From Remezcla:
Mexico’s Afro-Descendant community has exploded into public consciousness over the last year, with a historic census tallying over one million self-identified Afro-Mexicans. But many from the gulf state of Veracruz have been aware of their own Afro-inflected history for generations, especially if they happen to live in the vicinity of Yanga, the first free African settlement in the Americas.
Yes, you read correctly: the first free African settlement in the Americas wasn’t in Colombia or the Dominican Republic. It was a small town in the foothills of Mexico’s gulf coast, where the importation of slave labor drove the production of sugar cane throughout the colonial period. Thankfully, in case you were unaware of this fascinating historical tidbit, animator David Heredia has dedicated that latest episode of his Heroes of Color web series to the town’s glorious past...[more]