UNEARTHED URBANITIES:
Wayne Evans Holness Bachelor of Architecture - May 2025
African Diaspora Contributions to Urbanism in Latin America “It is often said that culture is the sum total of the stories we tell ourselves, about ourselves. Whilst it is true, what is missing in the statement is any acknowledgement of who the ‘we’ in question is. In architecture particularly, the dominant voice has historically been a singular, exclusive voice, whose reach and power ignores huge swathes of humanity — financially, creatively, conceptually — as though we have been listening and speaking in one tongue only. The ‘story’ of architecture is therefore incomplete. Not wrong, but incomplete.” - Lesley Lokko, Venice Biennale 2023 Introduction
Introduction
For over 400 years, millions of Africans were forcibly displaced acros the Atlantic by European colonial powers. Port cities became lucrative economic hubs, with black labor essential to colonial expansion and urban development². After gaining independence in the 19th century, these nations experienced new waves of black migration. Afro-Caribbean immigrants sought new employment opportunities, further contributing to economic, cultural and urban development during the 19th and 20th centuries. Despite centuries of contributions, political agendas have worked to write black people out of their nations’ stories. Racist policies, systemic defunding, and urban violence threatened, deteriorated, and obliterated black settlements throughout Latin America¹. In spite of relentless violence and displacement, populations of the diaspora resisted oppression and formed spatial and cultural resilience in the process. Today, these communities are facing growingly urgent threats to their survival, as rapid development, urbanization, modernization, and climate change slowly erase their histories and legacies.
Research Questions
How have Afro-Latin communities shaped urban environments through architecture, spatial practices, and cultural preservation? How have government policies and urban planning tools either sustained or erased Afro-diasporic spaces? How can these models of spatial resistance inform contemporary urban resilience in the face of climate change and forced displacement?
Proposal
I propose to study African Diaspora contributions to Latin American architecture and urban development. This research will document and recognize the spatial influence of Afro-descendant populations in a region where their existance and impact is often overlooked. It will also provide insights into political, cultural, and environmental resilience strategies that remain increasingly necessary as cities face rapid development, displacement, climatic threats, and erasure in the 21st century. I will visit cities and towns with prominent afro-descendant history in Brazil, Colombia, Panamá, and Costa Rica, examining how black communities have
shaped their urban contexts. Cultural identity aspects such as religion, food, recreation, music, and memory will serve as spatial anchors for the impact of black populations on their respective urban fabrics. They will also serve to map where and how black urban life has evolved or been disrupted over time. By studying colonial and postcolonial urban contributions through a modern lens, this research will contextualize the architectural and spatial legacies of the African diaspora in Latin America within broader historical, social, political, and economic forces. In order to construct a comprehensive spatial narrative, this study will integrate qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Archival research and collection, including deeds, maps, and existing photographs, will provide insights into the historical foundations of urban centers and neighborhoods. This will be paired with site documentation through photographs, sketches, and videos to compare past and present conditions, revealing patterns of development, preservation, displacement, and erasure. Additionally, conversations with local designers, artisans, and local grassroots organizations will uncover overlooked oral histories and firsthand perspectives of modern black placemaking, spatial resistance, and ongoing threats of erasure. Together, these methodologies will collectively illustrate a layered, multi-scalar account of diasporic contributions within their urban fabrics over time⁴. This research prioritizes documenting and analyzing diasporic resistance and resilience across different urban scales. For example, studying urban occupations in metropolises such as Sãu Paulo alongside smaller towns like Limón help create a more holistic understanding of black communities have navigated displacement and adaptation under different geographical, political and economic contexts. Additionally, Rio de Janeiro, with its colonial past as a major slave port, tells a different urban development story than Panama City, which saw two waves of diasporic development: colonial enslaved workers and post-independence Afro-Antillean migrants⁵. Comparing a range of urban response sizes and types creates a more nuanced understanding of the application of resistant and resilient spatial strategies. One case study of diaspora contributions is the Afro-Brazilian religion of Candomblé, which illustrates how black spatial traditions have persisted despite repression. Terreiros, places of worship originally formed within port cities, were forcibly relocated due to persecution by the Catholic Church¹. This pattern of forced displacement, seen in the creation of autonomous settlements like quilombos in Brazil and palenques in Colombia, demonstrates how black communities have used space as a tool for resistance and cultural continuity. Even as black populations reintegrated into urban centers postindependence, they faced ongoing segregation, violence, and erasure¹. These struggles persist today; Salvador’s historically black Gamboa de Baixo neighborhood is being encroached on by luxury coastal developments, continuing an unfortunate legacy of urban exclusion and displacement³.
