Today, the term 'Afrodescendent' is becoming a staple of the language of governments, transnational institutions, such as the World Bank and United Nations, and academia and, increasingly, the vocabularies of everyday life. This widespread use is symptomatic of what may be termed a small political-cultural revolution in Latin America against racism and for the recognition of the value of black histories and cultures and, to some extent, political representation. Twenty years ago, it was virtually unthinkable for Latin American countries to declare themselves against racism and to publicly recognize it as a serious problem, as they have done today. Likewise, the setting up of governmental branches for racial equity and black affairs, another partial gain, was not on the agenda. While constitutional change has usefully transformed public discourse, anti-black racist practices and blatant inequalities persist. For instance, a decade since Ecuador's constitution was amended to declare Afro-Ecuadorians a people with collective rights, including the right to reparations, concrete measures to this end have yet to be taken or bear any fruit. Nevertheless, in spite of their limitations, these changes have facilitated an increase in positive uses of signifiers of blackness, such as negro, and of Africanity, such as afrodescendiente. ${ }^{29}$