This article is part of the Leaders of Social & Political Change series from the Fall 2012 issue of Americas Quarterly.
The new charter’s recognition and protection of the country’s ethnic and cultural diversity marked a profound transformation in the Colombian state.
The emergence and efforts of these groups resulted in the 1993 Law of Black Communities (Law 70).
The Ford Foundation in particular has helped to stimulate the work of academics focused on Afro-descendent communities.
That work has not only contributed to a deeper understanding of our history and challenges but also helped us form a broader notion of the Afro-Colombian social movement and its relationship to the outside world.