Strictly Facts: A Guide to Caribbean History and Culture Alexandria Miller

In this episode, Klieon John, founder of Twin Island Cinema, joins Strictly Facts as we shed  light on the pivotal role Caribbean films have played in shaping the region's vibrant culture and history. Expect a deep dive into the evolution of Caribbean cinema, from the early days of foreign influence to the emergence of globally recognized works like "BIM" and "Rockers." Klieon shares his personal experiences, painting a vivid picture of the creativity, resilience, and passion that are the bedrock of Caribbean filmmaking. From capturing moments of monumental change, like independence movements, to blending diverse genres, every bit of Caribbean life finds its way onto the silver screen.

The discussion also explores how technology has been harnessed to propel Caribbean cinema into the global spotlight. We address the challenges facing Caribbean cinema, such as inadequate representation in mainstream media and the hurdles in accessing these films. Klieon provides invaluable advice to aspiring filmmakers and offers insights into his latest ventures in indigenous filmmaking. So tune in, as we traverse the captivating landscape of Caribbean cinema and celebrate its vital role in our culture.

With over 14 years of experience in the media industry, Klieon John is a seasoned Caribbean writer, filmmaker and creative director who has worked in public relations, advertising and brand development for international and regional companies and agencies across several Caribbean territories including St. Kitts, Jamaica and Trinidad. Klieon has produced a number of commercials, shorts, creative and non-fiction projects featuring cultural and environmental content in partnership with medium to large scale organisations throughout the region. Follow and support Klieon on Patreon, The Nieuwe Native audio journal on the on-going process behind his Tilting Axis Fellowship, and on social media @twinislandcinema and @byklieonjohn. You can also subscribe to the Twin Island Cinema Newsletter to learn more about grants, festivals, events,  new releases etc happening in the region.
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Rate the Show Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform Share this episode with someone who loves Caribbean history and culture Send us a DM or voice note to have your thoughts featured on an upcoming episode Share the episode on social media and tag us Donate to help us continue empowering listeners with Caribbean history and education Produced by Breadfruit Media

We're thrilled to have Dr. Alexa Rodriguez join us for a deeply engaging discussion through the Dominican Republic's educational history. With her unique insights developed through her Dominican heritage and academic background, Dr. Rodriguez deftly unveils the obscured narratives of education under the shadow of US imperialism. Ever wondered how external forces shape the landscapes of native education systems? Here's your chance to delve into the fascinating, yet lesser-known saga of the Dominican Republic's struggle for educational autonomy during the eight-year US occupation (1916-1924) and beyond.

As we venture deeper into the heart of the Dominican Republic, prepare to be moved by the resolute spirit of local communities, their tireless efforts to establish and maintain schools, and their unwavering advocacy for their children's right to respect and education. Dr. Rodriguez masterfully guides us through the evolution of education in the Dominican Republic, from the disheartening defunding of schools during the US intervention, to the effects of the Trujillo dictatorship, and the current-day challenges facing Dominican education. Through this eye-opening dialogue, we aim not just to revisit the past, but also to instigate a broader conversation about education's critical role in shaping a nation's future. If you're curious about history, education, or the complex interplay between the two, this episode is one you won't want to miss.

Alexa Rodríguez is an assistant professor of education and a faculty affiliate for the Center for Race and Public Education in the South at EHD as well as at the Edmund W. Gordon Institute for Urban and Minority Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research examines schools, migration, and the formation of racial and national identities in both Latin America and in the United States. She is currently working on a book manuscript, "Crafting Dominicanidad" (forthcoming with University of North Carolina Press), an intellectual history that examines how Dominicans used public schools to articulate and circulate competing notions of racial, class, and national identity during the early twentieth century. Her work has been published in History of Education, History of Education Quarterly, Latino Studies, Caribbean Studies, City & State New York, Clio and the Contemporary, and the blog of the History of Education Society in the UK.
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Rate the Show Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform Share this episode with someone who loves Caribbean history and culture Send us a DM or voice note to have your thoughts featured on an upcoming episode Share the episode on social media and tag us Donate to help us continue empowering listeners with Caribbean history and education Produced by Breadfruit Media

Education shapes lives - but how is this journey shaped by race, colonialism, and migration? Join us as we navigate the establishment of school systems in the British Caribbean post-Emancipation to the increasingly diverse classrooms of mid-20th century Britain. We're enlightened by the insights of Deanna Lyncook, a fellow podcaster and PhD student, whose research colors our understanding of Caribbean life and education abroad.

