Afro-Grenadian

Afro-Grenadians are Grenadian people of largely African descent. They are also referred to simply as African or Black. The term may also refer to a Grenadian of African ancestry. Social interpretations of race are mutable rather than deterministic, and neither physical appearance nor ancestry are used straightforwardly to determine whether a person is considered a black Grenadian. According 2012 Census, 82% of Grenada's population is Black and 13% is mixed Black and European (Mulatto). (The Europeans are only a 5% of the population.)

History

When the United Kingdom gained control of Grenada in 1776, it began the import of African slaves for use on the cotton, sugar and tobacco plantations. Most of the slaves imported to Grenada hailed from Nigeria (specifically Igbo and Yoruba, more than 37,000, 34% of the slaves of the island) and Ghana (Fante people, more than 18,000, 19% of the slaves of the island). To a lesser extent, slaves were also were imported from Senegambia (more than 5,000, 4.9% of the slaves of the island), Guinea,Sierra Leone (more than 12,000, 11% of the slaves of the island), Windward Coast (more than 14,000, 13% of the slaves of the island), Bight of Benin (more than 5,800, 5,4% of the slaves of the island),Congo (specifically Kongos) and Angola. The slaves of Central Africa numbered more than 12,000 people, 11% of the slaves of Grenada. Many of the slaves were also Mandinka.