The Colombia Study Abroad Program assists in creating a space for domestic and international students to explore the importance of race and identity in the Colombian context, specifically in Cali, Colombia. Four Colombian undergraduate students were selected to be local roommates for the fifteen international students. Most of our roommates are from the east side of Cali, which is one of the largest cities containing an Afro-Diasporic population in Latin America. The city is plagued with extreme levels of impoverishment, lack of access to transportation and housing. Some roommates commute an hour everyday to reach their public university, Universidad de Valle, and struggle to obtain their dreams of academic success.

All four roommates are low income Afro Colombian students and are unable to participate in the upcoming traveling seminar because of financial constraints. Unfortunately, the program is also unable to fully cover their participation. They have been such amazing friends, roommates and guides during this process, so we are hoping to raise the funds for them to travel alongside us. Our seminar, this October will be a week-long excursion across the country, to encounter two historical sites, San Basilio de Palenque and Cartagena, that are critical to the history of Afro-Colombians. Through the study abroad program, the roommates are given the opportunity to advance their scholarship, but more than anything a deeper understanding of their culture. The only obstacle is a lack of financial resources available in the local community.

Learn more about the trip and the program:

The traveling seminar is a week-long and offers a hands-on learning experience in two historically significant locations for Afro-Colombians (San Basilio de Palenque and Cartagena). During this trip, students will:

Engage with local justice and ancestral healing practices in Palenque.

Explore Caribbean music and rhythms in Cartagena.

Learn about the impact of tourism on traditional livelihoods in La Boquilla.

Connect with social leaders in displaced communities affected by conflict and gentrification.

If you are interested in this program here is the link: https://cetacademicprograms.com/college-study-abroad/programs/colombia/race-ethnicity-colombia/