Project Outline

Abstract

The Black Central Americas (BCA) Project is a digital public humanities initiative
established in 2023, with a core mission of exploring and advancing the rich tapestry of Black
Central American history, culture, and scholarship. The project is designed to provide a
transdisciplinary and transnational platform to foster discourse and host innovative programming
in the burgeoning field of Black Central American Studies. Through a Black feminist and
community-collaborative framework, the BCA Project embraces the inherently digital and
ephemeral nature of Black Central American diasporic culture and knowledge production and
centers themes of migration, movement, and creative place-making amidst centuries of
displacement.

Research Objectives, Questions, and Potential Impact

“Constellating Black Central America,” the first phase of the BCA initiative. It entails designing
an innovative and interactive mapping platform to illuminate the histories, cultures, and intricate
patterns of movement and migration of Black and Black Indigenous Central American
communities across Central and North America. The digital map will serve as an invaluable
resource, resonating with historians, sociologists, anthropologists, artists, and non-traditional and
independent scholars alike. Our primary objective is to place a spotlight on Black Central
America and its dynamic diasporas within Caribbean digital scholarship. In bringing Black
Central America and its underrepresented narratives to the forefront, we aim to bridge a
longstanding critical gap in Caribbean Studies.

My research will be on the following three cities:

San Miguel, El Salvador
La Ceiba, Honduras
Colón, Panamá

The research on each city will cover the following information:

1) a brief history of Afro-descendants in your assigned site during the colonial period (16th-19th centuries), including details about enslavement and marronage and resistance to colonial violence via education, the law, the press, and/or the arts
2) significant dates and/or events in the history of the Afro-descendant communities there
3) the city’s demographics bothhistorically and in the present moment (including racial and ethnic makeup) and major migration waves and movement across the Central American isthmus and abroad
4) a brief analysis of key contemporary (20th century to present) Black social movements, including, for example, Black feminist organizing, movements for territorial rights, and/or cultural and arts movements
5) a short (approximately 5-8) annotated list of important institutions (cultural centers,
organizations, museums, etc.) and Black artists, organizers, and/or scholars from your sites

Background

Black Central American narratives are historically underrepresented. This project will provide a transdisciplinary and transnational platform to foster discourse and host innovative programming in the burgeoning field of Black Central American Studies. Through a Black feminist and community-collaborative framework, the BCA Project embraces the inherently digital and ephemeral nature of Black Central American diasporic culture and knowledge production and centers themes of migration, movement, and displacement. “Mapping Black Central America,” the first phase of our initiative, entails designing an innovative and interactive mapping platform to illuminate the histories, cultures, and intricate patterns of movement and migration of Black and Black Indigenous Central American communities across Central and North America. Our digital map will serve as an invaluable resource, resonating with historians, sociologists, anthropologists, artists, and non-traditional and independent scholars alike. Our primary objective is to place a spotlight on Black Central America and its dynamic diasporas within Caribbean digital scholarship. In bringing Black Central America and its underrepresented narratives to the forefront, we aim to bridge a longstanding critical gap in Caribbean Studies.

Methodology

I will produce three in-depth and site-specific research reports about Black history, politics, and
culture in my three assigned cities (one completed report per city/site every two weeks). To produce the reports, I will begin with a literature review drawing on reputable primary and secondary sources on Black Central American history, including significant events and impactful figures and institutions. This includes texts in English or Spanish. I will also consult social media sites such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube to supplement my research with additional primary accounts. Every two weeks, I will complete a 1,000-1,200 word report to be added to the website. 

Potential Impact

This educational resource will spotlight the history, culture, and experiences of Black Central America. By consolidating this information into an accessible format, we will emphasize the underrepresented narratives of Black Central America's dynamic diasporas, and expand the availability of this information. 

Resources & Support Needed

My faculty mentors, Dr. Melanie White and Dr. Nicole Ramsey, proposed this project. Their guidance and advice on researching and the direction of the project have helped me gain confidence and develop the skills needed to take on this project. I am grateful for their support in helping me find extensive information through qualitative research and create detailed research reports. I am also grateful to the Laidlaw Scholars Program for making this life-changing summer research experience possible!