Eulalia Bernard was a groundbreaking Afro-Costa Rican writer, poet, educator, and activist who played a central role in advancing Black cultural and political consciousness in Costa Rica. Born in Limón in 1935 to Jamaican immigrant parents, she was the first Afro-Costa Rican woman to publish a book in her country. Her work, written in Spanish, English, and Limonese Creole, centered the histories and voices of Afro-descendant communities, particularly in Limón, and called for the recognition of Black identity within the Costa Rican nation. A pioneer in education, she founded the Chair of Afro-American Cultural Studies at the University of Costa Rica and taught widely across the Americas. Bernard also served as a diplomat and ran for political office, breaking barriers in both cultural and political spheres
Finding La Negrita (Jaded Ibis Press, 2022) by Natasha Gordon Chipembere is a captivating retelling of the Black Madonna narrative, which has driven Costa Rica’s national and spiritual identity since the 1700s. In powerful prose, Natasha Gordon-Chipembere delivers a vivid and intimate living portrait of slavery in this nation, which was radically different than plantation bondage in other parts of the Americas.
The first book on women’s political history in Belize, From Colony to Nation (University of Nebraska Press, 2009) demonstrates that women were creators of and activists within the two principal political currents of twentieth-century Belize: colonial-middle class reform and popular labor-nationalism. As such, their alliances and struggles with colonial administrators, male reformers, and nationalists and with one another were central to the emergence of this improbable nation-state.
From the Banana Zones to the Big Easy (LSU Press, 2019) focuses on the immigration of West Indians and Central Americans—particularly those of British West Indian descent from the Caribbean coastal areas—to New Orleans from the turn of the twentieth century to the start of World War II. Glenn A. Chambers discerns the methods by which these individuals of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds integrated into New Orleans society and negotiated their distinct historical and ethnoracial identities in the Jim Crow South.
Garifuna in Peril follows Ricardo, a Garifuna language teacher, as he fights to preserve his endangered culture by building a school in his Honduran village. His plans are threatened by tourism-driven land disputes, while his son’s play about Garifuna resistance to British colonialism echoes past and present struggles. Featuring debut performances and primarily spoken in Garifuna, the film is a landmark in Afro-Indigenous cinema.
Giana De Dier is a contemporary collage artist whose work explores the histories and lived experiences of Afro-Caribbean communities in Panama, particularly those who migrated during the construction of the Panama Canal in the early 20th century. Focusing on the narratives of Afro-Caribbean women, her collages examine themes of memory, migration, identity, and representation. De Dier blends paper, fabric, photographs, and archival materials to challenge historical erasure and reimagine what is missing from official records. Her work offers powerful visual meditations on family, place, and belonging. De Dier studied visual arts at the University of Panama, and her work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Panama, the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Venice Biennale, and 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair. Her pieces are held in major collections such as the Panama Canal Museum and the Inter-American Development Bank.
The Organización Negra Guatemalteca (ONEGUA) is dedicated to promoting and preserving the culture and rights of the Garífuna community in Guatemala. Based in Livingston, Izabal, ONEGUA plays a key role in organizing cultural events, including dance performances and public activities that highlight Garífuna traditions. Through these initiatives, ONEGUA contributes to the social, political, and economic development of Afro-descendant communities in Guatemala. The organization collaborates with regional partners to combat racism and discrimination, while also advocating for gender equity and social justice.
