Revolutionaries: Mamá Tingó

Episode Summary

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In the inaugural episode of Womanica for Black History Month, guest host Erin Haines introduces listeners to a revolutionary figure often overlooked in Dominican history, Mama Tingo. Born Florinda Soriano Munoz in 1921 in Villa Mella, Dominican Republic, Mama Tingo was a poor Black farmer who became a symbol of resistance and advocacy for farmers' rights. Despite her lack of formal education, Mama Tingo's caring and maternal nature earned her the nickname from her friends and community. In 1951, she and her husband Felipe inherited land and ran a small farm, which became the center of a significant land dispute in 1974. A wealthy landowner, Pablo Diaz Hernandez, falsely claimed ownership of the land that Mama Tingo and approximately 350 families had been cultivating for decades. Hernandez's actions threatened the livelihood of these families, prompting Mama Tingo to fight back. She joined the Federation of Christian Agriculture Leagues, quickly becoming a leader and organizing public protests against the land grab. Despite being painted as a dangerous radical by the government, Mama Tingo's determination never wavered. She even secured a meeting with the President of the Dominican Republic, though his promises to support the farmers were not fulfilled. Tragically, Mama Tingo's fight for justice ended in her assassination in 1974, at the age of 52, when she was ambushed by a man hired by Hernandez. Her death did not go in vain, as her activism laid the groundwork for future farmers' rights movements in the Dominican Republic. Today, a statue in Monte Plata stands in her honor, commemorating her legacy as a fearless advocate for the oppressed. Mama Tingo's story is a poignant reminder of the power of individual courage in the face of systemic injustice, and her contributions continue to inspire activists around the world.

Episode Show Notes

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Mamá Tingó (1921-1974) was an Dominican activist who is often overlooked in historical accounts. She led protests to save her farm — and the farms of 350 other families — from an illegal land seizure. She was assassinated for trying to bring justice to her community.

Episode Transcript

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SPEAKER_00: Hey, y'all.I'm Erin Haines.I'm the editor-at-large for The 19th News, a nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics, and policy.I'm also the host of a brand-new weekly podcast from The 19th News and Wonder Media Network called The Amendment.Each week, we're bringing you a conversation about gender, politics, and the unfinished work of American democracy. Our very first episode features my dear friend and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Nicole Hannah-Jones.It's out now, so please go listen and follow the show.On top of all of this, I'm your guest host for this month of Womanica. This Black History Month, we're talking about revolutionaries, the Black women who led struggles for liberation from violent governments, colonial rulers, and enslavers.These women had the courage to imagine radically different worlds, and they used their power to try and pull those worlds into view. Today, we're talking about an activist often overlooked in Dominican history.This poor Black farmer was villainized in her lifetime, but fought tirelessly to save farmers from an illegal and violent land grab.Please welcome Mama Tingo. Mama Tingo was born Florinda Soriano Munoz on November 8, 1921, in Villa Mella in the Dominican Republic.She came from a poor, working-class background and didn't have any formal schooling. Her friends nicknamed her Mama Tingo because of her caring maternal nature.In 1951, she married another farmer named Felipe.The new couple inherited land from Felipe's father in the Alto Viejo region and ran a small farm to support themselves and their son.Then, in 1974, trouble struck. A wealthy landowner named Pablo Diaz Hernandez claimed ownership of the land that Mama Tingo and other neighboring farmers had been farming for half a century, the only source of income for 350 families. Hernandez promptly started clearing the land.His claim was bunk, but fighting back was risky.Hernandez had institutional power and wealth.Mama Tingo and the other farmers were poor and black, overwhelmingly ignored or victimized by the government. Resistance to the land grab was met with swift violence.Saving their farms seemed hopeless.But Mama Tingo was determined to keep her land and livelihood.She joined the Federation of Christian Agriculture Leagues and started organizing for the rights of her fellow farmers. She quickly became a leader within the group.She and other farmers met to discuss how to stop the land grab and support each other through the financial strain it had caused. She also organized public protests against Hernandez.The government of the Dominican Republic tried to paint her as a dangerous black radical to discredit the movement, attacking her impoverished background and lack of education.But Mama Tingo kept pushing. Eventually, she and her husband got a meeting with the President of the Dominican Republic to ask him for his support.He promised them he would make sure that the land in dispute was divided fairly among the 350 families who depended on it.But he didn't keep his word, and a plan failed to materialize. So the farmers kept making noise about the land grab.And finally, a hearing was scheduled for November of 1974.But the day of the hearing, Mama Tingo was missing from the courtroom.She'd heard that her pigs had gotten loose and raced back to her farm to round them back up. But it was a trap.A man hired by Hernandez was lying in wait, armed with a gun.When Mama Tingo showed up, he fired twice, shooting her. She tried to defend herself with a machete, but her injuries were too serious.She died without ever making it to court.She was 52 years old.As the decades have passed, Mama Tingo's fierce advocacy and bravery have often gone unacknowledged in Dominican history. As a poor Black woman, her contributions to farmers' rights have been overlooked in the dominant narratives of her country's history.But her organizing work helped lay the groundwork for other farmers to continue to fight for their rights after her assassination.Today, a statue of Mama Tingo stands in the town of Monte Plata to honor her legacy as an activist. All month, we're talking about revolutionaries.For more information, you can find us on Facebook and Instagram at Womanica Podcast.Special thanks to co-creators Jenny and Liz Kaplan for having me as a guest host.Talk to you tomorrow.