Impact
During my time in the School of Architecture, I gained exposure to critical perspectives that shaped my understanding of spatial justice. I have personal connections to Limón, the Costa Rican stop on the proposed itinerary. Hearing from relatives and seeing cultural and spatial erasure taking place firsthand inspired my commitment to this work. Additionally, taking courses offered by Professors Morgado, Schaffer, Barrie and Protz have highlighted the importance of acknowledging and critically engaging with architectural contributions by marginalized and underrepresented communities, and given me tools to work toward honoring those contributions in a meaningful way. This research will benefit NCSU and the greater architecture community by expanding the canonical knowledge base of the profession. Historically, architecture canon has prized the modern contributions of singular icons such as Le Corbusier, Van Der Rohe, and Wright, while largely overlooking the contributions of marginalized communities. Even among the increasingly recognized Latin American canon, afro-descendant contributions are virtually absent. Although recognitions of diverse historical contexts have begun, it is important to expand the canon and add to the collective memory of the profession by including forgotten names and community contributions. During my travels, I will share written entries, sketches, and photographs to a blog. Upon my return, I will compile my findings into a multimedia website, combining interactive urban maps with collaged archival materials, photogrammetry, animated diagrams, and audio conversation recordings where possible. My aim is to create an engaging tool to educate the NCSU community and the general public on the role afro-descendant populations have played in the development of Latin American urbanism. I also aim to contribute to the growing discussion about how we might learn from these insights to design more equitable and resilient spaces. This opportunity will further develop my design philosophy and inform my future career contributions to continued diasporic placemaking in Latin America. This research aims to unearth selectively forgotten histories and expand imagined futures. By studying Afro-diasporic contributions to Latin American urbanism, I will explore strategies of spatial resistance, sociopolitical agency, and climatic resilience that can inform contemporary approaches to architectural and urban design. I hope to contribute to efforts ensuring black communities are not only preserved, but actively included and celebrated in the design of more equitable and spatially just urban societies. Sources 1. Achile Mbembe. Necropolitics. 2019. 2. Jorge Cañizares-Esguerra, et al. The Black Urban Atlantic in the Age of the Slave Trade. 2013. 3. Keisha-Khan Perry. Black Women Against the Land Grab: The Fight for Racial Justce in Brazil. 2013. 4. Mabel O. Wilson, et al. Racial Evidence. 2017. 5. Afro-Panamanians in Panama. Minority Rights Group. 2023.
End Limón
TRAVEL BUDGET Flights Raleigh - São Paulo São Paulo - Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro - Salvador Salvador - São Luis São Luis - Cali Cali - Quibdó Quibdó - Cartagena Cartagena - Panama City Panama City - San José San José - Limón (round trip) San Jose - Raleigh
$550 $50 $100 $125 $450 $125 $125 $175 $150 $175 $250 $2,275
Panamá
Daily Expenses São Paulo Rio de Janeiro Salvador São Luis Cali Quibdó Cartagena Panama City Limón
Days 8 7 7 6 5 4 5 6 5
Lodging $50 $60 $50 $45 $40 $35 $50 $70 $50
Food + Transport $35 $40 $35 $30 $30 $25 $30 $40 $35
Total $680 $700 $595 $450 $350 $240 $400 $660 $425 $4,500
Additional Expenses Travel Insurance Admissions + Tickets Supplies + Equipment International Data Visas
$200 $150 $400 $200 $80 $1,030
Total Minimum 15% Contingency
$7,805 $1,170
Total Expenses
$8,975
Cartagena
Wayne Evans Holness Bachelor of Architecture - May 2025
Quibdó Cali
São Luis
Salvador de Bahia
TRAVEL PLAN Brazil - 28 Days
