A new historical sci-fi drama, “Mascogos”, is set to captivate audiences by uncovering a little-known chapter of Afro-Mexican history. Commissioned by the Latino Theater Company, the play tells the story of the Mascogo people, descendants of Black Seminoles who escaped American slavery in the 19th century and established a free community in Coahuila, Mexico.

Story Highlights

• Play: “Mascogos” by Miranda González, directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela

• Premiere: October 11, Los Angeles Theatre Center

• Duration: Runs through November 9

• Plot: Chicago teen Jamari time-travels to 1864 Múzquiz, Coahuila, home of the Mascogo people

• Historical Focus: Black Seminoles fleeing American slavery, settling in Mexico

• Community: Mascogo people, officially recognized as an Indigenous tribe in 2017

• Cultural Note: Mascogos celebrate Juneteenth as “El Día de Los Negros”

• Ticket Info: Starts at $10

Written by Miranda González and directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela, “Mascogos” officially premieres on October 11 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center and will run through November 9. The production follows Jamari, an 18-year-old teenager from Chicago, played by Rogelio Douglas III, as he experiences vivid hallucinations that transport him back in time to 1864 Múzquiz, Coahuila—the heartland of the Mascogo people. Trapped in this historical loop, Jamari and his loved ones struggle to find answers that might break the shackles of time.

Speaking about her inspiration, González said,
“I asked myself, are we just repeating history in different regions? When will we ever disrupt harm to one another?”

For González, the play represents more than just speculative fiction. As an avid fan of Octavia Butler and the 1989 sci-fi show “Quantum Leap,” she has long wanted to explore stories that intertwine time, identity, and history.

Being a part of the Latino Theater Company’s Circle of Imaginistas, a creative writing circle designed to amplify early and mid-career Latinx voices, González wanted to reflect the complexities of being Black and Indigenous in a world that often seeks to erase or simplify these identities.

“For Indigenous people, African American people, and Black people in many parts of the world, a lot of our records have been burned,” González explained.

“There is this calling to find what you can to remember and remind yourself of the path that people before you have paved.”

The Mascogo people trace their roots to Florida, then under Spanish control, where runaway slaves joined forces with Indigenous Seminoles in the 17th century. This union created a distinct community known as Black Seminoles, similar in cultural significance to the Gullah people.

Following the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the Second Seminole War (1835–1842), both Indigenous and Black Seminoles were forced to relocate west of the Mississippi River. Fearing re-enslavement, Seminole leader Wild Cat and Black Seminole Chief John Horse led an exodus to Mexico in 1850, where slavery had already been outlawed.

Settling in Múzquiz, Coahuila, the Mexican government granted the Mascogos land in exchange for military service to protect northern frontiers from raids by tribes such as the Lipan Apache and Comanches. The name Mascogo derives from the Muscogee language, spoken by many Seminoles, while elders also speak Afro-Seminole Creole. By 1852, they founded Nacimiento de los Negros, meaning “Birth of the Blacks,” a village that exists today and preserves oral histories, freedom hymns, and unique celebrations like Juneteenth, locally referred to as “El Día de Los Negros.”

González shared that the story resonated with her personally:
“When I was commissioned to write a play about the Underground Railroad to Mexico, this particular place intrigued me the most. It really felt like it resonated with my DNA, and I felt compelled to write it in this framework.”

In 2017, the Coahuila government officially recognized the Mascogos as an Indigenous tribe, granting them access to federal resources. Yet, the community faces ongoing struggles, including migration due to drought, limited economic opportunities, and structural racism. Afro-Mexicans, who comprise 1.2% of Mexico’s population, were not formally recognized in federal census records until 2020, after decades of advocacy.

“What it means to be Black and Indigenous in this world is about searching for resources, comfort, safety, connection, and the right to celebrate who we are,” González said.

“For whatever circumstances, whether systemic or environmental, we are not allowed to be fully expressed because of our bodies, because of how we look, because of the assumptions.”

With “Mascogos,” González hopes audiences will engage with the themes of ancestry, identity, and humanity.
“A lot of us have forgotten what it’s taken us to get to where we are today. We are forgetting our humanity,” she noted.

“Mascogos” opens October 11 at 8 p.m. at the Los Angeles Theatre Center and runs through November 9. Tickets begin at $10.

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