Journalist reports on “Black Mexico”

The theory that Africans explored the continents of North and South America long before Columbus is not a new one, but in a new publication journalist Lamont Muhammad brings the issue closer to home through a journey to a unique village up north. The booklet is called “Black Mexico: The Greatest Story Never Told.”

Lamont Muhammad, Journalist

“What we found in our research by Betran, a university professor, at the University of Vera Cruz, is that there are hundreds of thousands of Africans in Mexico prior to the slave trade. Of course, right on the west coast in the state of Guerrero, there was also a lot of slavery because the silver mines. So there were ways that proceeded the colonial era and of course during the slave trade, a lot of Africans came in.”

Stewart Krohn

“So let me get this straight, the Africans people who came to Mexico prior to the slave trade, would have gotten there by which method?”

Lamont Muhammad

“Oh, there were sea ferries, the degree to which they were related to the Garinagu, is another question. But what we know, based under the evidence that Ivan Van Sertima and others have found, is that Africans came by sea, set up missions and trading posts on the east coast. They set up missions in Vera Cruz, that was in fact where the Olmex civilization was located and they had outposts on what they called Costa Chica, which is where we were on the Pacific coast.”

The booklet is on sale at The Book Centre on Church Street and the Angelus Press in Belize City as well as shops in San Pedro. Price is $15. Muhammad will host a book signing session on Saturday afternoon from 2:00 to 4:00 at Three Amigos restaurant on King Street.