The African Presence in Mexico: From Yanga to the Present, Roots, Resistance and Recognition, and Common Goals, Common Struggles, and Common Ground February 10, 2006

The Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum (MFACM) is showcasing The African Presence in México, the most comprehensive project ever organized about African contributions to Mexican culture featuring three exhibitions: The African Presence in Mexico: From Yanga to the Present, Roots, Resistance and Recognition, and Common Goals, Common Struggles, and Common Ground. The project also features numerous public and educational programs throughout the seven months that the exhibitions will be presented. The project examines the missing chapter in Mexican history that highlights the African contributions to Mexican culture over the past nearly 500 years. These groundbreaking exhibitions also attempt to stimulate a better understanding of Mexican culture among Mexicans and non-Mexicans alike. The exhibitions will run from February 11 ? September 3, 2006 and subsequently tour to at least four other museums in the U.S. and Mexico.



The African Presence in México From Yanga to the Present

Curated by Sagrario Cruz-Carretero & Cesáreo Moreno

For nearly 500 years, the existence and contributions of the African descendants in Mexico have been overlooked. Soon Africans arrived in Mexico in 1519 Yanga, an African leader, founded the first free African township in the Americas (January 6, 1609). Since then Africans have continued to contribute their artistic, culinary, musical, and cultural traditions to Mexican culture through the present day. No exhibition has showcased the history, artistic expressions, and practices of Afro-Mexicans in such a broad scope as this one, which includes a comprehensive range of artwork from 18th Century Colonial Caste Paintings to contemporary artistic expressions.