Afro Colombian studies: a balance of an heterogeneous field

Pedro J. Velandia
Universidad del Rosario, Colombia
velandia.pedro@urosario.edu.co

Eduardo Restrepo
Orcid ID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5634-465X
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana4, Colombia
eduardoa.restrepo@gmail.com

Abstract:

From a handful of authors who, three decades ago, were struggling to make black populations’ trajectories and presence visible, the field of Afro Colombian studies has expanded to comprise a rich framework of conceptualizations and research studies from several disciplines and approaches. Underlining the contributions from anthropology and history, this paper draws a map of the field of Afro Colombian studies. In order to have this mapping move forward, covering mid-20th century up to our days, we find it worth establishing an analytic distinction of the field in four stages: pioneers, emergence, consolidation, and eclosion.

Keywords: afro colombian people, afro colombian studies, black communities, multiculturalism.