Speaker: Dr. Maria Escallón, University or Oregon

To what extent has formal recognition of Afro-descendants’ “cultural heritage” further marginalized Black communities in Colombia? In 2005 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared the cultural practices of the Afro-Colombian people of San Basilio de Palenque––known as Palenqueros––as “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.” Though in principle the declaration elevated the culture and history of all Palenqueros, in practice, many experienced the heritage declaration as a form of exclusion—from power, from social networks, from frameworks of expertise, from opportunity, and from systems of authority. In this talk, I examine a group of Palenqueras working as fruit vendors on the streets of Cartagena. These women felt exploited by and excluded from the heritage recognition process, which popularized their image as an icon of heritage tourism, without providing any tangible financial benefit. I examine the disconnect that exists between Palenqueras’ public image and their lived experience in order to trace how the heritage declaration became both an opportunity for and an obstacle to their socio-economic mobility.

Free. Open to all via Zoom. To request accommodations relating to a disability, please contact Nick Blum at 541-737-4515, preferably at least one week in advance.

Free. Open to all via Zoom.