May 21 is Afro-Colombian Day, or Día de la Afrocolombianidad! On this day, more than 150 years ago, Colombia abolished slavery and established the first free town in the Americas, Palenque de San Basilio. The annual holiday also raises critical awareness about the continued struggle for equal rights across the country.
In 2018, Colombia’s census found that 2.9 million Colombians identify as Black, Afro-Colombian, Raizal, or Palenquera, with the majority living along the Pacific Coast of the country. Still, according to local Afro-Colombian organizations, the number should be much higher.
In addition to living in a country with entrenched systems of inequality and discrimination, Afro-Colombians tend to reside in areas of Colombia with high levels of violence and guerrilla activity, forcing many individuals into displacement. While the struggle towards peace has been long and bloody, the movement has also birthed and molded some of the country’s greatest leaders and trailblazers. Individuals who have managed to survive intense violence, empower their communities, and advocate for equal treatment of Afro-Colombians under the rule of law.
Meet Luzmila – Community Leader in Buenaventura, Colombia
I was only the second displaced person to arrive in Buenaventura when I started community organizing. I’m originally from Juradó, Chocó, where I worked as a teacher, an office administrator, and with the national government. It was in Juradó that I experienced violence, forcing me into displacement and away from my home.
It was a Friday when guerrilla violence erupted and lasted through Sunday. Although we were sheltered from much of the violence at home, the events of that weekend generated an intense and collective fear among the community, resulting in massive displacement. In fact, nearly 7,000 people fled the area with only a handful remaining in place. From Juradó, I stopped in Bahía Solano before arriving in Buenaventura on December 22, 1999.
21 years since and you can still feel the effects of displacement in Juradó and in all of Chocó. It’s a region of Colombia with jungle-like terrain on the border with Panama and near the Colombian states of Darien and Baudo. A region that is ripe for violence and illegal armed guerrilla activity. Still, despite the time and the violence, I miss everything about Juradó. You never forget what you once had, especially when you lived safely and your children were happy. Today, life is much too difficult.
She Carries Herself with Pride
Horacio, Luzmila’s youngest son, highlights the difficulties social leaders in Colombia face.
My mom has always had that spirit of leadership. Since she first stepped foot in Buenaventura, she has worked to advance the rights of displaced people and Afro-Colombians. Around the same time that she began to organize the community, a national organization of displaced Afro-Colombians called AFRODES was beginning to form in Bogota. Soon after, AFRODES opened a second chapter headed by my mom in Buenaventura. That’s when the community organizing and mobilizing really took off. However, being a community leader is no easy task. My mom constantly fields threats and instead of being recognized for her good work, she is persecuted.
According to the Institute of Studies for Development and Peace (Indepaz), more than 84 human rights defenders have been murdered in Colombia this year alone.
About this sobering statistic, Luzmila says, I’ve been facing threats and persecution all my life. Violence against community leaders is nothing new. For decades, being a leader has meant living a life filled with intimidation from various directions and groups. But, I carry the title of leader with pride. I carry the title of Afro-Colombian leader with immense pride.
New Leadership, New Hope
In August of this year, AFRODES turns 21. While the organization’s founding members are now much older, they remain active serving as “advisers” to younger generations.
Horacio adds, despite the fact that young people in Colombia are well aware of the risks associated with human rights work, we believe it’s a good way to minimize exposure to violence and focus energy on uplifting our community. We know that this work is noble, and that it is our right to fight for what we have been denied and for what we need to access equity and justice. Instead of dangerous, this work should be applauded and deemed necessary for the healthy development of Colombia’s society.
Community-Based Rehabilitation Model
With support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Heartland Alliance International (HAI) and AFRODES launched a project in 2010 called ACOPLE to address the urgent mental health needs of individuals and communities impacted by Colombia’s internal armed conflict. Through ACOPLE, HAI and AFRODES have trained more than 135 individuals to provide effective, evidence-based, and culturally responsive mental health and psychosocial support services to the groups and subgroups they come from. These Community Agents form an integral role in ACOPLE’s pioneering community-based rehabilitation model. For many victims and their families, these mental health services are the first step in their healing journey following years of hopelessness and abuse.
When we asked one of the Community Agents about their experience with ACOPLE, they said, the training allows us to dream and to see beyond the environment around us. They ignite a motivation within us to do things better, and to do them differently.
About AFRODES
In 1999, a national organization for displaced Afro-Colombians was established to address the needs and advocate on behalf of families impacted by Colombia’s armed conflict. AFRODES is active in 23 territories across Colombia and collaborates with 126 grassroots organizations. Since its formation, AFRODES has achieved great strides in the movement towards equal rights and has started to empower and mentor future generations of leaders.
