Remembering Saturio: Memories of Racism in Chocó (Colombia)

This article analyzes the construction of the memory of Manuel Saturio Valencia, a renowned figure in Chocó, the quintessentially black department in Colombia. Valencia was a Black man who was able to become a judge in a society that, though mostly Black, was dominated by a small white elite. In 1907, he was executed by firing squad after having been found guilty of trying to burn down the department capital. Between 1953 and 1992, three of the most prominent Chocó intellectuals published books on his life and tragic death, showing different ways of addressing the delicate topic of racism in a country that had constructed a mestizo identity tied to the idea of racial harmony. The article analyzes the process of building this figure into a regional hero, different strategies of referring to racial discrimination, and suggests that the memories of Valencia help affirm a Black regional identity.