Black Resiliency in the British Caribbean
This research project explores the cultural heritage of Afro-Caribbean communities on Cat Island, Bahamas through the lenses of storytelling, foodways, and music. The aim is to understand how these cultural practices reflect historical and contemporary experiences of Black populations in North America and contribute to environmental sustainability and community resilience in postcolonial societies. This project was proposed by Professor Anita Gonzalez who teaches in the Black Studies and Performing Arts departments at Georgetown University. She also co-founded Georgetown's Racial Justice Institute. Dr. Gonzalez's work emphasizes the power of cultural expression in social movements, which aligns with this project's goal of preserving underrepresented narratives through creative avenues.
My fellow Laidlaw Scholar, @Samantha Wang, and I traveled to Cat Island at the end of May and conducted interviews with residents, some of which were farmers, herbologists, historians, artisans, and poets. We aimed to collect their experiences and ancestral historians through their own words, deconstructing the colonial, eurocentric imposition through which much ethnographic and historical research has been conducted in the past.
Residents of Cat Island, like many postcolonial societies, have been denied access to their own history, as their educational systems were designed to propagate colonial narratives. By engaging directly with Bahamians, I interacted with invaluable primary historical resources. This project is not just an academic exercise; it is a step towards rectifying historical injustices and acknowledging the resilience and richness of Afro-Caribbean cultures. This research demonstrates that oral history is a valid and crucial form of academia, as it is a window into the lived experiences of communities that have been systematically excluded from traditional academic discourse.
Through this project, in essence, I hope to honor and amplify the stories of Cat Island residents, challenge the boundaries of historical scholarship, and contribute to a more inclusive and accurate representation of our shared past.
Hello people!!! I'm Delaney. I am a rising Junior at Georgetown University studying International History in the School of Foreign Service- I am planning to minor in Spanish and Math. My major concentration is Colonial Legacies and Social Structures, intending to promote Decoloniality, the deconstruction of colonial logic and the perceived naturalness of racial capitalism. I graduated from Waconia High School in Minnesota (about 30 minutes west of the Twin Cities).
My research project for this Summer (2024) focuses on Black Resiliency in the British Caribbean, plus how foodways contribute to cultural transmission. With a research team, I traveled to Cat Island in the Bahamas and interviewed local farmers, historians, herbologists, and artisans to collect their primary perspectives and oral histories. Moving forward, I want to synthesize the lingering effects of British occupation on Cat Island, as well as promote the sustainable lifestyle that many Bahamians have inherited through generations.
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