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In this powerful bonus episode, host José Francisco Ávila takes us back to the vibrant energy of the 1980s—a time of "Mental Emancipation" fueled by the Black Power movement, the defiant lyrics of Bob Marley, and the political earthquake of Rev. Jesse Jackson’s "Rainbow Coalition."

José reveals how Jackson’s historic 1988 presidential campaign served as the direct catalyst for organizing the Garifuna community in New York City. From the first pivotal meeting on February 5, 1989, at the Club Cubano Interamericano in the Bronx, to the modern-day fight for visibility, this episode bridges our history with our future.

Tune in to hear:

• How the "Black is Beautiful" era redefined Garifuna identity in the diaspora.
• The legacy of pioneers like Ms. Dionisia “Nicha” Amaya Bonilla and Ms. Lydia Sacaza-Hill.

·       Why the Census 2030 Garifuna Complete Count Committee is the next frontier in our struggle for dignity and representation.

"Representation is not given—it is organized." Join the movement today.

Resources:

•  Subscribe on your favorite podcast app
• Apple Podcasts 
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• YouTube
• Amazon Music
• Subscribe to our newsletter 
• The Garifuna Experience in NYC | Bronx walking tour
• The Garifuna Experience in NYC 
• The Happy Land Memorial Walking Tour 
• Garifuna Heritage Walking Tour (Bronx
• Join the Garifuna Complete Count Committee

Books by José Francisco Ávila

• Pan-Garifuna Afro-Latino Power of Pride: My Quest for Racial, Ancestral, Ethn
• Garífuna Ancestry: The DNA Quest to Decipher the Garifuna Distant Past