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
A woman is washing dishes inside a house without running water. Pots of different sizes, cups, cutlery, and a small wood-burning stove are on a table in front of the woman. When Antonio Cervantes, aka Kid Pambelé, won the world boxing championship, the Colombian government asked him what he wanted to be done for his community, and he asked to install electricity in San Basilio de Palenque. Electricity was immediately installed in 1974 and piped water in 1978. San Basilio de Palenque, a town located 31 miles from Cartagena, is considered the first free-slave community of the Americas because on August 23, 1691, the Spanish King Charles II signed a royal charter recognizing the freedom of the runaway slave 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 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 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's anthropological categories: Inventory of male-female work roles, and Architecture. Una mujer está lavando platos dentro de una casa sin agua corriente. Sobre una mesa, delante de la mujer, hay ollas de diferentes tamaños, tazas, cubiertos y una pequeña estufa de leña. Cuando Antonio Cervantes, alias Kid Pambelé, ganó el campeonato mundial de boxeo, el gobierno colombiano le preguntó qué quería hacer por su comunidad, y él pidió que llevaran la electricidad a San Basilio de Palenque. La electricidad se instaló de inmediato en 1974 y el agua entubada en 1978. San Basilio de Palenque, un pueblo ubicado a 31 millas de Cartagena, se considera 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 las comunidades de esclavos fugitivos en el Montañas de María. Sin embargo, las autoridades locales no firmaron un tratado con las comunidades de esclavos libres sino hasta enero de 1714, reconociendo su libertad y ordenando el establecimiento del poblado Palenque San Basilio Magno. La gente en San Basilio de Palenque habla una lengua criolla con base en 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 en junio de 1975. Esta imagen ilustra dos categorías antropológicas de Cross: Inventario de roles laborales masculino-femenino y Arquitectura.
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