Mexico Negro, a grassroots organization, has been working for the past 10 years to help Mexicans of African descent gain recognition and respect from Mexico’s government.
Father Glyn Jemmott spoke Monday about the problems Mexicans of African decent face and how a grassroots organization called Mexico Negro is helping to promote the preservation of Afro-Mexican rights and culture.
The government has largely ignored this group of people and is hindering their ability to preserve their way of life by the lack of financial and legal support, Jemmott said. Mexico Negro has been working for years to gain attention on a state-level, but has not been consistently successful.
“There is a clear stereotype that exists for Afro-Mexicans,” said Jemmott. “We are viewed as rowdy, noisy, disorganized and poor.”
Jemmott said that the organization, created and run by Afro-Mexicans, has made progress in three areas: education, organization and economic development. During the past 10 years, Mexico Negro has worked to create more schools, unite their cultural group and overcome economic problems despite the lack of support from the Mexican government, Jemmott said. With these steps, the group hopes the government will recognize their traditions.
“We are working toward forming a network of Afro-Mexican organizations,” said Jemmott. “We can only become credible within the community by working together.”
A priest and native of Trinidad, Jemmott has been spreading the word about the economic disparities for Afro-Mexicans. He said he believes that although the issue is not making front page news, it is important.
“It will only take time and resources,” said Jemmott. “Afro-Mexicans are doing things to significantly change their situation. I have a lot of hope.”
The event was part of the series Contested Memories, Continuing Struggles. Human Rights and Truth Commissions in Latin America. This is a two-year program organized by Latin American Studies and sponsored by the Savage Endowment for International Relations and Peace.