Sovereign Joy: Afro-Mexican Kings and Queens, 1539-1640

Sovereign Joy examines the performance of festive black kings and queens among Afro-Mexicans between 1539 and 1640, exploring how they transformed their ancestral culture into a shared identity and redefined their colonial condition and social standing. It highlights the central place occupied by Africans and their descendants in colonial culture.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 282 pages
Publication date: 21 September 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Sovereign Joy delves into the captivating realm of festive black kings and queens among Afro-Mexicans, spanning the period from 1539 to 1640. This insightful exploration unveils how the pioneering African and Afro-creole individuals in colonial Mexico seamlessly amalgamated their ancestral heritage into a cohesive identity shared by Afro-Mexicans. It sheds light on the profound ways in which public festival participation served as a powerful vehicle for expressing their culture, subjectivities, and the renegotiation of their colonial status and social standing. By meticulously analyzing this previously overlooked facet of Afro-Mexican Catholic confraternities in both literary texts and visual culture, Miguel A. Valerio unravels the intricate and often paradoxical meanings behind these public processions and festivities. Were they mere symbols of Catholic subjecthood, or did they establish complex corporate structures to project prestige and respectability? Sovereign Joy explores these intriguing possibilities, while simultaneously underscoring the pivotal role played by Africans and their descendants in the fabric of colonial culture. Through the art of performance, Afro-Mexicans asserted their existence, embracing the sovereignty of joy and the joy of sovereignty.

Weight: 440g
Dimension: 153 x 230 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781009078207