Description
Book SynopsisAn exploration of the cultural legacy left by African slaves in the Caribbean and Latin America
Trade Review"It offers general readers a snapshot perspective on the history and life of New World blacks and legacies of slavery, plantation economics, and poverty" * Library Journal *
"Black in Latin America would be an interesting companion to any guidebook for the Caribbean and Latin America, as it reveals not just a hidden history but also an evolving sense of identity." * Associated Press *
"Gates expands his focus on the black experience in Latin America...While Gates tour reveals a burgeoning brown (mixed-race) pride, it also reveals lingering valuation of lighter skin" * Booklist *
"An entertaining alternative to the chronologically framed textbook, [Gates's] approach has its advantages." -- Micol Seigel * Journal of American History *
"An entertaining alternative to the chronologically framed textbook...in a folksy vernacular [the book] recounts a great range of historical events and actors, offering a wonderful level of detail without overly challenging the novice audience." -- Micol Seigel * The Journal of American History *
"An amazing travelogue that swiftly transports the reader from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries through the racial histories of Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., brilliantly describes the formation of these New World societies as they evolved from colonialism and slavery into complex national communities with rich and vibrant Creole cultures. This is an essential book that helps us understand the similarities and differences between post-slavery societies in the Americas today." -- Frank Moya Pons, author of History of the Caribbean: Plantations, Trade, and War in the Atlantic World
"Gates doesn't linger in the past. Through music, cuisine, art, dance, politics, religion and language, he finds living links to Africa...would be an interesting companion to any guidebook for the Caribbean and Latin America." -- Jennifer Kay, Associated Press
"Black in Latin America is a lively and intelligent introduction to the complex history and reality of race in Latin America. Readers accompany Gates as he travels across the region interviewing scholars, activists, cultural figures, and ordinary people who share their insights and experiencesoften surprising, at times painfulof how creolization, discrimination, and anti-racism have evolved historically and are lived in the present" -- Ada Ferrer, author of Insurgent Cuba: Race, Nation, and Revolution, 1868-1898
"A fascinating and engaging journey through past and present, this book offers us a rich portrait of the complexities of race as it is lived in contemporary Latin America. Gates is the perfect guide, sharing his insights, emotions and surprises with eloquence and candor." -- Laurent Dubois, Duke University, and author of Avengers of the New World: The Story of the Haitian Revolution
"Henry Louis Gates, Jr., leads us on a country-by-country tour exploring the recesses of blackness in well-known and lesser-known regions of Latin America, surprising us at every turn with his findings. Through the pages of the book, we embark upon a process of historical discovery, learning as Gates does from his informants and sources. Accessible, witty, insightful, and informative, both for its regional coverage and its comparative analysis, this book will be welcomed by scholars and laypersons alike." -- Ben Vinson III, Johns Hopkins University
"In approaching this vast topic, Gates displays disarming modesty and enthusiasm; his tone is that of a letter from a perceptive friend who can't wait to share what he's learned." * The New Yorker *
"Black in Latin America provides a different in-depth survey of the African migration to the New World." * The Midwest Book Review *
Table of Contents1 Brazil: "May Exu Give Me the Power of Speech"2 Mexico: "h e Black Grandma in the Closet"3 Peru: "h e Blood of the Incas, the Blood of the Mandingas"4 h e Dominican Republic: "Black behind the Ears"5 Haiti: "From My Ashes I Rise; God Is My Cause and My Sword"6 Cuba: h e Next Cuban Revolution
