August 21, 2026
At the Casa Silvana Afro Museum, the afro comb emerges as an intimate object, a cultural archive and an enduring symbol of black identity with its new exhibition entitled “The Afro Comb: a history of identity and resistance” which opens next Saturday, August 22, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm.
The exhibition presented in within the framework of the International Day of People of African Descentto be held onAugust 31st, in homage to the contributions of the African diaspora around the world, features more than forty Afro combs, some from African ethnicities; in addition, the Black Fist comb, which was significant of the movements, will be exhibited.”Black Power” and “Black is Beautiful” in the 1960s and 70s. Stamps, photos, and other items will also be included.Books and antique postcards highlight the social role of the Afro comb in Afro-descendant society. “The Afro Comb: A History of Identity and Resistance” is historic because it presents, for the first time in Puerto Rico, the largest exhibition dedicated to the Afro comb.
Regarding the Afro combs, co-curator Joyce De Jesús Martínez points out: “They were very important pieces; each person could have at least one. They were not lent out and were considered items to be buried along with other valuable possessions and to transition to the afterlife with the deceased.”
Afro hair and combs are profound symbols of identity, cultural resistance, and pride for the African diaspora. Historically, they represent the acceptance of natural beauty in the face of Eurocentric standards, as well as the autonomy and history of Black communities.
Additionally, in the Conrado Room, the collective exhibition “The Five Skins: Artists in Conversation” is also inaugurated with works by the artists Javi Cintrón, Indio Meléndez, Alana Serbiá, Yelimska Crespo, Andrés Miró Lugo and Nassim del Río as part of an invitation to converse and reflect on the theme “As Cinco Peles: corpo, território, mundo” of the fourth edition of Black Brazil Art 2026.
The exhibition will run until November 14, 2026. MACAS is located in the Mambiche Prieto neighborhood of Humacao and is open Thursday through Saturday from 12:00 to 5:00 pm. Admission is free. For more information, call 787-240-4603 or visithttps://www.museoafrocasasilvana.com/
“This project is made possible thanks to a contribution from the Center for Creative Economy through its Maniobra program.”