Stop 1: São Paulo Study the work of Tebas, an 18th-century enslaved architectural craftsman, including Moistero de São Bento and Igreja das Chagas São Franciso. Visit the Afro-Brazil Museum, the largest diaspora museum in the Americas, to learn about collective memory and the depth of its contributions in Brazil. Map and study Candonblé and Umbanda terreiros, including Mãe Rosane, Aruanda and Pai Arariboia. Study the Barra Funda neighborhood, a historically black residential neighborhood near the city center, at risk of gentrification. Research collections at the Municipal Historical Archives to study the city’s urban development history and planning. Speak with Gabriela de Matos, an Afro-Brazilian architect, researcher, and exhibitionist about her efforts to highlight diaspora contributions in Brazil. Stop 2: Rio de Janeiro Visit the historic Little Africa neighborhoods of Pedro do Sal, Gambo, and Santo Cristo to study the impacts of urbanization and gentrification. Visit the Madueira neighborhood to study displacement impacts and speak with CUFA, a grassroots organization to learn more about urban activism movements against racism. Study religious sites including Quilombo das Neves and Quilombo Cultural Brasil Mexico Franca, spaces
for community healing, resistance, and cultural celebration. Visit archeological sites including the Valongo Wharf and the Newly Arrived Blacks Cemetery Museum to gain insights into collective memory preservation and celebration strategies. Stop 3: Salvador de Bahia Visit Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos, a segregated place of worship funded and built by enslaved Africans. Visit Gamboa de Baixo and Ribeira neighborhoods to map displacement and speak to community leaders about urban resistance movements. Speak with Bárbara Oliveira, Afro-Brazilian architect, urbanism professor, and co-founder of Arquitetas Negras, an organization bringing a spotlight to black women architects and racial justice. Venture to Quilombo Kaonge to learn more about diasporic autonomous community development. Stop 4: São Luis Visit Cafua das Merces, a former slave market converted into a museum to learn about black history and contributions in the city center. Study the Casa do Tambor de Crioula, a school for the namesake dance of African origin with roots in northeast Brazil. Visit Casa das Minas, a 19th-century temple for Tambor de Mina, the syncretic Afro-Brazilian religion practiced in northeast Brazil.
Study Candomblé terreiros and earthen residential developments in the Liberdade neighborhood, one of the largest urban quilombos in Latin America. Venture to the vernacular earth dwellings of slavedescendant quilombola communities in Alcântara.
Rio de Janeiro
Colombia - 14 Days
Start São Paulo
Stop 5: Cali Speak with Luis Garcés, an Afro-Colombian architect and contractor about his contributions to urban housing developments. Visit urban development archives at Universidad del Valle to map the history of the 20th-century urban boom, partially due to Afro-Colombian migration from rural zones. Study prominent Afro-Colombian neighborhoods, including Santa Rosa and La Merced. Stop 6: Quibdó Visit Catedral Francisco de Asis, the Catholic central stage of the town, a symbol of religious colonial architecture mixed with local materials and knowledge. Study the building techniques of residential neighborhoods to resist flooding, and the use of aluminum foil to reduce heat gain.
Panamá - 6 Days
Stop 8: Panama City Visit the Afro-Antillean Museum, a converted Protestant church commemorating the lives and contributions of black immigrants. Visit the Río Abajo neighborhood to map AfroCaribbean urban development spurred by the construction of the Panama Canal. Visit the Colón neighbhorhood to understand the effects of racial disparities on urban development.
Stop 7: Cartagena Visit Museo San Pedro Claver and the Getsemaní neighborhood, a historically black residential zone.
Research archives at the University of Panamá and National Archives of Panamá for insights into urban development trends, including the segregation of Afro-Caribbean immigrants along the Canal Zone.
Venture to San Basilio de Palenque, the first free black town in the Americas, to gain insights into urban resistance and local material design.
Venture to Bocas del Toro, a prominent AfroCaribbean coastal town to study vernacular residential developments and urban struggles.
Costa Rica - 5 Days
San José (fly into) Stop 9: Limón Visit downtown Limón, the Afro-Caribbean center, including the board-built Post Office building and Tomás Guardia school. Visit Jamaica Town and Barrio Roosevelt, historic black neighborhoods, including the Old Baptist Church and the Domino House, a recreation center for Afro-Caribbean immigrant railroad construction workers. Visit the Afro-Costa Rican museum in Puerto Viejo to speak with local craftspeople and artisans about cultural preservation methods and urban struggles. Speak with Markus Brown, architect and cofounder of Rich Coast Project, a non-profit documenting Afro-Costa Rican architectural history and legacy.