Episode 22 - The History of Garifuna Community Organizing in New York City

The Garifuna Experience in NYC Podcast takes you back to the foundation, tracing the evolution of Garifuna civic strength in the diaspora. Host José Francisco Ávila chronicles how our community successfully transformed from informal Hometown Associations to powerful, modern non-profit organizations.

What You'll Uncover:

•  The Pioneers: Learn about the earliest formalized groups like The Carib American Association, Inc. (1946), and how the Hometown Associations served as vital social and mutual aid networks.
• The Modern Breakthrough: Discover the pivotal role of Garinagu Women on the March Pro Education (MUGAMA), the first modern Garifuna organization to achieve tax-exempt status (501(c)(3)) and secure major philanthropic funding in 1997.
• Tragedy and Transformation: Explore how the devastating Happy Land Social Club Fire in 1990 exposed the urgent need for a unified voice and propelled the community into a new era of political organization.
• The Pan-Garifuna Vision: Hear the story behind the First Intercontinental Garifuna Summit Meeting in 1991, held in Brooklyn under the defiant theme: “Uwala Busiganu, Garinagu Wagia” (“Don’t Be Ashamed, We Are Garifuna”).

This episode is an essential guide to the resilience, leadership, and unwavering cultural pride that built the Garifuna community’s power structure in New York City.

Resources:

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• The Garífuna Experience in NYC | Bronx walking tour
• The Garifuna Experience in NYC 
• The Happy Land Memorial Walking Tour 
• Garifuna Heritage Walking Tour (BronxNet Video)

Books by José Francisco Ávila

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