Fighting racism in Costa Rica: Meet Costa Rica Afro

Any silver lining these days deserve its own ovation, so I want to stand up and celebrate the fact that the anti-racist fight in the United States woke me up to the presence of a great organization here in Costa Rica: Costa Rica Afro.

This “diverse and inclusive Afro feminist collective” focuses on “the fight against racism, machismo and sexism through political action, research, education, and the organization of concrete actions,” according to the Costa Rica Afro website, and welcomes all comers regardless of gender, race or nationality. Their site features, among other things, this cool celebration of Afro-Costa Rican women leaders.

Tonight at 7 pm Costa Rica time, they and other organizations behind Black Lives Matter Costa Rica are organizing a virtual rally to help connect people in Costa Rica who care about the ongoing U.S. protests and the global anti-racist struggle. You can request the Zoom link by messaging Costa Rica Afro on its Facebook or Instagram pages (@costaricaafro), or you’re invited to share a photo supporting the movement using #blacklivesmattercr.

I’ve been frustrated at not being able to engage more actively with movements in my home country in recent years, so while our eyes are on the U.S. at the moment, I’m excited to learn more about the very important work going on in Costa Rica! Here’s to Costa Rica Afro and the many people around the world who are working so hard to make their countries more peaceful and fair.

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! If you want to learn more about how to support Costa Rica during the crisis, visit my COVID-19 section, updated regularly – or for ways to enjoy Costa Rica from afar, visit Virtual Costa Rica.