https://doi.org/10.25058/20112742.n52.05
Sibelys K. Mejía Rodríguez
https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0991-1554
Universidad de los Andes, Colombia
skmejiar@unal.edu.co
Abstract:
This article examines the dynamics of Black identity policies in Luruaco, a town in the department of Atlántico (Colombia), where surprisingly 94.6% of population identify themselves as Black or Afro, despite the prevalence of miscegenation and Whiteness across the region. This phenomenon is studied within the context of community councils Kusuto Magende and Matamba, which were created to vindicate territorial rights under Law 70 of 1993. Through “raising-awareness technologies,” such as workshops and diploma courses, community leaders have sought to legitimize their ethnic identity in a place historically marked by racism and Blackness denial. This article examines how those processes not only respond to legal requirements, but also to the need to confront historic tensions around Afro identity in the Colombian Caribbean region, by articulating African legacies, traditional practices, and regional differences. Furthermore, we reflect on the implications of ethnic recognition for gaining access to resources and benefits, underlining the complexities and challenges faced by the councils within a context of racial exclusion.
Keywords: Luruaco, Blackness, Afro-descendant people, miscegenation, identity policies, community councils, Law 70 of 1993, awareness raising, Colombian Caribbean, ethnicity, racism.
