A literary contest has arrived that aims to make visible and recognize the historical figure of María Remedios del Valle, as well as strengthen artistic expressions.

Within the framework of national competitions opened by the Ministry of Culture of the Nation to revalue the figure of María Remedios del Valle and Afro culture in Argentina, the Ministry of Culture, through the National Directorate for the Promotion of Cultural Projects, dependent on the Ministry of Cultural Development, invites you to participate in the first National Poetry Contest "María Remedios del Valle: Capitana, Mother of the Nation ".

Writers from all provinces of the country and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires may participate, older than 18 years and that they are native citizens, naturalized or permanent residents. Each participant may submit an unpublished poetry, in verse or prose, inspired by the life of María Remedios del Valle or in some of the aspects related to her figure: the historical and current presence of Afro culture; racism and discrimination in the 21st century; roots of our identity; women who built the homeland, among others. The works must be written in Spanish, be unpublished and own authorship.

Will be selected 14 first prizes and 14 mentions. The first prizes will receive a sum of $15.000 each. The mentions will receive an accreditation diploma.

Those interested can enter by doing Click here! and register to receive via e-mail the access link to the registration form, and the bases and conditions of the call. Only one entry and one project per person will be accepted. The call will remain open until 23 October 2020.

The publication of the shortlisted works will be on 8 of November, in coincidence with the commemoration of the National Day of Afro-Argentines and Afro culture.

For any questions or queries, you can write to dnppc@cultura.gob.ar or Ana Lucrecia Goyochea agoyochea@cultura.gob.ar. For more information go to www.cultura.gob.ar

Woman, afro, field nurse and welded on the front, María Remedios del Valle is a symbol of courage and patriotism. Recognition of your figure, allows us to recover from the most cruel and systematic silencing of women protagonists of our history and of Afro culture as a constitutive part of our Homeland

Rebuild your path, their struggles, his identity, looking for the ties that unite it with our present constitutes a central task to incorporate cultural diversity into historical narratives.

Since the Law was passed 6.852 in 2013, the 8 November was declared the "National Day of Afro-Argentines and Afro-culture" in commemoration of María Remedios del Valle, to whom General Manuel Belgrano conferred the rank of Captain for his courage and courage on the battlefield.

The Ministry of Culture calls for the recognition of the figure of María Remedios del Valle and the Afro culture in Argentina through a series of open national competitions, intended for different disciplines and areas, that have the firm intention of giving it the place it deserves in history. In this way, it seeks to promote public policies with a decolonial perspective, antipatriarchal, anti-racist and reparatory for the systematic absence and invisibility to which Afro-Argentines have been subjected, Afro-descendants and / or Africans.