ALARCON, Johis (Ecuador, 1992)Cimarrona. Soy negra porque el sol me mirò

This is the story of the struggle for freedom led by women of African descent brought as enslaved bodies from the African continent in the 16th century to perform forced labour in Ecuadorian lands. This story has survived being silenced by more than five centuries of colonialism. Through oral tradition and spiritual practices, this story of cruelty and resistance has been inherited from their African ancestors and kept in the heart of every black woman, who beats and dances to the rhythm of a drum.

In Ecuador, there were various forms of marooning led by women, military strategists who opened paths of liberation from the ancestral territory of the Chota Valley to the 'quilombos' or free territories in Esmeraldas and along the Caribbean. There were the so-called 'Negras Azabaches', beautiful women who courted landowners and gave them a deadly drink to liberate their communities.
There were also women who created secreteros, messages of freedom hidden under their blouses, or messages encrypted in the movements of their dances and spiritual practices. The braids were also ethno-fractal maps tracing escape routes. These and other manifestations not only freed people from slavery here and in the rest of the Americas, but forged a maroonness that passed this strength, intelligence, courage and determination on to future generations of women.

Johanna Alarcón (1992) is a freelance photojournalist and visual storyteller based in Ecuador.Johanna´s work is focused on social justice, human rights,identity and gender related issues. She is a National Geographic Explorer and member of  Ayün Fotógrafas, Visura.Co, Fotoféminas, Women Photograph and Diversify Photo. Winner of 2023 Photo Contest, South America, Open Format.