"Latin America and the Caribbean have the largest concentration of people with African ancestry outside Africa."
Black in Latin America, written and produced by Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., examines how Africans and Europeans came together to create the rich cultures of Latin America and the Caribbean. Often associated with music, monuments, and great weather, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, and Peru, also have a great, secret history. Each episode is dedicated to each of these places, where Professor Gates delves into their shared legacies of slavery and colonialism and celebrates the massive influence of the millions marked by African roots. The region imported over ten times as many slaves as the United States, and kept them in bondage far longer. This series considers how and why their contribution is often forgotten or ignored.
Watch a featured clip from Black in Latin America below.
Professor Gates introduces viewers to descendants of Africans in Latin-American countries.
Henry Louis Gates Jr. on Black in Latin America
A Q&A on his decision to take-on this project and what the series has taught him.
Behind-the-Scenes Images
An album of photos taken during the filming of the Black in Latin America series.
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