American Negra - by Natasha S Alford

About the Book

"An award-winning journalist, TV political analyst, and creator of TheGrio documentary, Afro-Latinx Revolution: Puerto Rico, recounts her experiences as an African American and Puerto Rican woman, reflecting on her improbable journey from Syracuse to Harvard, hedge fund boardrooms to newsrooms, and beyond in pursuit of America's infinite opportunities. Part inspiring memoir, part cultural analysis, with remarkable self-determination, Natasha S. Alford shows why the movement to recognize Afro-Latin identity illuminates shared struggles across the Black diaspora and often overlooked history"--

Book Synopsis

Award-winning journalist Natasha S. Alford grew up between two worlds as the daughter of an African American father and Puerto Rican mother. In American Negra, a narrative that is part memoir, part cultural analysis, Alford reflects on growing up in a working-class family from the city of Syracuse, NY.

In smart, vivid prose, Alford illustrates the complexity of being multiethnic in Upstate New York and society's flawed teachings about matters of identity. When she travels to Puerto Rico for the first time, she is the darkest in her family, and navigates shame for not speaking Spanish fluently. She visits African-American hair salons where she's told that she has "good" hair, while internalizing images that as a Latina she has "bad" hair or pelo malo.

When Alford goes from an underfunded public school system to Harvard University surrounded by privilege and pedigree, she wrestles with more than her own ethnic identity, as she is faced with imposter syndrome, a shocking medical diagnosis, and a struggle to define success on her own terms. A study abroad trip to the Dominican Republic changes her perspective on Afro-Latinidad and sets her on a path to better understand her own Latin roots.

Alford then embarks on a whirlwind journey to find her authentic voice, taking her across the United States from a hedge fund boardroom to a classroom and ultimately a newsroom, as a journalist.

A coming-of-age story about what it's like to live at the intersections of race, culture, gender, and class, all while staying true to yourself, American Negra is a captivating look at one woman's experience being Negra in the United States.

As the movement to highlight Afro-Latin identity and overlooked histories of the African diaspora grows, American Negra illustrates the diversity of the Black experience in the larger fabric of American society.

Review Quotes

An Essence "Best Book To Consider Adding To Your 'Must-Read' List" * An Elle "Most Anticipated Book" --

"In her searing debut, Alford smartly and candidly examines what it means to be Black and Latina in America, and interrogates identity, class, race and success--on her terms. American Negra is required reading for anyone longing to understand the intricacies of intersectionality in this country, and be inspired in the process." -- Sunny Hostin, 3x Emmy Award-winning co-host of ABC's "The View" and New York Times best-selling author

"Natasha's voice is essential in our country for so many reasons. One, she is a great journalist and political analyst. She does the work! Two, she is Afro-Latina from Syracuse! Love that! Three, in her book she makes her professional path personal and intimate and revealing, and four, that means she will inspire the next generation. Gracias por tu voz, Natasha!" -- Maria Hinojosa, Pulitzer prize-winning journalist and author of Once I Was You

"Drawing on her rich intellectual resources and masterful storytelling abilities, Alford effortlessly avoids the stale clichés and tired tropes that undermine most literary explorations of Afro-latinidad. Instead, she gifts us with a refreshingly critical, deeply vulnerable and wholly original text that promises to radically rearrange our understandings of race, class, ethnicity, and culture within modern U.S. Society. For years, Natasha has proven herself to be one of Black America's leading journalistic voices. With this wonderful new book, she also makes a compelling case for being one of our most talented new writers." -- Marc Lamont Hill (Instagram)

"Natasha shares a perfectly timely and powerful story about growing up multiethnic in an America where a growing number of families look just like hers. With personal depth and journalistic precision, she explores the histories and complexities of the African American and Afro-Latina experience -- often overlooked and deeply misunderstood. Add this to your must-read list." -- Antonia Hylton, New York Times bestselling author of Madness

