Have you heard of Samantha Leyva, she is an Afro-Mexican pageant queen. Her position has helped the black citizens of Mexico feel more valid and visible. Samantha’s ideals are also very positive for her community.
Just jumping to Facebook you’ll see she has described herself as “Nurse by profession and proud Afro-Mexican. #BlackLivesMatter.”
Atlanta Black Star reported:
In an interview with Fusion, Leyva shared she takes pride in flipping the usual beauty ideals of Mexico. The 23-year-old won the 2016 Miss Guerrero Pageant but placed third in the Miss Mexico Pageant.
Typically, pageant winners are light-skinned women, characterized by pale complexions and straighter hair, compared to Leyva’s deeper skin tone and dark locks.
“I think we have all grown accustomed to seeing another type of woman; another type of Mexican beauty,” Leyva told the website.
Across the nursing intern’s Spanish-language Instagram page, comments are overwhelmingly positive.
“I love your project on Afro-Mexicans!” one user wrote.
“Do not let anything or anyone take away your dream,” read another remark. “Do not listen to malicious and negative comments.”
That response came after some detractors made comments that dissed Leyva. One such comment deemed the beauty queen “not very feminine” looking.
Still, Leyva continues to proudly wear her Blackness. She advocated for Black Mexican rights in the state of Guerrero, where she is from. In September, Leyva helped improve education for children in her community. Then, at the end of October, Leyva attended the second annual Afro Festival, which celebrates the rich culture of Afro-Mexicans. Additionally, she supports Black Lives Matter, a movement Leyva said is “so important” to the global Black community.
Samantha is doing great things for her community. Read more here on Atlanta Black Star http://bit.ly/2fvMa9J
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