Fiestas Patrias will hold its eighth annual Afro-Latinos Black History Month event on Saturday afternoon at Johnson C. Smith University.
The event honors Latinos of African descent in Latin America and the U.S. Around 12% of Latinos in the U.S. identify as Afro-Latino.
Saturday’s event will feature a panel of Charlotte Latinos of African descent discussing their experiences as Afro-Latino immigrants in the community.
There will also be cultural performances of dance, music and poetry.
Fiestas Patrias is a nonprofit organization that preserves Latino culture in Charlotte. It has organized this event for eight years and also organizes yearly events for each Latin American country's independence day.
Saturday’s event is free and begins at 3 p.m. at the New Science Center auditorium at Johnson C. Smith University.