I missed yesterday’s Puerto Rican festivities in NYC... since I was busy making a bridal party glam, but I’ll make it up when I’m on the island itself next week! So what’s this door about? For many Puerto Ricans, the national flag is a symbol of cultural pride and identity, especially in light of the island's colonial status under the United States’ government. In 2016 this door’s flag was painted in black & white, as it represents the state of mourning & resistance that the island has been experiencing since the US government imposed a federal control board (the PROMESA board) with power over the commonwealth's jurisdiction. The PROMESA act was passed by the US Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama, and was promoted as a way to manage Puerto Rico's more than $120+ billion of debt. The board, which is comprised of people who were neither elected nor living in Puerto Rico, was given supremacy over the island’s laws and decision making-a move many of us Puerto Rican’s condemned as an act of colonialism. PROMESA severely undermines the island's political autonomy. For example, the current min wage there is $7.25/hr. Part of PROMESA’s original measures were to include a decrease of the hourly minimum wage to $4.24 🙄😒 🤷🏻‍♀️ Some say the repainting of the door is vandalism; we say it’s a sign on our right to protest, and resistance to colonialism. Plenty on the island really believe statehood would change this. A lot of us don’t believe this. REAL Change would start with independence! I mean, we pretty much passed the island from one imperial ruler (Spain) to another (United States). The islanders gotta be tired of the BS and all of their resources being depleted, 100+ schools closed, and almost 50% of the population living in poverty. I saw 👀 A LOT of this with my own eyes last summer, and Hurricane Maria only made it worse.... I hope to buy property there one day and own a piece of what always belonged to us to leave behind for my family. #latinamua #latinamakeupartist #pr #puertorican #puertorico