By Karen Juanita Carrillo

With Barack Obama's election to serve as the 44th president of the United States, celebrations broke out in Harlem, Fort Green, Brooklyn and in various predominately Black neighborhoods across the United States.

But the celebrations that took place beyond U.S. borders may have been even grander. The excitement Afro Latino activists felt can be seen in the emails they sent, in which they spoke about what an Obama presidency means for their communities and their nations:

"Right now, we are celebrating this triumph in all of the African descendant communities of Colombia and I want to congratulate all of you up there for all of the work you did to create this electoral win," said an exultant Jose Luis Rengifo Balanta, who works with an activist organization in Colombia: "Today, for the first time in history, we have a president who embodies all of the dreams of all of the Black people in the world."

The selection is made:  Obama for President.

(Karen Juanita Carrillo photo)

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