Under The Sycamore Tree

Hello dear audience! This is Jacqui, writer and researcher of “Under the Sycamore Tree.” Here are our show notes for Episode 1: “Setting Precedent: Eldership & Selfishness.” 

Possible triggers in this episode include domestic violence, family abuse, and stigma. The organizations and organizers featured in this are:

Susan Doorson, Chair of Women’s Way Foundation of Suriname. Susan Doorson, Chair of Women’s Way Foundation of Suriname. Founded in 2008, Women’s Way Foundation is the oldest, first, and only lesbian and bisexual organization in Suriname. Their mission is to increase awareness around sexuality and health, and to ensure the emancipation of women—specifically women who (also) have sex with women and trans men—so that the quality of their lives become better and free from stigma and discrimination. Women’s Way can be found online here: Website; their Equality Fund webpage; Facebook; and Instagram: @wswf.sr 

Colleen Douglas-Hinds, Director of Guyana Rainbow Foundation. Guyana RainBow Foundation (GuyBow) is an organization founded in 2000 whose mission is to support and strengthen the capacity of Lesbian, Bisexual, and Queer women, along with increasing the overall respect, acceptance of, and support for non-gender conforming persons and non-heteronormative sexual orientations in Guyanese society. GuyBow can be found online here: Website; and their Equality Fund webpage. 

Lucien Govaard, Board Member of CARI-Flags. Caribbean Forum for Liberation & Acceptance of Genders & Sexualities (CariFLAGS) was formed in the late 90s as a loose coalition of actors and activists responding to developing issues facing the LGBTQ community. The group has provided leadership in articulating an indigenous LGBTQ voice and agenda for the Caribbean regionally and in support of local groups. In 2008, a core group renewed the CariFLAGS mission with a focus on human rights, health, culture, and spirituality. In 2012, CariFLAGS transitioned into a regional movement-building coalition: activists from 15 territories agreed to work together to develop a strong, representative, regional organization capable of advancing a Caribbean LGBTQ agenda. Cari-FLAGS can be found online on Facebook; and their Equality Fund webpage. 

Our interviews with Susan and Colleen were held with our Producer, Dave-Ann Moses, in late 2021. Carla’s conversation with Lucien and Larry Chang was held in April 2022. Larry is a Chinese-Jamaican gay man, community organizer and spiritual counselor. Larry has much to offer the Asian-American, LGBT, Caribbean-American, and People of Color communities, but it is his urgent message of developing local sustainability that is of immediate interest to all. Larry was born in Jamaica of Hakka Chinese immigrant parents; he is a founding member of the Jamaica Forum of Lesbians, All-Sexuals & Gays, J-FLAG . He had previously organized a gay group in Jamaica, the Gay Freedom Movement (GFM) as early as 1978 in a fiercely hostile climate. He held the position of General Secretary and was Publisher and Editor of its newsletter, Jamaica Gaily News. Learn more about Larry’s art and cultural organizing work via his website!

Colin Robinson’s words came from one of his final interviews in this plane: “Sex & Gender Justice in Trinidad and Tobago with Colin Robinson,” Interview with Abby Charles, CaribNationTV. 

I hope you connect with these texts and enjoy the episode even further! Sincerely, 

Jacks.

Hello dear audience! This is Jacqui, writer and researcher of “Under the Sycamore Tree.” Here are our show notes for our Episode 0: “Sankofa Tings.” Possible triggers in this episode include climate change, racism, European colonization, neoliberal capitalism, patriarchy, homophobia, transphobia. 

Find out more about the Women’s Voice and Leadership - Caribbean partner organizations on our funders’ websites: Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice and Equality Fund. Learn more about the Women’s Voice and Leadership - Caribbean partnership more between Astraea and Equality Fund more generally here.  

Next, you might be interested in the excerpts we read! Here is the booklist from this episode, in the order read in the episode: 

Olive Senior’s poem “Discovery,” from her over the roofs of the world (Insomniac Press, pg. 44 [2000]; RWL Book Club Pick, August 2020); 

Curdella Forbes’ A Tall History of Sugar (Akashic Books, 2019; RWL Book Club Pick, April 2020 - see our  podcast episode on the book!); and 

Aime Cesaire’s Discourse on Colonialism (trans. from the French by Joan Pinkham, Monthly Review Press, 2000 [1972 (1955)]. 

You might also be interested in all of the historical content we used! Here are links to check out more: 

Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit addresses the UN General Assembly (via Resilient Caribbean)’; I became aware of this speech from Bahamian-American artist Tamika Galanis, and her video piece, “A Thousand Points of Light” (2018)

Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados addresses Opening Ceremony, COP26, 1 Nov 2021

Interview with David Commissiong: “Farewell to British Colonial Rule”: Barbados Breaks From the Queen as Calls Grow For Reparations,” Democracy Now (NOTE: DemocracyNow! is a very important resource for this podcast! Check out their weekday news and podcast)

MAURICE BISHOP Live at Medgar Evans College, Brooklyn (29 May 1944 – 19 October 1983),  CARIBBEAN INSIGHT TELEVISION (CITV) 

Day and another (Appellants) v The Governor of the Cayman Islands and another (Respondents), UKSupreme Court

Privy Council Rules Against Same-Sex Marriages in Cayman Islands, Radio 90 FM (Jamaica)

Finally, we sealed this episode with audio from one of Colin Robinson’s final interview in this plane: Sex & Gender Justice in Trinidad and Tobago with Colin Robinson, Interview with Abby Charles, CaribNationTV

I hope you connect with these texts and enjoy the episode even further! Sincerely, 

Jacks.

Our new podcast, Under The Sycamore Tree is hosted by the incomparable Carla Moore and will take the form of a virtual verandah chat. Come put up you foot, grab a drink and listen as our Caribbean neighbours tell us the stories of their struggles and victories. Subscribe to Under The Sycamore Tree for updates.