Mexico's Unknown Black Community (#5)

Coyolillo. When most people think of Mexico, they don’t imagine people of African descent. But when the Spanish colony in Mexico was first founded, they brought over thousands of slaves from Congo, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and elsewhere. Eventually they rebelled and formed their own communities deep in the mountains of Veracruz.

Today these black Mexicans still have their own community that maintains traditions going back over 500 years, paying homage to people like Yanga who led a revolt against the Spaniards. They’re a distinctive town in the region of Veracruz that has it’s own Carnaval, the Coyolillo Carnaval. They wear cool masks for Carnaval every February.

And they still ride around on donkeys, which I think is awesome.

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