Kongo Graphic Writing and Other Narratives of the Sign

Research reveals undeniable continuity between contemporary graphic writing systems used in Central Africa and those in Cuban Palo Mayombe initiation, tracing back to millennia-old rupestrian art found in Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The study challenges the notion that the plantation system destroyed African heritage by documenting deep-rooted Kongo-based traditions in the Caribbean, supported by historiography, art history, linguistics, and participant observation in Bakongo and Cuban Kongo initiation schools. Author Bárbaro Martínez-Ruiz, an Afro-Cuban Palo Monte practitioner, combines firsthand ethnographic experience with academic rigor to demonstrate how over 4,000 graphic signs in Cuba reflect Kongo knowledge while showcasing creativity and cultural adaptation. This foundational work bridges Africanist studies and diaspora research, emphasizing the agency of African cultural history.

Miller, I. L. (2016). Kongo Graphic Writing and Other Narratives of the Sign. Hispanic American Historical Review, 96(2), 401–403. https://doi.org/10.1215/00182168-3484798