During a visit to the Dominican Republic, The Root’s editor-in-chief Henry Louis Gates Jr. made a troubling discovery — there weren’t many historical statues, monuments or other works that made note of prominent Black figures throughout the country’s history. According to an excerpt from this book, “Black in Latin America,” he eventually came across a statue “honoring Lemba, a great leader of the Maroon slaves in the 16th century.” Many Latinos are aware of the fact that they have African ancestors, but after growing up in countries that typically make little mention of such African roots, some Afro-Latinos simply follow suit and don’t acknowledge that part of their rich cultural history.
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