100 years after the Harlem Renaissance was born, cartoonist Rafael Barajas “El Fisgón” shares a captivating visual presentation about the legacy of Mexican caricaturist Miguel Covarrubias, whose book Negro Drawings is considered a classic collection of sketches from the vast social movement.

Barajas will dissect the profound cultural turmoil of the early 20th century, which questioned most of the Ancien Régime’s social, artistic, intellectual and scientific paradigms. For Mexico, this time translated into a complex social revolution, which led to what local historians call the Mexican Renaissance and turned Mexico City into a significant artistic hub. Simultaneously, African American figures such as Langston Hughes and Louis Armstrong transformed the Harlem neighborhood into a black cultural mecca.

This fascinating talk will closely examine how Covarrubias left a significant mark in both movements and will be followed by a Q&A session with the audience.

Rafael Barajas “El Fisgón” has written numerous books on Mexican history, caricature, and arts. He has worked as editorial cartoonist for the daily newspaper La Jornada, illustrated over 20 children’s books and curated exhibitions for some of the most renowned museums in Mexico, such as the National Museum of Art. In 2003, he was granted a scholarship from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation for his book La caricatura política mexicana de combate: 1872-1910 (The Mexican Political Combat Caricature: 1872-1910).

This event is made possible thanks to the support of the Institute of Mexican Studies at Columbia University, with additional support from the Mexican Cultural Institute of NewYork and Aeroméxico.