The Garifuna Experience Podcast

Episode 37 - The Unseen Thread: Garifuna History in the African Diaspora

• Jose Francisco Avila • Episode 36

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In this powerful episode of The Garifuna Experience Podcast, host José Francisco Ávila takes up the challenge issued by Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams to “re-release the shackles off our mental bodies” by uncovering the hidden chapters of Garifuna history. While many associate the start of the African experience in the Americas with 1619, we pull back the curtain on a timeline that begins nearly a century earlier.

We explore "The Unseen Thread"—the historical connections that link the Garifuna people to the broader African Diaspora, from the shores of Honduras in 1540 to the stages of Manhattan in 1823. This episode isn't just a history lesson; it’s a toolkit for advocacy, designed to help parents, educators, and activists bring this "powerful history" into the classrooms of New York City and beyond.

In this episode, you will learn:

  • The 1540 Arrival: Why the arrival of Africans in Honduras 79 years before Jamestown changes everything we know about Black history.
  • The First Black Drama: How a Garifuna Chief became the hero of the first play written by a Black playwright in the U.S. in 1823.
  • The Pioneers of Civil Rights: How the Garifuna founded organized land-rights movements 27 years before the NAACP.
  • The Global Legacy of T.V. Ramos: A tribute to the man who established the 3rd historical Black holiday in the Americas, often cited as a predecessor to the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Call to Action: We’ve provided a formal Advocacy Toolkit in our show notes, including a downloadable one-pager and a template letter to send to your local school board or principal to demand inclusive curriculum.

Join the Conversation: Use the hashtag #UnseenThread and #GarifunaExperience to share your favorite "little-known fact" from today's episode.

Listen now and help us change the narrative.

Sungubei Lidan Aban – Unity is Strength!

Resources:

Books by José Francisco Ávila

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HOST: Mabuiga! Welcome back to The Garifuna Experience Podcast. I’m your host, José Francisco Ávila, This episode is part of our special series, Hidden Voices: The Garifuna Demographic undercounted and Underrepresented.

This month, as we reflect on Black History, we’re unraveling a thread that runs deep through the tapestry of the African Diaspora, a thread many of us, even seasoned historians, have barely noticed.

 We’re talking about The Unseen Thread: Garifuna History in the African Diaspora, we are part of what the New York City Department of Education Social Studies Department and the Museum of the City of New York call, “Hidden Voices: Untold Stories of New York City History."

On Thursday, April 13, 2023,  Mayor Eric Adams hosted the inaugural Garifuna Heritage celebration at Gracie Mansion, his official residence, to commemorate Garifuna Heritage Month 2023  (March 11 – April 12). For the first time, the seat of New York City power opened its doors to honor Garifuna Heritage. During that reception, Mayor Eric Adams stood before our community and said something that changed the conversation, he said.

“But your strength is so larger than the Bronx. Your population is strong and you are multiplying throughout the city, but you are a powerful force and deep in your ancestry; think about it. And sometimes I think that as time moves forward, we don't really acknowledge who we are. It gets watered down throughout the history. But it's imperative that your young children know your history, that you were free and you freed yourself from slavery.

You were fighters, you were warriors. And when colonial powers attempted to colonize you, you said no and you fought for your freedom. And so, you did not fight for your freedom physically to be emotionally and intellectually enslaved here. Time to reach into your history and rise up as the mighty people you are. What does that mean? Every Garifuna who can vote needs to register to vote, use the power of your vote.”

He admitted that throughout his entire education, he was never taught about the richness of the Garifuna people.

“And when we talk about African American history and the Caribbean diaspora and the African diaspora in our schools, that month that we do Black History Month, they need to know about this history.

If you talk to the average child, they don't know about this history. They don't know about the richness of this culture. I was blessed to have people in my setting that told me about the richness of this community, and I want everyone to know that and know what you contributed, not only to America, but to the African diaspora.”

He challenged us, saying: “The same energy you brought when you released the shackles off your physical body, let's re-release the shackles off our mental bodies here in this country.”

Today, we take up that challenge. We are pulling on The Unseen Thread, the facts that have been hidden, omitted, or forgotten—to show that Garifuna history isn't just a footnote. It is a cornerstone of the Black Experience in the Americas.

