A SPECIAL LECTURE:
"Contemporary Issues in Black Latin America."
*********************************************
by
Mr. Michael Franklin, President
Organization of Blacks in the Americas
Ms. Jameelah Muhammed, Scholar
Afro-Mexican Studies
WHERE: District of Columbia Public Library, Watha T. Daniel Branch, at
Rhode Island Avenue and 8th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
WHEN: November 14, 1994
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
INFO: (202) 727-1228
According to estimates compiled by keynote speaker, Mr. Michael Franklin,
Latin Americans of African descent number at least 150 million or
one-third the total population of the region. Yet, little is known
about these highly marginalized and "invisible" peoples. In fact, few
Latin American governments maintain statistics that would adequately
quantify either the number of Blacks or their general status and condition.
There is also the argument that Latin America has been sealed off from
the racial tensions that have plagued North America and Southern Africa.
Mr. Franklin and Ms. Muhammed present an overwhelming body of evidence of
overt and hostile racism against Blacks in many parts of Latin America,
including, but not being limited to, Brasil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and
Uruguay. And they have developed an astonishing cognizance of the
present status and condition of Black Latin Americans -- serving as an
excellent foundation to those interested in this developing field.
Mr. Michael Franklin is also the Civil Rights Leader from Jamaica who,
through OAA--Organization of Africans in the Americas (703) 845-0753 (his
personal line), has recently sponsored the historic visit of 4 (four)
Black Leaders from Latin America (i.e., Mr. Antonio Arruda-GELEDES,
Institute of the Black Woman in Brazil, Brazil; Mr. Juan de Dios Mosquera,
Movement for Human Rights of Afro-Colombian Communities-Cimarron,
Colombia; Jorge Ramirez-Movement for Human Rights of Blacks in Peru, Peru;
and Romero Rodriguez, Organization African World, Uruguay) to give
lectures at Howard University and to brief various political segments in
Washington, D.C., on the current status of Blacks in Latin America.
The meeting to be held at the District of Columbia Public Library, at
the Watha T. Daniel Branch, promises to give continuity to the agenda
presented by the four Black Latin American leaders, and will, likewise,
be of the utmost importance in bringing awareness to and seeking solutions
for the plight of Black men, women, and children in Latin America.
DO MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND THIS EQUALLY HISTORIC LECTURE IF YOU
ARE IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C., AREA ON 14TH NOVEMBER, 1994.
See you there!
All inquiries should be made by calling the numbers listed above.
(Submitted by Professor Rosangela Maria Vieira, Editor,
The Journal of Afro-Latin American Studies and Literatures, JALAS&L,
<rmvieira@cldc.howard.edu>.)