Celia Cussen, Black saint of the Americas. The life and afterlife of Martin de Porres

Saint Martin de Porres “The Black Saint of the Afro‐descendant community in Quito‐Ecuador”: Between segregation, racism, and black resistance

“…In 1606 he became a friar. Saint Martin was beatified in 1837 and canonized in 1962 (see Cussen, 2014). 3 In 2014 Alba Pavón received the Illescas de Oro Award from FOGNEP, for her work with children and adolescents, she founded the Dance and Theater Scholl "Con Alma Africana."…”

“…For instance, the canonization of Saint Martin in 1962 took place in the context of the Civil Right Movement in the United States, where Vatican II initiated a series of reforms by the Roman Catholic Church to address issues of “race” internationally and condemn all forms of racial injustice. Saint Martin had become an icon of resistance and was used to promote interracial harmony, racial justice, and improved race relations (Murchison, 2002, 603; Cussen, 2014). Other example, the 3‐day celebration of John the Baptist in Curiepe (Venezuela) by the Afro‐descendant communities or the outstanding celebration of Saint Martin in Canchimalero in Esmeraldas (Ecuador) by the Afro‐descendant communities from the Pacific coast of Ecuador and Colombia takes place in territories that were used for slave labor, so their celebrations have been having a strong sense of resistance and euphoric freedom, since the religious celebrations for the saints implied “days off” from slave labor (Guss, 1993; Antón, 2014; Rowe, 2019).…”

“…In 1606 he became a friar. Saint Martin was beatified in 1837 and canonized in 1962 (see Cussen, 2014).…”