Challenges of Blacks in Central America and the United States of America

 After watching the premiere showing of the film Garífuna in Peril, about black communitiesin Honduras as well as those in Belize, Guatemala, and Nicaragua losing their land, it is a strong reminder of what black communities face here in the US. My friend and fellow member of a 5000+-member black owned travel group, NomadnessTravel Tribe, is a community leader in San Francisco, California, whom I invited to express her views regarding the challenges of black communities in the USA and in Central America.

Guest Post

by

Veronica (Shepard) Tetteh-Quaye

Recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to see a movie titled Garífuna in Peril, about black community in Honduras, as well as Beliz Guatemala, and Nicaragua, losing their land to tourism. It was a remarkable story of a teacher in Los Angeles and his journey to open a school in his home in Honduras. Even though I was born and raised in the Bayview Hunter’s Point, a historically black community in San Francisco, California, this story touched on so many experiences my community faced and faces each day. The story was funny, moving, historical and most of all powerful. The similarities of trying to retain a rich Garífuna culture and gentrification in the Bayview Hunters Point struck a powerful cord in me. A people (Garífuna & African American’s in the Bayview and elsewhere) whose desire to be treated with respect and dignity resonated on the film and in my heart as I watched each scene.  

I personally could relate to the main character, Ricardo whose desire is to teach his community the importance of knowing their history and language.  Not to lose their identity or the rich customs that he grew up with in Honduras. It literally “Takes A Village” to grow, heal and prosper and when we depart or assimilate to other ideologies our customs become convoluted and lost. Watching Ricardo’s brother Miguel being deceived to sell his land for $5000 as a huge resort plans their own expansion is the same as watching residents today in my community of Bayview Hunters Point seeing homes being built on a toxic old shipyard site while developer’s try to get the community to believe it’s for our best interest was disheartening. Listening to Ricardo’s son learn the importance of speaking the Garíuna’s language and staying connected reminded me of a summer program I just finished with youth in my own community as they were amazed how connected all the families were when I grew up in the same community over 50 years ago. I could see how traditions have been lost in my community and the trade-off of school busing, technology and displacement destroys a neighborhood that is not allowed access in the global workplace. Now this same community is plagued with the highest rates of violence, poverty, unemployment, and chronic illness than any other neighborhood in San Francisco. 

Even though this movie was based in a land 2,800 miles away from San Francisco, I felt this same story could have been made in the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood with just different names and language. It is clear that black people universally must both solve their own problems and structure a local, national and universal plan of actions that put our priorities first and foremost. Self-empowerment is the only road to economic justice. Knowing “Our History” keep us connected as a people. Freedom is never Free, but we must learn to stop hating ourselves because of our heritage and mobilize ourselves to fight the inherited legacy of permanent poverty and powerlessness. We need to be showing this in classrooms everywhere and teach our African America, Latino, and other community members the richness of our heritage. I recommend everyone of African descent to see this movie.  

 If you are in the Oakland, California area you are invited to see a second showing of this film on Friday, September 17, 7:00 pm at East Side Cultural Center, 2277 International Blvd (23^rd Avenue).

Presented by Cine+Mas San Francisco Latino Film Festival

www.sflatinofilmfestival.com

www.brownpapertickets.com/event/448766

(415) 754-9580

Black Communities of Central America

Garífuna in Peril

The Garifuna people (pronounced Gah-REE-fuh-ah), descendants of West Africans who intermarried with Indigenous people, namely the Caribs and Arawaks, primarily in Central America, along the Caribbean Coastal areas of Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras. According ton one genetic study, the ancestry of the Garífuna peopl on average is 76% Sub-Saharan African, 20% Arawak or Carib, and 4% European. A

Due to heavy migration, the United States has become the second largest hub of Garífuna people outside Central America. New York has the largest population, heavily dominated by Hondurans, Guatemalans and Belizeans. Los Angeles ranks second with Honduran Garifuna being the most populous, followed by Belizeans and Guatemalans. There is no information regarding Garifuna from Nicaragua having migrated to either the East or the West Coast of the United States. The Nicaraguan Garifuna population of today is quite small and community leaders are attempting to resurrect the Garifuna language and cultural traditions. 

Garífuna is music is quite different from the rest of Central America. The most famous form is punta, a musical style, which has the dancers move their hips in a circular motion. An evolved form of traditional music, still usually played using traditional instruments, punta has seen some modernization and electrification in the 1970s; this is called punta rock. Drums play a very important role in Garifuna music.

Their language is primarily derived from Arawak and Carib, with English, French, and Spanish to a lesser degree. Almost all Garifunas are bilingual or polylingual, speaking the official languages of the countries they inhabit such as Spanish and English, most commonly as a first language. In 2001 UNESCO proclaimed the language, dance, and music of the Garifuna as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Belize.

A Garifuna language teacher, Ricardo, struggles to preserve his endangered African-Amerindian culture by building a language school back in his home village in Honduras, Central America. A business venture with his brother designed to raise money for the school’s construction becomes complicated by the expansion plans of a nearby tourist resort into indigenous territory. Historical parallels are invoked as Ricardo’s son rehearses a stage play about the Garifuna people’s last stand against British colonialism over 200 years ago in their motherland, the island of St. Vincent in the Caribbean. Naturalistically shot, with debut performances by nearly the entire cast, “Garifuna in Peril” makes its own history as the first feature film with the majority of dialogue in Garifuna, a language proclaimed by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. the Garifuna (pronounced Gah-REE- fu-nah) are descendants of Carib, Arawak, and West African people.

There will be screening the movie Garifuna in Peril in San Francisco at the AMC Theatre on Van Ness Avenue. This event is for one time only on Thursday, August 22, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale at https://www.tugg.com/go/3znt9t .This event will not happen unless we reach a threshold of ticket sale

Meeting a Black Carib from Honduras

Travel networking is one of the most wonderful experiences I've ever had. It gives me that homey feeling when I visit a foreign country for the first time. On my trip to Cuba, I was introduced to a wonderful family by a Cuban immigrant who lived down the street from me. On my trips to Ecuador and Perú, I've made an abundance of lifetime friends through Facebook who gave me tours, directions, advice, and home-stays. And today, I return that favor by helping others who want to travel to where I've been.


However, just last night, I was in a restaurant and made Spanish-speaking conversation with one of the servers, a Black woman from Honduras. I asked if she was Garífuna, a Black Carib, a descendant of African people who escaped British slavery and merged themselves with the Indigenous population known as the Caribs. I explained to her that as a hobby, I visit and learn about the African heritage in Spanish-speaking countries, and that her home village of Travesía, Honduras and another Garífuna village of Livingston, Guatemala were on my list of places to visit.

Later, as I was finishing my meal, this restaurant worker came over my table speaking perfect English. She gave me her number and wants to introduce me to the people in her town and give me a place to stay when I arrive in Honduras. She even went to her car and gave me a free CD of Garífuna (Black Carib) music of which she was selling for $10. Yes, travel networking is a wonderful experience!