Jueves 8 de junio de 2012 ? Fallece el inmortal gestor de los Estudios Afroborinqueños y Afroamericanos: Arturo Schomburg

Un día como hoy, hace 74 años, falleció el inmortal Padre de los Estudios Afroborinqueños y Afroamericanos: Arturo Schomburg.

El gran legado de la vida y obra de este gran boricua, Arturo Schomburg, comenzó de algo que le dijo una maestra en Puerto Rico cuando aún era niño. Ocurre que su maestra le dijo que ‘los negros no tienen historia’. Ni corto ni perezoso, a lo largo de su vida, Arturo Schomburg se dedicó a mostrar cuán equivocada era la premisa que le habían pretendido dar por cierta.

John Anthony Lugo resume el rico legado de Schomburg según expone a continuación:

‘Arturo Schomburg set out on a one-man mission, accompanied only by his own Latino and African multi-cultural ancestry, to provide proof of the extraordinary contributions of the peoples of African descent. Schomburg was himself a microcosm of the global issues he studied and integrated. If he were living today, he would discover the existence of many of the same social issues he fought to eliminate. He would also find progress. He would see that his efforts were not in vain and that his philosophy of education, which emphasized cultural enlightenment is being practiced. Today, the educational community recognizes that an awareness of one’s culture is essential for developing the attitudes, behavior, values, and skills necessary for academic achievement and positive, responsible behavior. Universities and even some high schools offer Latin American studies, Black history and literature courses. Bilingual programs, bilingual teachers and cultural sensitivity are being utilized in all levels of education. Today’s educators realize that cultural education is an empowerment strategy that works.

Schomburg believed that cultural education could create cultural pride, which he described as the self-esteem that results from a shared knowledge of the strengths, creativity, resilience, values, formal and informal practices, social structures, language, religion, art, science, and inventions of a particular group of people. Cultural pride continues to be essential for Blacks, Hispanics and other minorities who are frequently the victims of racist stereotypes and negative attitudes. In the words of Schomburg, ‘What is a luxury for the nation as a whole becomes a prime social necessity for people of color’.’

Hoy, en el 74 aniversario de uno de los boricuas más destacados en la historia de la Nación Puertorriqueña, honramos y rendimos tributo a Arturo Schomburg por haber enriquecido más aun a nuestro rico Puerto Rico y a nuestro mundo entero.

‘No existe ni siquiera un sólo ámbito entre todos los renglones de los adelantos e invenciones de cada industria en que los africanos no hayan contribuido contundentemente a las mejoras que los buscones de oro y cazadores del placer se les pasó cómo hacer dicha contribución.’

-Arturo Schomburg, ‘El Afroborinqueño’

Para más información histórica, sigue a Hans Perl Matanzo y a Ana Gabriela González Oliva en Rico Puerto Rico.