200,000 enslaved Africans arrived in chains to Argentina’s shores between the 16th and 19th centuries. But slowly, anti-Blackness erased them from the country’s consciousness in a secret genocide.
The sneaky tactics used by Argentina’s government were anti-Black at the core. Former president Domingo Faustino Sarmiento instituted deadly policies to wipe out Afro-Argentines. They were forced into communities without decent infrastructure and healthcare, and when a yellow-fever outbreak spread, it was deadly.
Another genocidal tactic was the forced recruitment into the Paraguayan war, which the government knew they wouldn’t win. They sent thousands of Black men to their deaths which undeniably impacted the future of Afro-Argentine families.
Living in an anti-Black world means that no matter where our people end up in the diaspora, their descendants face the same issues created by systemic racism: inadequate housing, healthcare, education, policing, mass incarceration, and more.
But they could never erase us.
We are powerful together. Black unity goes beyond invitations to the cookout. It’s about recognizing our shared experiences and committing to liberation across all fronts for our people everywhere.