I remember that when I was a girl and did not know Chocó, which is the land of my maternal family, I only saw in the news the poverty, violence and disillusionment in the eyes of those black women and men interviewed for the news. I also remember that, the first time my mother announced to us that we would travel to Chocó, my sister, a girl at the time who was only 7 years old, started crying and screamed that she did not want to go “because Chocó was very ugly.” . And of course, how could we not have that image if the only thing that was shown about the region from the media was poverty, violence and displacement.
That is why comments as unfortunate as the joke of the comedian who says “my friends comment that my room smells horrible, just like Chocó smells” or of the politician who said a few years ago that “putting money into Chocó was like scenting a bun” , are so stigmatizing and racist. They reinforce dehumanizing and unfounded ideas about cleanliness, neatness, and black territories.
These types of comments that go viral in a digital world are not only a mere joke or a simple popular expression, they are part of an exclusive and ignorant imaginary, because those of us who know Chocó know that it is a land with great challenges, but that It smells of the sea, of rivers, of nature, of fruits, it smells of freshly fried cassava bread in the morning to accompany breakfast, it smells of the seasoning of men and women who use rooftop herbs to prepare the most delicious flavors. and that also smells of the talent of a population that has created the shawm and the exotic rhythm.
And as ChocQuibTown, winners of two Latin Grammy Awards, says in their song “Lindo Cielo”, all of us who know Chocó want to show the best of it to the entire world, to tell that Chocó is also the cradle of great characters, writers like Arnoldo Palacios, who was declared by the Ministry of Cultures as one of the greatest exponents of Afro-Colombian culture. Or the teacher Zully Murillo, one of the voices who has portrayed the daily experiences, beliefs and traditions of this region through her songs. Or the entrepreneurs of Herencia Chocó, the first black women in the region to gain economic investment for their company on the renowned television program Shark Tank, or the illustrious politician Diego Luis Córdoba who when he first arrived at the national capitol was told “ Congress was darkened” and he eloquently responded “but intelligence shines.” Or Jairo Varela, the composer who conquered the world with a vast repertoire of songs that we all, including the singers, sing in unison like “Gotas de rain” or “Prueba de fuego”.
And I could dedicate this column to naming so many Chocoan women and men who have made this country a multicultural nation. But the fact is that Colombia needs greater awareness of the territories that are not part of the large cities, because from Medellín and Bogotá it is very easy to give an opinion and describe what is happening there, even without having visited or considered the Choco department a vacation destination. out of the ordinary.
That land, Chocó, which means gold in the Aymara language, has so much wealth that even many Colombians do not appreciate it, and I am absolutely convinced that the moment we value what is ours more, we will stop looking outside to recognize and enhance what is ours. that makes us unique and great.
