Global Activism: Photojournalist documents Afro-Colombian communities

Colombia’s African Diaspora population is the third largest in the Americas, after Brazil and the United States, but they endure enormous violence and persecution at the hands of the country’s numerous armed factions. The lives of Afro-Colombians are further complicated by decades of civil war and economic interests such as the mining industry, narcotraffickers and large landowners, that fuel more violence.

Ruth Goring is a board member for Colombia Vive Chicago, an NGO dedicated to human rights in Colombia. She’s author of a book of poetry called Yellow Doors. Michael Bracey is a photojournalist and editor of the Africans Within the Americas project. In February 2014, they visited Afro-Colombian neighborhoods in and near Cartagena, Quibdó, Buenaventura, and Medellín. Going and Bracey join us to fulfill their mission to “share the beauty and strength of our Afro-Colombian sisters and brothers through exhibits and presentations in Chicago and beyond.”

(Photo: Courtesy of Michael Bracey)