CVK
Over the weekend I listened to this fascinating episode of NPR’s Latino USA, in which they discussed a new exhibit at The Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum in Chicago titled “The African Presence in Mexico: From Yanga to the Present.” Here’s info on the exhibit from the museum’s Web site:

For nearly 500 years, the existence and contributions of the African descendants in Mexico have been overlooked. Soon Africans arrived in Mexico in 1519 Yanga, an African leader, founded the first free African township in the Americas (January 6, 1609). Since then Africans have continued to contribute their artistic, culinary, musical, and cultural traditions to Mexican culture through the present day. No exhibition has showcased the history, artistic expressions, and practices of Afro-Mexicans in such a broad scope as this one, which includes a comprehensive range of artwork from 18th Century Colonial Caste Paintings to contemporary artistic expressions.

The show’s host, Maria Hinojosa also discusses the fact that her family — like many other Mexican families — had older relatives who were very African-looking, but that her family pretty much denied this was the case. Also, there were many historical figures who were actually of African descent but their appearances were completely changed by painters who wanted to in a sense, erase this part of Mexico’s history.

Anyway, all in all it’s a fascinating program, shedding light on a legacy that many people know nothing about. You can right-click here to download an MP3 of the program.