FAQ #35 - Blacks, Mexico, Slavery & Liberation

Mexico's achievements by its descents of 500,000 imported African slaves marks on of the biggest and least known uppers of African People's history in the hemisphere. (Thanks to Mexico's booming field of Afro Mexican Studies the following facts are being presented)

Mexico's 1810-1821 war for independence from Spain became a civil rights crusade. Of the 3 military heroes to have states named after them, Hidalgo, Morelos & Guerrero, the latter two were African-Indian. Demands of total racial equality, full civil rights under law and an end to slavery rang in most all the major decrees of the 1810-1821 freedom fighters. AfroMexico, then 10.2% of the population (by Spanish census) flocked to this struggle and by 1820 comprised most of its leadership and troops. AND WHY? For one, they were the only group subject to slavery and to a number of other "caste" restrictions.

Said the MLK of Mexico, Father Morelos, "When we win the happiness of independence a man will be judged only be the content of his character and no longer by preferential lineage."

At independence White Mexico had to give civil rights concessions to the determined freedom fighters. Blacks assumed many important positions, especially as national and regional military commanders, the "educated" whites dominating the gov. bureaucracy. But black Mexico could not quickly be vanquished.

Mexico has had at least 3 Afro-Indian presidents. The country was only eight years independent when AfroMex Vicente Guerrero became Pres. He got in office because Afro-Mexico, a predominantly mixed race group of 650,000 offically and double that number counting those passing, violently rebelled demanding he be put in office. Guerrero "the great commoner" had a strong left-wing political agenda and most Afros were poor, so...

And note this:
The historic Acordada uprising in the capital to put Gureerro in office was started by two guys one being AfroM (F. Garcia) who got the support of AfroM General J.M.Lobato and AfroM Congressman A. Zerecero, who along with the mestizo L.Zavala saw the masses take the city.

In the country side AfroM also showed its VERY KEY ROLE IN POLITICS OF THE NEW NATION. ProGureerro rebellions were led by J. & F. Codallos (two black immgrants from Trinidad) plus AfroM military leaders J. Guzman, and Juan Alvarez, plus the Afro-Filipino militants (descendants of 60,000 Filipino slaves) I. Montesdeoca and F. Mongoy.

Guerrero also had General Santa Anna's support. At this time, as shown in recent AfroMexican Studies data, Santa Anna's army was composed largely of AfroMexican troops from behind the port of Vera Cruz.

Guerrero had a year in office. He abolished slavery, taxed the hell out of the rich (who refused to pay), and tried to launch many social reforms, and in general, made his government the most progressive one Mexico has ever had, with the exception of that brief period when Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata were Mexico's defacto government.

Blacks remained the soul of progress in Mexico for decades. It was the AfroM generals Guzman and Alvarez who launched the war the first brought the great Indian intellectual mastermind of reform, Benito Juarez, to Mexico City & power in 1854. Genl Guzman died in this noble 1854 struggle. Juan Alvarez fought on and on. He last mounted his horse for battle in 1867, telling his largely Afro Mexican and AfroFilipino troops from the Acapulco area, "I still live men of the South, I who have always led you to fight against tyrants."

WHAT YOU READ IS THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG OF THE AFRO-MEXICAN story, as unfolded in 15 books published between 1984 & 1994, and in on going research. I hope there will be some feedback on the above. Specify your interest and I will draw from my collection of the new books and from my ongoing research for a forthcoming THE BLACKS WHO FREED MEXICO book. An article with plenty of references, THE BLACKS WHO FREED MEXICO will be out late April or in May in JOURNAL OF NEGRO HISTORY. Looking forward to feedback and questions - such as, "why is this story just getting out?"

Ted Vincent, author BLACK POWER & THE GARVEY MOVEMENT and other works.

EMAIL to either my <FSLNTED@UCLINK.BERKELEY.EDU> or <FSLN@AOL.COM> appreciated