That, my friends, is exactly what we're here to do today. We're going to dive into some little-known, incredible facts about Garifuna history that will fundamentally change how you understand Black history in the Americas.

(Short Transition Music: Gentle drum beat, fades out.)

HOST: Most people think Black history in the Western Hemisphere begins in 1619 at Jamestown, Virginia. But the Garifuna experience tells a different story.

Did you know that the first Africans arrived in Honduras in 1540? That is 79 years before those "20 and odd" Africans landed on the shores of Virginia. By the time the English were just beginning their colonial project, our ancestors were already established in Central America—navigating the land, the sea, and the complex politics of the Spanish Empire.

We didn't just appear in the 1700s. We have been a presence in this hemisphere for nearly five centuries. When we talk about Black History Month, we must acknowledge that our roots in the "New World" run almost a century deeper than the standard curriculum suggests.

(Short Transition Music: Energetic Garifuna acoustic guitar.)

HOST: But the thread doesn't just run through Central America; it runs right through the heart of Manhattan. 

Now, let’s talk about resistance and sovereignty. The Garifuna story is unique because, unlike many, we were never enslaved on the plantations of St. Vincent or Central America. Our ancestors arrived on those shores as a free people, after a long, fierce struggle against British imperialism on the island of St. Vincent, or Yurumein as we call it.

And here’s another astonishing fact: Over 200 years ago, playwright William Henry “Alexander”  Brown founded the African Grove Theatre in New York City and produced The Drama of King Shotaway in 1823, it was the first African American play to be written and produced in the United States! The play was a historical drama based on the Black Caribs (Garifuna) defense of the island of St. Vincent in 1795 against British colonization, led by the Paramount Chief Joseph Chatoyer! 

 Can you imagine? Black artists in New York City, less than 30 years after Chatoyer’s death, were already looking to a Garifuna chief as a global symbol of freedom and resistance. This is Pan-Africanism in action, long before the term was popularized. This is the Unseen Thread linking our struggles and our triumphs across oceans and generations.

Who was this "King Shotaway"? He was our hero, Paramount Chief Joseph Chatoyer, known as "the Right Excellent" Joseph Chatoyer, he led the Caribs and Afro-Caribs in St Vincent, in a determined fight to protect our sovereignty. He died in battle on March 14, 1795. 

Think about that: In the 1820s, Black New Yorkers weren't just looking at local struggles; they were looking to the Garifuna resistance against British rule as their source of inspiration.

The story of Chief Chatoyer, his bravery and his ultimate sacrifice, was used to "release the mental shackles" of Black New Yorkers long before the Civil War even began in 1861. Check out Episode 4: A Cultural landmark: 'The Drama of King Shotaway.

(Short Transition Music: More pronounced drum, then fades.)

HOST: Our community’s genius isn't just in art and war; it’s in organizational power. My next "unseen thread" fact takes us back to Honduras in the late 19th century. Where, the Garifuna continued their fight for survival and recognition.

In 1882, the Garifuna People in Trujillo, Colon, Honduras founded "La Comunidad de Morenos Naturales de Cristales y Rio Negro." The Community of Natural Blacks of Cristales and Río Negro. A year later, they marched on foot to Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras to demand legal land titles and recognition from the Honduran government, a move that secured five titles they still hold in Collective Ancestral Land Titles today. This is the definition of foresight, sacrifice, and enduring power.

This organized, strategic movement for land rights makes "La Comunidad de Cristales y Rio Negro" one of the oldest Black ethno-territorial movements in the entire Americas, and quite possibly, the world. It was continuation of Garifuna Nationalism,  an identity movement started in St. Vincent,  that emphasizes the distinctiveness of Garifuna heritage and culture and a revitalization movement that seeks to empower Garifuna communities to direct their own futures and have more control over their relations with other racial and ethnic groups.

And get this: La Comunidad de Morenos Naturales de Cristales y Rio Negro was founded 27 years before the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP),  which is America's oldest and largest civil rights organization, co-founded by W. E. B. Du Bois in 1909! Furthermore, it was founded 37 years before, the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), was founded by Marcus Garvey.

That's right. While we celebrate the NAACP's vital role in American civil rights and UNIA for Pan-Africanism, the Garifuna People were already laying the groundwork for collective action for land and identity and Black Nationalist Movements decades before.  We were pioneering the legal and civil rights movement for Black people in the Americas while others were still finding their footing.

