La Hora de Actuar (The Time to Act)

In the midst of a global pandemic and social reckoning, a contentious national election culminated in a Black woman assuming the office of Vice President for the first time in the country’s history. Her name is Francia Márquez, and she is the human and environmental rights activist who went from teenage mother working as a housekeeper to second in command of Colombia’s executive branch.

The Systematic Silencing of Human Rights Defenders in Venezuela

It is no secret in the international community that the humanitarian situation in Venezuela is dire. A history of detrimental governance has driven Venezuela into political and economic ruin. Former President Hugo Chávez’s populist political ideology was characterized by a desire to nationalize Venezuelan industries and a rejection of U.S. imperialism.

The Black Lives Matter Movement in Cuba

In June of 2020, the killing of an unarmed young Black man received widespreadmedia attention and sparked calls for protests across Cuba. However, 52 local activists were preemptively arrested for planning such protests that called for racial justice on the island. Additionally, the state-owned communications company blocked phone and internet access the night before participants and journalists were planning to cover the protests.

Verses of Change – An Afro-Caribbean Poet’s Quest for Independence

Language is one of the most powerful tools for resistance.  Some dismiss language alone as incapable of effecting change.  However, history reveals that the ability to understand and communicate a language in a way that connects, empowers, and galvanizes the disenfranchised can itself be revolutionary