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Image / Girls practice boxing, San Basilio de Palenque, 1977

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Title
Girls practice boxing, San Basilio de Palenque, 1977
Creator
Cross, Richard, 1950-1983
Date Created and/or Issued
1977-04
Publication Information
California State University, Northridge
Contributing Institution
California State University, Northridge
Collection
Richard Cross Photographs (Bradley Center)
Rights Information
Use of images from the collections of the Tom & Ethel Bradley Center is strictly prohibited by law without prior written consent from the copyright holders. The responsibility for the use of these materials rests exclusively with the user.
The Bradley Center may assist in obtaining copyright/licensing permission to use images from the Richard Cross collection. http://www.csun.edu/bradley-center/contact
Description
Two girls practice boxing outside a fenced area in the community of San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia. The villagers identify boxing as significant to the economic development of the Palenque settlement. The popularity of the sport is associated with a prominent Palenque boxer, Antonio Cervantes, also known as Kid Pambelé. He brought home Colombia's first world championship boxing title. His celebrated victory was not only a win for the sport but also for Palenque's infrastructure and development. Electricity and water became more readily available when the boxer won and used his influence to acquire these resources for his village. He became a role model to many of its residents. His village later went on to produce three world championship boxers for Colombia. San Basilio de Palenque, a town located 31 miles from Cartagena, is considered the first community to officially free enslaved people in the Americas because on August 23, 1691, the Spanish King Charles II signed a royal charter recognizing the freedom of the runaway communities in the María Mountains. Local authorities, however, did not sign a treaty with the communities of free slaves until January of 1714 acknowledging their freedom and ordering the establishment of the town of Palenque San Basilio Magno. People in San Basilio de Palenque speak a Spanish-based creole language known as Palenquero. According to local public records, in 1975 the village had 2,400 residents (mostly farmers or day laborers) and 388 houses. Colombian anthropologist Nina S. De Friedemann had been studying the Afro-Colombian community of San Basilio de Palenque since 1973 for the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and Richard Cross joined her to do work as a visual anthropologist in June 1975. This image illustrates Cross’ anthropological category: Social organization.
Dos niñas practican boxeo fuera de un área cercada en la comunidad de San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia. Los aldeanos identifican el boxeo como significativo para el desarrollo económico del asentamiento de Palenque. La popularidad del deporte está asociada con un destacado boxeador de Palenque, Antonio Cervantes, también conocido como Kid Pambelé. Cervantes trajo a Colombia el primer campeonato mundial de boxeo. Su celebrada victoria no solo fue una victoria para el deporte sino también para la infraestructura y el desarrollo en Palenque. La electricidad y el agua se hicieron más accesibles cuando el boxeador ganó y usó su influencia para adquirir estos recursos para su pueblo. Se convirtió en un modelo a seguir para muchos de sus residentes. Su pueblo luego produjo tres boxeadores que tambiéb ganaron el campeonato mundial para Colombia. San Basilio de Palenque, un pueblo ubicado a 50 kilómetros de Cartagena, es considerada la primera comunidad de esclavos libres de América porque el 23 de agosto de 1691, el rey español Carlos II firmó una cédula real que reconocía la libertad de de las comunidades de personas fugitivas en las Montañas de María. Sin embargo, las autoridades locales no firmaron un tratado con estas comunidades sino hasta enero de 1714, reconociendo su libertad y ordenando el establecimiento del poblado de Palenque San Basilio Magno. La gente en San Basilio de Palenque habla una lengua criolla con base en el español conocida como palenquero. Según los registros públicos locales, en 1975 el pueblo tenía 2.400 residentes (en su mayoría agricultores o jornaleros) y 388 casas. La antropóloga colombiana Nina S. De Friedemann había estado estudiando la comunidad afrocolombiana de San Basilio de Palenque desde 1973 para el Instituto Colombiano de Antropología y Richard Cross se unió a ella para trabajar como antropólogo visual y fotógrafo en junio de 1975. Esta imagen ilustra la categoría antropológica de Cross: Inventario de organización social.
Type
image
Format
Photographs
image/jpeg
black-and-white negatives
Extent
35 mm
Identifier
99.01.RCr.N35.B5.98.23a
http://digital-collections.csun.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p17169coll1/id/7426
Subject
Girls--Colombia--San Basilio del Palenque
Boxing
Village communities
Place
San Basilio del Palenque (Colombia)
Relation
99.01.RCr.N35.B5.98.23a.tif
Richard Cross Photographs
California State University Northridge. University Library. Special Collections & Archives. Tom & Ethel Bradley Center

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