An organization of Afro-descendant women of all ages across Nicaragua.
In Panama in Black (Duke University Press, 2022), Kaysha Corinealdi traces the multigenerational activism of Afro-Caribbean Panamanians as they forged diasporic communities in Panama and the United States throughout the twentieth century.
The Interoceanic Panama Canal Museum, located in Panama City's historic Casco Viejo district, is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history of the Panama Canal and its global, national, and local significance. Housed in a former Canal-era post office, the museum traces the Canal’s construction from the French attempt through the U.S. era and eventual Panamanian control, highlighting the political struggles, labor histories, and international interests that shaped its development. Special attention is given to the contributions and experiences of Afro-Caribbean laborers whose work made the Canal possible.
Delvin “Pen” Cayetano is a celebrated Belizean artist and musician from Dangriga, known for his influential role in preserving and innovating Garifuna and Creole cultural expression. Largely self-taught, Cayetano began his artistic journey in the 1970s and later expanded his reach internationally after relocating to Germany. He returned to Belize in 2009, where he and his wife established the Pen Cayetano Studio Gallery in his hometown. As a pioneer of punta rock, Cayetano blended traditional Garifuna sounds with modern instruments, creating a genre that transformed the Belizean music scene. His early work with the Turtle Shell Band laid the foundation for this musical innovation. Over the years, Cayetano has received numerous honors, including being named a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2013. His creative legacy lives on through his children’s band, The Cayetanos, and through the continued display of his artwork, such as a major exhibit at the Museum of Belize.
This essay explores the forms of feminist politics and practice among Creole and Garífuna women in Nicaragua’s South Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS). It focuses on two key areas: the everyday experiences of racial and gender-based marginalization, and the active political engagement of Afro-Nicaraguan women in formal and grassroots movements. These include struggles for communal land rights, bilingual education, reproductive health, and protection against gender-based violence. The essay highlights how their activism centers not only gender justice but also racial, economic, and regional justice, outlining the contours of a distinct Afro-Nicaraguan feminism.
Phillip Montalbán Ellis is an Afro-Nicaraguan reggae artist from Bluefields, on Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast. Emerging in the 1980s, he became a central figure in the region’s musical identity by blending reggae with local Afro-descendant and Indigenous traditions. Singing in English Creole, Spanish, and Miskito, Montalbán uses his multilingual music to explore themes of identity, resistance, spirituality, and regional pride. In the late 1980s, he was part of the band Soul Vibrations alongside musicians like Raymond Myers, Clifford Hodgson, and Adolfo Bendlis. Known for their Black consciousness and politically engaged lyrics, Soul Vibrations was prominently featured in the documentary Rock Down Central America. As a solo artist, Montalban has released albums such as Pachamama, Africa, Evolution, and Viva La Vida (2023), continuing to bridge cultural worlds through music that affirms the diversity and dignity of Nicaragua’s Atlantic Coast.
This volume examines contemporary political processes affecting societies, organized groups, social collectives, and individuals identified—or self-identified—as Black or Afro-descendant. Drawing from case studies and theoretical analyses, the contributors explore the political dimensions of Afro-descendant organizing and the strategies these communities use to assert themselves as cultural and political subjects within their respective contexts. The book advances a clear and compelling argument: that the right to self-determination and collective organization based on respect for "difference" and "multicultural citizenship" must be accompanied by the equally valid freedom not to choose ethnic identification, affirming the right to a citizenship "without adjectives."
Juliet Hooker's Race and the Politics of Solidarity (Oxford University Press, 2009) examines how the social fact of race shapes the ethical-political orientations of citizens in diverse democracies. It develops the concept of racialized solidarity; explores its impact on current conceptions of racial justice, particularly as formulated in theories of multiculturalism; and suggests how it might begin to be addressed.
Glenn A. Chambers' Race, Nation, and West Indian Immigration to Honduras, 1890–1940 (LSU Press, 2010) explores the migration of West Indian workers to Honduras during the rise of the banana industry and the powerful influence of U.S. fruit companies. Focusing on race, labor, and national identity, Chambers examines how West Indians maintained their distinct cultural identity amid anti-Black and anti-immigrant sentiment, and how their presence shaped racial dynamics in Honduran society and challenged dominant narratives of mestizaje.
This podcast, hosted by Dash Harris, Evelyn Alvarez, and Janvieve Williams Comrie, creates a vibrant space for conversation, reflection, and healing around the experiences of Black communities from Latin America. Through storytelling, dialogue, and laughter, the hosts explore the histories, identities, and ongoing struggles that shape Afro-Latinx lives across the diaspora.
