Landscapes of Freedom: Building a Postemancipation Society in the Rainforests of Western Colombia by Claudia Leal

Since my own research is centered in the United States, I was enthusiastic to read outside of my regional expertise. Claudia Leal's book, Landscapes of Freedom: Building a Postemancipation Society in the Rain-forests of Western Colombia, did not disappoint. I was captivated at the initial reflective introduction and continued to be impressed with Dr. Leal's writing and her exacting description of extractive economies and human freedom. Leal's work is grounded in sound historiographic research methods, with rich detail and a cohesive use of both primary and secondary resources. The book's graphs, tables, maps, and photographs were useful inclusions and added much information.

Leal's work adds much to two areas of geographic research: environmental history and the racialized landscape. Leal examines the interplay of extractive resources, the environment, economics, and the Afro-Americans in the Colombian lowlands. Leal successfully intersects these realms, revealing the connection between humans, their landscape, and their lifeways as she takes the reader through an environmental history of extraction of resources such as gold, vegetable ivory, and black rubber, among others.

The strength of the book is the analysis of a postemancipation society's freedom being intimately connected to the environment in which it lives. As she states early in the book, "Ethnicity has a geographical dimension, for ethnic groups are often identified according to their place of origin or habitation" (6). Leal demonstrates that while the black population was autonomous because of their economic independence through the extraction of various resources, they were also marginalized. While their autonomy allowed them to earn a living, the environment was racialized. Though the black population was larger, the white elites held the power and money. For example, as some of these towns grew, the historical record revealed that the whites perceived their urban culture as being superior to the black people's more rural culture. Moreover, Leal provides insights into the rural/black and urban/white oppositions. The white minority population felt that their "cities," culture, and livelihoods were more civilized than the rural lifeways of most of the Afro-American people. Further, the racism manifested itself in an assumption that the Afro-American population was more adaptable to the unhealthy environment of the rainforests, thereby making them more savage. These binary oppositions of white/urban and black/rural plagued the black individuals and subjugated them to a lower rank.

Leal's discussion of music was my favorite part of the book. Like the binary oppositions of white/black, there was a binary opposition of European music and marimba music. The white community embraced the music of Europe as a way of demonstrating their sophistication and cultured ways, while the marimba music was essentially music of resistance in which the black community embraced what was unique to their culture. The marimba music was lively and encouraged dancing, and the parties it was associated with lasted late into the night. Many white individuals complained about the music, particularly as more black residents moved into the urban environment. Interestingly, music reflected a difference between the two cultures. Marimba music reflected the culture of the black community. This music allowed the black community to express some of their values while remaining passive toward the white elites. As is common throughout the world, music was used as a form of resistance and as an example of cultural viability enacted by marginalized people. While the white elite in the towns criticized the marimba music, along with the parties that occurred, the black population continued to hold them.

Another strength of the book was Leal's ability to tell the story of not only the marginalized black population but also the marginalized indigenous people. Rather than limiting the study to one group, Leal's work investigated the interrelationship of different groups living in the area, including both the white population and the indigenous population. Leal's work demonstrates the interplay between marginalized groups, thereby creating a more realistic portrayal of the human experience in the rainforests of western Colombia.

I think Leal's work would be useful for a variety of different readers. Her work adds much to the literature about the region, environmental history, and the racialization of the landscape. Thus, scholars and graduate students in these areas would find this book useful. I also think that Leal's writing style makes this book approachable from upper-level undergraduate courses in a variety of fields, including history, geography, environmental studies, regional studies, and ethnic studies. Her use of maps and tables would add much to a classroom discussion, helping students understand the spatiality of race relations. Students would acquire a good foundation in understanding the environment of the Colombian lowlands and the interrelationship of that environment's resources and the occupation of humans on the land.

Leal identified the only weakness I could find in the book, and that was the lack of the black community's voice. Leal writes, "Although black people are at the center of this narrative, the numerous archives I consulted, as well as the surprisingly prolific press of the time and traveler's accounts, only allow us to hear a faint echo of their voices" (9). While the book was about the postemancipation society, a time in which the historical record would be absent of the marginalized voice, the black community felt more like an abstract concept, not living, breathing people. The lack of a historical record is not surprising, but other methodologies might have coaxed out their voice. For example, oral histories with the contemporary community might elicit some perceptions of their backstory. Leal's excellent work on the marimba might have been taken a step further to see if the lyrics to songs revealed anything about the culture. So often, music is a way for people to express their subjugation.

Dr. Leal grapples effectively with the connections between the environment and resources of the Colombian rainforest and the people who gained their freedom and autonomy because of the work extracting environmental resources. The application of the concept of racialized landscape to one region makes this book a significant contribution to the field. Claudia Leal writes an insightful book, and one that I highly recommend to scholars in the field of historical geography.