Black in Spain (Part I)

Episode 19 is a little different from previous episodes. At the end of Season 2, I announced that I was heading to Spain for the summer to rekindle my romance with this country that had been my first true love. I was going back after 10 years away because I discovered that Spain was starting to come to terms with her own Black history. This was inspiring for me to hear because previously, Spain had kept her Black history hidden, which in turn led to our break up. At the time, being Black in Spain didn’t seem like a viable option for me or for my Black and Spanish children.

But things they are a changing. Spain’s Black history is finally coming out of the closet. 

So, on the show, you’re going to hear what I’m calling an audio memoir of my return to Spain after almost a decade away.  You can think of it as a follow-up to my 2008 memoir, Kinky Gazpacho. This audio memoir is divided into 5 chapters. On episode 19, you’ll hear chapters one and two, where I revisit Spain’s Black history and all of the ways this history is seeping into contemporary Spanish culture. In two weeks, on episode 20, you’ll hear chapters three, four and five, where I will be exploring what life is like for Black people – African immigrants, Afro-Spanish people and African Americans – living in Spain today. Ultimately, I’ll be trying to answer the question: Is Spain a place where Black people can be free? The answer will probably surprise you. 

 Check the show notes on MyAmericanMeltingpot.com for more sources about Spain’s Black history.