After generations of war, Mexico was deeply in debt to France. Mexico’s president announced that the country would not repay until it was politically stable. Under Emperor Napoleon III, France planned to conquer Mexico. Napoleon III saw this as an opportunity to ensure trade with the Confederate states during the U.S. Civil War.
Napoleon arrogantly assumed conquering Mexico would be easy. As French troops swept through Puebla they were met by the courageous forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza and his courageous brigade. Mexico once had one of the largest enslaved African populations in the Americas. Although we do not know exactly how many of Zaragoza’s soldiers were Afro-Mexican, many Black soldiers were likely under his command.
Napoleon III’s armies were defeated on May 5, 1862. Hearing of Puebla’s victory inspired Afro-Mexican communities in California to ferociously organize against the Confederacy.
The Battle of Puebla is why we celebrate Cinco de Mayo. But the holiday didn’t gain popularity in America until the Civil Rights movement. Chicano activists revived Cinco de Mayo during the Civil Rights movement as a reminder that all liberation efforts are tied to Black liberation.
Any time we stand up to our oppressors there’s a noticeable ripple effect. Mainstream society doesn’t want the revolution being televised. Like our ancestors in Puebla and the Civil Rights Chicano activists, we know taking action inspires further action. And that Black liberation is a verb.