A Reality Tour into Afro-Peruvian History, Resistance, and Heart

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Peru?

For most people, it is the majestic ruins of Machu Picchu or the ancient legacy of the Incas. Those places are breathtaking, and we stood there in total awe ourselves.

But Peru’s story does not begin or end there.

There is another history, just as deep and foundational, that rarely receives the attention it deserves: the history of Afro-Peruvians. Descendants of Africans brought to Peru in chains beginning in the 1500s, Afro-Peruvians today make up roughly four percent of the population. Their contributions are woven into the very fabric of the country, yet their legacy is frequently erased or pushed to the margins.

From December 12 to 23, 2025, Global Exchange brought a group of Morehouse College students, staff, and faculty to Peru on a Reality Tour to meet this history head-on. This journey was not about chasing postcard views. It was about listening, connecting, and engaging with Afro-Peruvian communities in the most grounded and human way possible.

Our days were spent sitting in family homes, dancing in community centers, asking questions, sharing laughter, and listening to stories from people whose ancestors helped build the Peru we know today. The trip placed us in direct and reciprocal conversation with historians, artists, organizers, families, and youth leaders. We learned not by observing from a distance, but by being fully present, listening deeply, and allowing lived experience to reshape our understanding.

The voices we encountered were extraordinary. Scholars offered sharp historical and political insight, while community members shared personal and ancestral truths. Together, they revealed a fuller picture of Afro-Peruvian history, from enslavement and resistance to the central role Afro-Peruvians played in Peru’s independence, as well as the ongoing realities of structural racism and exclusion today. Time and again, both guests and Morehouse students reflected on how eye-opening it was to recognize just how essential Afro-Peruvian labor, resistance, and creativity have been to Peru’s development, and how urgently these contributions deserve to be centered in the national narrative.

Culture was never treated as entertainment. It was approached as knowledge, as memory, and as resistance. At the Amador Ballumbrosio Cultural Center in El Carmen, we did not simply observe traditions; we participated in them. We learned zapateo, felt the heartbeat of the cajón, and experienced the powerful blending of African and Andean roots through music, dance, and food. These were not performances, but living practices carefully guarded and passed down through generations. Museums, historic neighborhoods, photography exhibits, and storytelling sessions all revealed how culture becomes a profound act of resistance, dignity, and political expression.

Some of the most unforgettable moments unfolded inside family homes. In San Luis de Cañete, Afro-Peruvian mothers welcomed us into their kitchens, guiding us through cherished recipes while sharing stories of their families and communities. Hours of chopping, stirring, tasting, and talking created a rare intimacy, one no classroom could replicate and one that is difficult to put into words. We did not just learn about Afro-Peruvian culture and history; we were welcomed into it. Many students later described this experience as one of the most meaningful and memorable moments of the entire journey.

That deep engagement with history continued during our visit to a former plantation, Hacienda San José, and to a nearby cemetery where the remains of enslaved Africans were uncovered after a 2019 earthquake. Accompanied by archaeologist Lucho Santa Cruz, we learned how the community chose to confront this painful discovery rather than conceal it, leading to the creation of a virtual museum dedicated to memory, reflection, and anti-racist education. The visit also highlighted the vitality of Afro-Peruvian culture through religious devotions that blend African, Indigenous, and Catholic traditions, including those honoring the Virgen Efigenia and San Martín de Porras.

In Lima, our experience was shaped by a wide range of encounters. Meetings with grassroots organizations working with Afro-Peruvian youth and children illuminated persistent challenges of poverty and exclusion, alongside the creativity and resilience of young people organizing through culture, education, and political action. We attended a screening of Monteagudo, the first short film directed by an Afro-Peruvian filmmaker, Roberto Chévez, which reclaims a forgotten figure from the independence era. We also joined gatherings hosted by AfroCentro, spaces created to celebrate Peruvian Blackness and collective pride, and experienced El Respinguete, where women from the legendary Vásquez family hosted us for a Creole lunch, games, live music, and dance, all rooted in cultural traditions preserved by figures such as Nicomedes and Victoria Santa Cruz.

What made this tour especially powerful was the way the Morehouse students showed up. They listened closely, asked thoughtful questions, and formed genuine connections with the people sharing their stories. That presence, paired with the tour’s intentional design, created a rare balance between structured learning and spontaneous moments, academic insight and community wisdom, reflection and active participation. Each day moved us through classrooms, cultural centers, family homes, and organizing spaces, and every setting allowed for depth rather than surface-level engagement.

The communities we visited felt that respect and openness. They welcomed us with warmth and generosity, transforming what could have been a one-way visit into a true exchange rooted in mutual recognition and care.

Above all, students came away with a deeper understanding of how interconnected our struggles and strengths truly are. They saw how global forces shape local lives, and how ordinary people continue to organize, create, resist, and build in the face of injustice. That understanding is the foundation of solidarity.

Since 1988, Global Exchange Reality Tours have been grounded in a simple belief: travel can be profoundly educational and ethically rooted when it centers solidarity rather than spectacle.

If you are looking for travel that goes beyond beautiful places, experiences that challenge you, connect you with people doing meaningful work, and leave you changed and ready to act, Global Exchange Reality Tours offer that opportunity.

Written by Dayana Mosquera.