The Black population came to Panamá in two waves of migration, the first in the few years after the discovery of Panamá in the early days of the colonization as slaves of the Spanish, and the second as workers in different ventures such as the construction of the railroad, the French Canal and the present waterway.

Don Carlos Mendoza, Our first black President in Panama. MAY is the BLACK HERITAGE Month in Panamá: Great and Strong People who contributed in great way and "silently" to the architecture, culture, and "spice" of our country.

AFRO-COLONIALS:

The Afro-colonials are the descendants of African slaves brought by the Spaniards to work in the farms, mines and pearl fisheries as early as the first half of the 16th century.

In 1509, Diego de Nicosia brought the first 20 slaves from Santo Domingo.  They were brought to build ports in the area now called Nombre de Dios.

In 1513, A Black slave named Nuflo de Olano accompanied Vasco Núñez de Balboa in the expedition which led to the Pacific Ocean's discovery.  

On August 15, 1519, Panamá Viejo was founded by Pedro Arias de Avila who used Black slaves to build most of the major structures in the old city which included the famous Torre de Panamá Viejo, Puente del Rey, etc.

In 1526, the slave trade grew tremendously, the slaves were used to work on the docks along the Chagres River, loading and unloading cargo ships for the slave masters who were contra banding for the Spanish Kingdom.

In 1535, Antonio García from Santo Domingo was hired to build a Cathedral in Panamá, which is located in San Felipe, Casco Viejo of Panamá City.  He used Blacks to build the church also.  

They speak Spanish, have Spanish names and have settled in the Darién and central provinces and on the Atlantic coasts.  They replaced the Indians in the early settlements as a more reliable workforce although many rebelled and became known as "Cimarrones" or fugitive slaves.
  
The fugitives established various small communities or "palenques" in the Darién from where they fought the Spaniards, sometimes turning themselves into allies of the pirates.  Famous rebel slaves like Felipillo and Anton Mandinga, were feared and remain known as valiant combatants against the Spanish armies, but Bayano was the most feared by the Spaniards, he was intelligent, fierce, and cunning.  He was known as "El Rey de los Negros".  After fighting for a while, they were overpowered by the Spaniards who at that time had sophisticated weapons.  All the black had were their hands, skills, and their minds.

The Cimarron movement organized by Bayano in the surroundings of the Chepo river in the Darién battled the Spaniards for more than five years and numbered some 1,200 fugitives.  Bayano was later taken and sent to Peru and Spain where he died.

By the beginning of the 17th century, colonization had taken hold of the central provinces and with it black slaves establishments.  Their influence is found today in many features of local culture within its material, social, spiritual and musical expression:

In the Congos, a dance in which Spaniards and Africans influences combine; in the use of drums that accompany every musical presentation; in a very particular call/answer song and the famous "Tamborito", the national Panamanian musical and dancing expression.

The Afro-colonials brought with them some culinary habits like cooking seaffod with coconut and eating turtles.  he Spaniards colonizers were so fond of turtle that the meat was dried, salted and shipped to Spain.

AFRO-ANTILLEANS:

The Afro-Antilleans are descendants of English-speaking black immigrants from Caribbean islands: 19,900 people from Barbados, 47 from Jamaica. and French-speaking blacks from the French Antilles who arrived in Panamá as a consequence of various foreign ventures: the building of a trans-isthmian railroad in 1850, the French attempt at digging an interoceanic canal in 1880, the American construction of the canal in 1904 and the development in Bocas del Toro of the banana industry by the United Fruit Company in the last decades of the 19th century; and of course, there were other people from the other Islands.

After the canal was built, more Jamaicans came, they worked in the town sites of the Canal Zone, as school teachers, hospital attendants, and technicians, also in the clubhouses, etc.  The town sites of some of the Antilleans moved into Panamá City, where they started their own churches, schools, baker shops, tailor shops, and drugstores.  They socialized in lodges, formed clubs, danced Quadrille and don't forget the Bars.  "A hol bunch a dem", a bar at every corner, the children lived upstairs and the bars were downstairs.  Areas as Marañón, Calidonia, Gauchapil were their residences.  Then, they extended into Río Abajo, Juan Díaz, etc.  In Colon, they lived from 2nd Street to 16th Street, which included the famous "Bamboolane".

Today, many of their descendants are still working with the Panama Canal Commission, and banana plantations.  They have kept the English language and Caribbean traditions and have established communities along the canal waterway in hamlets like Silver City and Rainbow City on the Atlantic side and on the Pacific in Gamboa, Red Tank, Paraíso, La Boca, Pedro Miguel and the capital city neighborhoods of Calidonia, Juan Díaz, Río Abajo and Pueblo Nuevo.

They introduced new agricultural products: ackee, okra, isinglass algae and breadfruit.  Some dishes have become part of Panamanian cuisine like Johnny cakes, dried codfish, ginger beer and spiced pig feet.

Because of their powerful community ties, their numerous and diversified protestant churches, lodges, schools and charitable fraternities, they have maintained their values and customs.  Their influence in music has been important while they have preserved their own rhythms like calypso and some synchretic religions-benjinight or jumpy jumpy, in which singing reflects a combination of African and protestant religions.

It has been slightly different with the French-speaking Antilleans who came from Martinique & Guadeloupe.  Many of them went home after the French Canal Company completed its first eight years of operations and work stopped.  Those who remained in Panamá have been integrated with the customs and language of the local society.  A benevolent Society "La Fraternité" had succeeded in keeping some traditions, dances and French language but the new generations tend to have little taste for the old days.  Nevertheless, on July 14th for France's National Day, some Antilleans make it a point to dress with French Antillean attire: long multicolored fluffy dress and a tiny handkerchief tied up in the hair.  Many of them still retain French citizenship.

There were many business owned by Blacks, drugstores, bookstores, schools teachers like Mr. Conner, Mr. Williams, Mr. Hemmings, many doctors, lawyers, dentists, entertainers, diplomats.  Now, there is practically nothing, but their contribution to our History and Culture is there, and always will be there.

(From "Getting to know PANAMA", Michéle Labrut, Focus Publication, 1997).

 The day of the Black Heritage is celebrated on May 30 in Panama.