Peruvian project highlights afro-descendant leaders in schools
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
LUNDU Centro de Estudios y Promoción Afroperuanos and Cheil Perú partnered to create the educational project “La Página Oculta” (The Hidden Page), distributing 50,000 printed copies to schools in Lima, Callao, Ica, Lambayeque, and Piura, Peru.
The project aims to include the contributions of Afro-descendant leaders from the 19th century into classroom learning.
Historian Maribel Arrelucea led research to recreate the lives and appearances of four key figures: Alberto “Grumete” Medina, a hero in the War of the Pacific; Catalina Buendía de Pecho, a resistance leader in Ica; Francisco Congo, founder of the Huachipa Palenque; and Ildefonso, a fighter for independence. The printed materials are designed to supplement existing textbooks.
Brenda Garay, project director at LUNDU, stated the initiative seeks to showcase Afro-descendant figures as important contributors to Peru’s history of freedom and emancipation, sparking student curiosity about their broader impact beyond music, food, and sports. Cheil Studio also produced a documentary video showing the research, design, and impact of the project in schools.
The video features music by percussionists Carlos Yamasaki and Gustavo Silva, and includes commentary on citizenship and interculturalism from Senator Susana Matute, as well as testimonials from the organization’s founder, Mónica Carrillo, and communicator Ysabel Omega. With the distribution of 50,000 publications across five regions, “La Página Oculta” establishes itself as a tool for teaching a more critical and representative view of Peruvian national history.
