional and dedicated manner, the history of Caribbean Carnaval — an Afro-Caribbean tradition that originated among enslaved Africans in Trinidad and Tobago as a revolt against both enslavement and exclusion from the Catholic tradition of European Carnaval. It’s important for WashU Carnaval to recognize the history in order to properly give space for members of the Latine community who are of African descent. 

While there was some Afro-descendant representation in Carnaval acts — like in Merengue, Bomba, and Brazilian Funk— there was no official recognition of the African influence of those dances and traditions. The biggest Afro-descendent representation was the Caribbean American Students Association (CASA). I performed with CASA; however, we had the shortest time, and our segment was cut further only a few days before the show.

CASA’s time restriction is a part of the overall issue regarding Afro-descendant misrepresentation and erasure of African culture in WashU Carnaval. We must adequately acknowledge the Afro-descendant and Afro-Caribbean influence in Latine culture, because to disregard the influence is a disservice to the violence Black and African people endured for celebrations that we all enjoy.

Despite me focusing on Afro-descendant and Caribbean representation and inclusion, I want to point out that there were other issues at WashU Carnaval pertaining to the lack of Indigenous representation and recognition of the many cultures in North America, South America, and the Caribbean. And let’s keep in mind, Spanish (and English) is not native to the Americas. We must recognize many of the Indigenous and local languages that also exist in the Americas and the Caribbean. 

How should we move forward to ensure the Afro-descendent and Afro-Caribbean story gets told and not erased? 

First, more inclusion, recruitment, and collaboration of those of African descent in performance and production. There was no significant mention of the African-descent influence of Carnaval during the show — only an Instagram post by the WashU Carnaval page. Instead of an Instagram post, directly recognize the African roots and history through the skits or performances in the show. In addition, provide Black and Afro-descendant people more screen time, because there is no Latin America and the Caribbean without Afro-descendant people whose cultures laid the foundation. I also strive for cross-cultural unity and dialogue between Latine and Black/African diaspora members on campus to properly acknowledge Afro-Caribbean roots. 

Finally, I challenge WashU students to take a class on Blackness in Latin America (and African and African American Studies courses). Connect with professors like Kia Caldwell or John Mundell, who have extensive research experience around Blackness in Brazil.

It’s nearly impossible to perfectly perform many of these Afro-descendant practices to their originality, but it’s essential to highlight what Afro-Latine culture signifies in regard to how African practices construct Latin American entertainment and culture. This is not just about Latin American cultural misrepresentations; Afro-erasure symbolizes how often Black and African culture is unacknowledged and repurposed from its original cultural context.