By Santiago Flores
The field has begun to bloom after years of drought. In the midst of a political climate where the voices of racialised, Black, and Indigenous communities are being suppressed and invalidated on a daily basis, the seeds planted by Valeria Angola, Scarlet Estrada, and Marbella Figueroa – the three Afro-Mexican women behind Afrochingonas – vindicate flowering as an act of resistance that lies in the collective embrace of identity.
Afrochingonas is an interdisciplinary grassroots project on anti-racism, which also happens to be the Afro-Mexican women-led podcast with the highest rating in Mexico City. The anti-racist collective represents a safe digital environment for Afro-Mexican women to reflect on their political identities, in a national context in which speaking out against racism and gender-based violence often translates into life-or-death situations for its campaigners.
Afrochingonas is working to uncover the deep and complex wounds of colonialism, by advocating for racial justice in their blogs, workshops, podcast episodes, and study circles. The radical displays of mutual support within the group serve as an example of how suffering may be overcome through collective struggle.
By Santiago Flores