And then there is Thomas Vincent Ramos. In 1941, he established Garifuna Settlement Day in Belize. In a tribute to him, Mr. Augustine Flores wrote:

Long before Martin Luther King crusaded for equality for the Afro Americans, Thomas Vincent Ramos  had already made his contributions to the cause of the Garinagu in Belize. It is possible that beside reading the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr King might have heard about the achievement of Thomas Vincent Ramos because he preceded King by many years.”

Most people know about Juneteenth and Black History Month. But there’s a third historical Black holidayin the Americas that deserves equal prominence: Garifuna Settlement Day on November 19th. Officially recognized in Belize in 1941, thanks to the relentless efforts of leaders like Thomas Vincent Ramos, this day commemorates the arrival of the Garinagu to the shores of Belize in 1832. It also represents the incorporation of the Garinagu into Belize's social fabric. Furthermore, the Garifuna Settlement Day celebration symbolizes an official recognition of the Garinagu as a people who have contributed immensely to Belize as a country and to the Belizeans as a diverse people.

Ramos didn't just want a holiday; he wanted a "mental release" for his people. He gave us a day to celebrate our survival, making it the 3rd historical Black holiday in the Americas, right alongside Juneteenth and Black History Month.

Thomas Vincent Ramos understood the power of collective memory and cultural pride. He believed, as he famously said, "The purpose of Garifuna Settlement Day is to remind our people of their history and to instill in them a sense of pride in their achievements." It’s a powerful testament to survival, and a direct inspiration for our current Black Nationalism an Indigenous movements. 

Check out Episode 14: Thomas Vincent Ramos: "Father of Garifuna History" 

HOST: So, when Mayor Adams spoke of his "entire educational experience" lacking this history, he was articulating a profound truth. The Garifuna experience is not a footnote; it's a vital, vibrant, and incredibly powerful thread woven into the very fabric of the African Diaspora.

It challenges us to expand our definitions of Black history, to look beyond borders, and to recognize the resilience and political genius of the Afro-Indigenous Garifuna people.

HOST: So, how do we follow the lead of Joseph Chatoyer, Thomas Vincent Ramos, and the Garifuna pioneers of 1882?

Mayor Adams was right; we have a lot to accomplish. But it starts with education. I am calling on every listener today:

  1. Check the Curriculum: Reach out to your local New York City School. Ask if they are using the "Hidden Voices: Untold Stories of New York City History" resources that include Garifuna history. “Hidden Voices: Stories of the Global Garifuna Diaspora Volume 1”
  2. Download the Toolkit: Go to our website and get the formal letter template to send to your school board.
  3. Share the Facts: Post about 1540. Post about 1823. Post about T.V. Ramos. Use #UnseenThread.

We are a powerful community. We are an ancient community. And we are no longer invisible in plain sight.

HOST: Thank you for listening to The Garifuna Experience Podcast. Let’s keep pulling on this thread until the whole world sees the beauty of our tapestry. Lidan Aban ! (Go with God!)

Next Steps

This Black History Month, and every month, let's  re-release the shackles off our mental bodies here in this country. It’s Time to reach into our history and rise up as the mighty people we are. Let’s make a conscious effort to seek out these "unseen threads." Let's learn about the 1540 arrival in Honduras, the 1883 trek for land rights, the 1823 Black play about a Garifuna hero, and the November 19th Garifuna Settlement Day. By doing so, we are truly "releasing the shackles off our mental bodies," as Mayor Adams urged us to do.

Outro

HOST: And that wraps up another illuminating episode of The Garifuna Experience Podcast.

HOST: Thank you for joining me on this journey to uncover these powerful little-known facts. I encourage you to share this episode, research these topics further, and talk to your local schools about integrating Garifuna history into their curriculum.

You can find more information about the Garifuna diaspora, events, and resources on our website www.The Garifuna Experience.com  ["The Garifuna Experience" Podcast website or social media handles].

Remember this vital message: The future of the Garifuna people is in our hands.  

Until next time, stay united, stay proud. Sungubei Lidan Aban Ayo!

HOST: Find new episodes of The Garifuna Experience every Tuesday. 

Follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, and iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Garifuna Experience Podcast. Your support helps us share our vital Garifuna experience with more people around the world.

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José Francisco Ávila

Host