Black Caribs (Garífunas) of Guatemala
Black Guatemalans? Absolutely! Even many Guatemalans themselves are unaware of the Black community in their own land. I've always known that the African diaspora was widespread but when I heard about Blacks in Guatemala I was not at all surprised. As one who loves to travel and be exposed to black communities in Latin America, Guatemala is on my list of places to visit. Livingston, Guatemala, is home to over 6,000 Black folks, also known as Garífuna. The rest of the Blacks are Afro-Caribbeans who live in Puerto Barrios and Morales on the East Coast. Also many blacks live in Amatitlán, San Jerónimo, and Jutiapa.
Teodoro Palacios Flores
Former Olympic High Jumper
During the 1700's, the Europeans brought Africans to the Americas as slaves, and it is believed that this particular group of Africans were from Ghana. Many of the slaves came to Guatemala to work on cotton, sugar cane, tobacco, and coffee plantations. The national folk instrument, the marimba, has its origins in Africa and was brought to Guatemala and the rest of Central America by African slaves during colonial times. The melodies played on it show Indigenous, West African and European influences in both form and style.
Rainey Street in Livingston, Guatemala
Marva Weatherhorn
Miss Guatemala 2004
In 1804, Marco Diaz founded Livingston, popularly known as La Buga, a Garífuna word for “mouth,” located between the mouth of the La Dulce River and Amatique Bay. Traditional fishing fishing has been a longstanding way of life in Garifuna culture. Livingston is only accessible by boat, and, as a result, air pollution is almost non-existent. The only cars in town belong to the police, and those are few in number. To get around, most people ride a bicycle or walk. With the beach only a few steps away from almost any part of town, life here is wonderfully laid-back. No one is in a hurry to do anything.
In 2004, a black girl won the title of Ms. Guatemala. I believe her name was Marva Weatherborn
ReplyDeleteThanks, Aritul. I'll see if I can get her picture posted here.
DeleteThank you so much for sharing this information, Bill. I am a Black Guatemalan. My family speaks Spanish and Patua. I am still learning about the area from where they came from but most people are surprised when they hear Spanish come from me. They say that I was a good student in school and I say, "No. Correction. Not all Spanish speaking people are fair-skinned."
ReplyDeleteThe pleasure is mine, Marie. Any other information you can provide regarding your heritage would be welcome on this blog post.
DeleteOh...this is exciting. Thanks for posting this. In 1987 I spent about 4 months in the Peten Jungle of Guatemala and never knew that black people lived there. I also visited Guatemala City and never saw any of us. I know that Belize was considered a black country by other Guatemalans but never knew there were any right in Guatemala. Thanks again. You've touched a special place in my heart.
ReplyDeleteMr. Smith....excellent work. Please view the DVD "Black in Latin America" with Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., which educates all people on race,slavery and culture in Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, and Brazil. www.pbs.org
DeleteActually, CaJii MunRow, I not only saw Black in Latin-America, my blog ratings went through the roof for two weeks after the last show aired.
ReplyDeleteHello Bill. My name is Marcus and I am of African American, African Cuban and Afro Panamanian decent. Let me tell you that it's hard being black in america all by itself, but then combine that with being black and lation and then you get a whole new mix of things good and bad. I was born and raised in the U.S. around more of my father's family than my mother's and pretty much it was under the African American Culture, which I love, but in the last 5 years i have begun to explore my black latino roots, and there have been some good and some bad experiences. Pretty much from all sides of the spectrum. Black Americans find it hard to believe that there is a such thing as black latino, and latinos refuse to accept the africaness that we are so many of them shun me as well, and american whites simply look amazed when they hear me speak spanish. It's as if i came from a different planet altogether.
ReplyDeleteI love my blackness and everything else that I am and I'm glad to see this post and others like it. Keep up the good work
Hey, Marcus. I'm just glad that you did not lose your Spanish assimilating into the American community, like I've seen other Latinos do. I feel you on how people react to you when they hear you speak Spanish. Personally, I'm “entertained” by the astonished reactions of anyone who hear me speak Spanish.
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