The Black Mérida Experience
Celebrating Culture · Elevating Standards · Better Living
A Black Community Built on Purpose.
Where Standards, Wellness, and Integrity Define Daily Life
Welcome to Mérida, Yucatán, where this movement lives. For the first time, many Black Americans are experiencing what it’s like to exist without constant threat. Where affordable healthcare is actually accessible. Where organic food is everywhere and affordable. Where you’re not bracing for the next violation of your dignity. This is what peace actually feels like, and it’s not by accident.
What makes this possible? First, we chose an environment designed to support our wellbeing. Second, we came together as individuals committed to building community on shared values: wellness, human kindness, integrity, and accountability. We lead with generosity, expect growth from each other, and hold one another accountable, all while honoring our role as guests on land that belongs to the people of Mexico. These foundations create the safety and support that makes real transformation possible.
Whether you come for a season or stay for a lifetime, restoration begins here. Mérida returns what’s been taken: peace of mind, dignity, clarity, and the space to breathe, dream, and build a life of quality.
This is what the future of Black community looks like, and it’s being built right now. Four foundations make this possible. Explore what we stand for below.
This community is built on values that matter. We show up with integrity, grow together, and genuinely care about each other’s success. Excellence isn’t demanded, it’s inspired. Support isn’t conditional, it’s given freely. TBME celebrates your wins and holds space for your journey. This is where you’re encouraged to become your best self while being accepted exactly as you are. Where you’re seen, valued, and supported in becoming who you’re meant to be.
Your environment affects everything: sleep, stress, health, relationships. When you finally have real choices, your body responds. Here, affordable healthcare is accessible. Organic food is everywhere. Safe neighborhoods let you rest. Real support becomes available, not aspirational.
Sleep improves. Tension eases. Clarity returns. You’re not just surviving anymore, you’re recovering, rebuilding, thriving. Wellness isn’t about trying harder. It’s what becomes possible when your environment finally supports you.
Living in Mexico is a privilege, and we treat it as such. We’re guests on this land, and we move with respect, humility, and gratitude for the people who call it home. We’re mindful of gentrification. We practice basic human kindness in every interaction, with neighbors, service workers, local businesses. We learn from traditions, give generously, and show up with genuine care. TBME members uplift rather than disrupt. Our presence honors both the culture that shaped us and the culture that welcomes us.
Connected by Ancestry, United in Mérida.
Meet the Black Mérida Community
This is where it all comes together, real people, real connection, and a community built on purpose.
Inside, you’ll find stories that feel like your own, local events that bring us face to face, and conversations that spark clarity, healing, and action. From shared tips to shared tables, this is where friendships deepen, businesses grow, and futures are reimagined, together.
Creating an account welcomes you into a space we’re building collectively, where Black life is centered, culture is celebrated, and the love of freedom is the foundation. We proudly welcome our Mexican allies and all who share our values of unity, respect, liberation, and peace. Welcome to TBME®.
Watch before you walk in.
This is the community you're about to introduce yourself to.
Visit Mérida
Explore our concierge services and scouting trips designed to guide your transition, whether visiting or preparing for the move.
Attend Our Events
Thursday Sunsets at La Plancha, Self Care Sundays, and The Social Table. RSVP, show up, and connect face-to-face.
Meet the Community
Step right into our Introduce Yourself space. Say hey, share who you are, and let your people welcome you home.
Community Updates
Catch up on community announcements, local dispatches, and everything happening right now in Mérida Today.
This is the community you're about to introduce yourself to.
Black Americans who chose Mérida. Watch what that actually looks like in real life.
Introduce Yourself →Two years of showing up. This is what we built.
Backyard Boogie. Self Care Sundays. The Social Table. Every week, this community shows out.
See Good Times →Where we gather to speak truth, debrief, and secure our freedom.
From deep conversations at The Social Table to building a modern-day maroon community grounded in love and action.
View Events →Our People, Our Conversations, Our Mérida
You’ve arrived. Welcome home to México; let’s celebrate the journey together.
You’ve arrived in a space made for connection, culture, and community. Share your journey, find support, and celebrate life in México together.
Good Times
Your Community’s Highlights from Unforgettable Events in México
Experience the magic of community through real event highlights, photos, and memories shared by those who’ve been there. From cultural celebrations to live performances, this space brings our vibrant moments in México to life.
Transform Moments into Memories: Share Your Mexico Journey
Every story is unique. Every journey, unforgettable. Share your moments in Mexico that define, inspire, and connect. Join a community that celebrates every experience, creating something greater together.
Together, We’re Stronger in México
In 1829, Mexico boldly stood against slavery when President Vicente Guerrero, a man of African descent, abolished slavery nationwide. At a time when our ancestors were still enduring unimaginable suffering under slavery in the United States, Mexico took this courageous step forward. But Mexico didn’t stop there. Soon after, the Mexican Constitution declared freedom to any enslaved person who crossed its borders. This remarkable act created a path to liberation—a southern route of the Underground Railroad—that many African Americans today have never learned about.
Those who escaped slavery in the U.S. found refuge in Mexico. Many stayed, building new lives, families, and communities in freedom. Their descendants, along with the descendants of Africans enslaved during Spanish rule, form Mexico’s Afro-Mexican population—an often-overlooked but vital part of the country’s history and culture.
While slavery continued in the United States for decades, Mexico remained firm, protecting those who sought freedom. This powerful history reveals Mexico not as an adversary, but as an ally committed to dignity, justice, and human rights.
Today, as African Americans seeking liberation from ongoing systemic oppression in the United States, we look to Mexico once again as a place of safety, refuge, and hope. Knowing Mexico’s history strengthens our resolve to build lasting communities here—away from the direct reach of oppression and violence that have repeatedly destroyed our communities in the past.
Let this history inspire clarity in our movement. Mexico’s historic stand against slavery is a revelation—a source of hope and promise. We honor this legacy by creating and sustaining a community rooted in justice, unity, and dignity, confident that here, we can thrive beyond the grasp of oppression.
Source: Bennett, Herman. Runaway Slaves to Mexico and the Road to the Civil War. African American Intellectual History Society, 21 Feb. 2017. Runaway Slaves and Mexico’s Path to Abolishing Slavery Source: Vicente Guerrero: The First Afro-Mexican President of the Americas. The Mazatlán Post, 22 June 2020. Vicente Guerrero: Mexico’s First Afro-Mexican President and Abolitionist
Moving to Mexico has been the best decision for my peace and well-being. Access to affordable healthcare has been life-changing.
Mexico has given us community, affordability, and an unexpected gift—my beautiful son.
Moving to Mérida brought us peace, happiness, and the warmth of locals who welcome everyone like family
I’ve learned Spanish, and I have so many new friends. The locals here are super nice!
A Growing Community, A Growing Opportunity
With bustling population growth across Mexico and vibrant cities like Mérida, the Black community joins a dynamic and expanding landscape, enriching the city’s future and fostering new connections.