"It is so refreshing to see the reality of who we are, our spectrum being expressed through the thoughtfulness and vulnerability of Natasha's voice. In American Negra, we see the reality of what weaponizing race, culture and ethnicity can do to the human spirit. Luckily, Natasha is the best of us and has turned it into a beautiful education giving life and soul to our ancestors' wildest dreams." -- Aida Rodriguez, comedian and author of Legitimate Kid

"With lyrical grace, Natasha traces the nuanced intersection of personal identity and collective history, offering a profound exploration of resilience, belonging, and the richness of our lives. More than just a memoir, American Negra is a mirror, inviting readers to find themselves within her intricate reflection of all of us." -- Mara Brock Akil

"American Negra is one of those rare books that offers an eye-opening and entirely different perspective on not just the world around us, but our own identities and experiences. I read it in one sitting, compelled to keep turning pages by Alford's accessible, engaging and insightful prose, and a story that is both distinctive and entirely relatable. Watching her navigate her multiple identities in a world that has always been keen to box her in, find her power and learn to put herself, her dreams and her wellbeing at the center was an inspiration. " -- Alisha Fernandez Miranda, author of My What If Year

"A heartening and instructive portrait of a young woman's search for identity." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Alford's story is one of belonging and feeling a connection to her past and her present. Alford's journalistic writing style is engaging and accessible, and her account is never overly sentimental or nostalgic." -- Booklist

"A must-read beautiful history that connects the origins of African and Spanish cultures. Natasha gives us a glimpse of what it was like to grow up during a time where she is forced to choose. Love and curiosity have never left Natasha's sides and this book is proof of that." -- Jericka Duncan, CBS News National Correspondent

"American Negra is a deep dive into Alford's personal life as she came of age as a brown girl in Syracuse, New York, learning to understand the beauty, the love, and the difficulties that came with existing in both Black and Puerto Rican spaces. There's so many stories in there that I think are going to help young people." -- D. Watkins, New York Times best-selling author, The Beast Side: Living (and Dying) While Black in America, The Cook Up, and Black Boy Smile

"...Alford's memoir delves deep into the intersectionality of Black America and the Afro-Latin Diaspora by influencing a greater understanding of cultural diversity and heritage..." -- Blavity

"Alford effortlessly blends her personal narrative with larger reflections about race, culture, gender, class, and multi-ethnic identities as we understand them in our society. She brings readers into her journey as she explores her Afro-Latina heritage and the complexities and nuances of Black identity in a relatable way." -- Essence

"In a literary landscape hungry for diverse voices, journalist Natasha S. Alford's debut memoir, American Negra, offers a refreshing perspective on what it means to be Afro Latina in the United States." -- Los Angeles Times

"With American Negra, Natasha Alford shines a light on her journey through a school system that sorts students into categories long before they can define themselves. Young readers will resonate deeply with her struggle to reconcile others' perceptions with her own sense of identity, and be inspired by her courage in defining herself, and her life's purpose, on her own terms." -- Dr. Jennifer L. Jennings, Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs, Princeton University

"Truly moving... Reading about her journey from her hometown of Syracuse to college at Harvard, her professional life, family, health/disability and her reckoning w being a Black Boricua in world that often erases one or both identities, was such a welcome experience." -- Dr. Yomaira C. Figueroa-Vásquez, Director, Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO)

"Alford's clarity about the relevance of Blackness to Latinx identity serves as a balm for feeling invisible to raceless Latina authors."
-- Tanya Katerí Hernández, for The Latinx Project

"American Negra is a powerful and profound testament to resilience, crafted by one of our generation's most inspiring storytellers. Natasha S. Alford brings to light overlooked history and offers both a celebration and a critical reflection on what it means to be American. As a journalist, she challenges us all to see our world more clearly and fight for the better future we deserve. This is a must-read for the next generation of changemakers." -- Benjamin Crump, Civil Rights Attorney