When Charlot Valerio (CAS`26) immigrated from the Dominican Republic to Cranston, Rhode Island at age 10, she struggled with her racial identity. Was she Dominican? Latina? Black?
She learned that her sense of identity felt differently depending on where she was, due to a difference in culture and societal beliefs. This led to an internal conflict — who could she identify as? Why did her Blackness feel different in the Dominican Republic compared to the U.S.?
Now, as a freshman studying international relations and computer science, Valerio decided to find the answers to these questions, became involved with the African American & Black Diaspora Studies Program. Her journey to understand her identity introduced her to other students living a similar experience and inspired her to organize Diaspora Chats, a Q&A-style event that addresses these exact issues and experiences.
Note: Some responses have been edited for clarity.
arts&sciences: Can you tell me about the event and what it entails?
Valerio: The whole purpose of the event is to widen the conversation about the African Diaspora. Like any Diaspora, regardless of race, there’s always this divide between people from the mainland and people who have moved away. Right now, we’re focusing on Africans and Black Americans, tackling questions like, “What does blackness mean to you?”; “Who can identify as Black?”; and “What are the main differences between the different cultures?”
We wanted to create a safe space where you can feel safe enough to give your opinion. We designed a format where we have a panel of students and faculty, faculty who have actually studied the topic and can get more professional opinion, but also regular students like us, who can have a more personal, Gen Z view of it.
It will mostly follow a sort of Q&A format with the panelists. We’re using the platform multimeter for anonymous submission of questions, which we’ll address either during or at the end of the panel.
What’s your personal connection to this event?
I’m from the Dominican Republic, and in Latin America we don’t really see race as a central issue as it is here in the U.S. It’s more like your country first, then your nationality, then race. So when I immigrated to the U.S., there was so much controversy of, “are Latinos a race? Can they identify as Black?” So I just sort of grew up saying, “what am I?” Then, when I got to Boston University, I learned more about the diaspora, and I started getting more involved in the topic. This semester, I wanted to hold an event where we’re having these conversations take place because it has to start somewhere.
Why is this type of event important?
Your identity—knowing where you belong and where your community is—is so important. With your race, there are certain caveats that help you understand where your traumas come from, or where you belong systematically. It’s important to have these conversations of race and knowing where you belong, even if you don’t fit like a cookie cutter mold. It’s just where you feel you identify the most and with whom you identify the most so you can better note yourself in a better field and feel more comfortable within yourself.
How has your experience as a CAS student contributed to this event?
My classes in International Relations are very multidisciplinary. It is the first time I have ever had a history class that includes information about international history — and not just U.S.-centered history. For example, it’s the first time that I have learned that, statistically, my own country is majority Black. My classes also explore the rich history that we have and how the U.S. has impacted not only Latin America, but Asia and Africa and the anthropologic consequences of that.
What is your hope for the future with this type of event?
I hope that it destigmatizes the conversation. I hope that it helps more people feel the courage to identify with blackness, even if they don’t fit like the cookie cutter, American visual mold. We come in all different shades and in all different backgrounds. And also to decentralize the idea that the Black Diaspora is only in the U.S. because it ranges across the whole entire world. I hope that it creates more of a sense of unity within the Black Diaspora and more of acceptance of our different views and identities.
Diaspora Chats will take place on Thursdaay, April 20, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at BU Photonics Center, room 206. The event will feature panelists Dr. Aminah Pilgrim, Dr. Joyce Hope Scott, Dr. Zachary Mondesire, Marcus Shaw, Gloria Ampadu-Darko, and Karrington Riley, and will be moderated by Charlot Valerio (CAS’26) and Mercy Mungai (Questrom’26). The event is open to all looking to expand their knowledge on the diaspora and respectfully share their experiences and perspectives.