We trace the racial and religious underpinnings of education in the anglophone colonies and unpack the challenges that newly-migrated British Caribbean students faced in the UK, from policies that hindered their academic success to the resistance and activism that these hurdles sparked within the Caribbean community. We also spotlight the unsung heroes: parents, educators, and activists who fought for an improved educational experience for Caribbean youth in Britain. Their story, alongside the enduring challenges faced by these students, continues to resonate today. In a world increasingly shaped by movement, understanding the interplay between education, history, and migration is more crucial than ever. Join us as we unearth an essential chapter of Black British and Caribbean history.

Deanna Lyncook is a PhD student in History at Queen Mary University of London. Her research takes a transnational approach to the experiences of West Indian children in the British education system in Britain and its Caribbean colonies, in the second half of the 20th Century. She is the founder host of the weekly podcast The History Hotline where she discusses events and individuals that have shaped Black history in Britain and the Caribbean. She co-organised a Black British History Conference funded by the Institute of Historical Research, Queen Mary University and Northwestern University. She has curated an oral history exhibition at the Museum of Methodism and has also worked on historical research projects for the Society for Caribbean Studies, the University of Leeds, BBC Radio London and the Times Radio. She is also a coordinator for the Young Historians Project, that works on research projects to document neglected aspects of Black British History. Follow Deanna on Instagram and Twitter and The History Hotline on Instagram and Twitter. 
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Rate the Show Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform Share this episode with someone who loves Caribbean history and culture Send us a DM or voice note to have your thoughts featured on an upcoming episode Share the episode on social media and tag us Donate to help us continue empowering listeners with Caribbean history and education Produced by Breadfruit Media

Our guest, award-winning author and U.S. Naval Academy professor, Dr. Sharika Crawford,  takes us on a historical journey to the heart of the Cayman Islands, unearthing the complex relationship between the environmental landscape and the Islands; inhabitants through turtle soup. Together, we traverse the Cayman's fascinating evolution, from the aftermath of slave emancipation to the rise and subsequent fall of the turtle hunting industry.

Venture with us as we uncover the dynamics between the Caymanian sea turtle hunters and the British government, the Islands' two-tier racial hierarchy and its lasting implications on labor even today, and the repercussions of the environmental movement in the 20th century, focusing on conservation policies and their significant impact on Caymanian communities. Join us as we illuminate the often-overlooked role of the Cayman Islands' turtle hunters in the broader Caribbean narrative and global food consumption.

Sharika Crawford is Professor of History at the United States naval Academy in Annapolis. In spring 2023, she was named the inaugural Speedwell Professor of International Studies, an honor she will hold until 2028. Crawford's primary research focuses on modern Latin America, specifically, Colombia and the interstitial places in the circum-Caribbean like the Archipelago of San Andrés and Providencia and the Cayman Islands. Her first monograph The Last Turtlemen of the Caribbean: Waterscapes of Labor, Conservation, and Boundary Making published by the University of North Carolina Press received an Honorable Mention from the Elsa Goveia Prize in Caribbean History Committee of the Association of Caribbean Historians in 2021. It has been widely reviewed in national and international venues. Additionally, Crawford has published articles and essays in the Global South, Historia Critica, International Journal of Maritime History, Middle Atlantic Review of Latin American Studies, Latin American Research Review, and the New West Indian Guide/Nieuwe West-Indische Gids. Dr. Crawford has also received several prestigious grants and fellowships from the American Philosophical Society, the Fulbright U.S. Program, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the University of Florida Center for Latin American Studies, the UNC-Duke Consortium for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and most recently, the Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC) OER in Caribbean Studies stipend. 
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Rate the Show Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform Share this episode with someone who loves Caribbean history and culture Send us a DM or voice note to have your thoughts featured on an upcoming episode Share the episode on social media and tag us Donate to help us continue empowering listeners with Caribbean history and education Produced by Breadfruit Media

As we continue to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, this episode promises to enlighten you with a deep dive into the complexities of Cuba's domestic labor history, guided by the expert insights of our guest, Dr Anasa Hicks, Associate Professor of History at Florida State University.

We journey together through the significant shifts of the 20th century, examining the enduring ties of domestic service to the history of slavery, the gendered and class structures of domestic labor, and the changing perceptions of these roles in society. From the turbulent era of the 1933 Revolution to the radical activism era between 1938 and 1959, we delve into the intricate narratives that have shaped the future of domestic service in Cuba. Hear the story of Elvira Rodriguez, a domestic servant and activist whose story embodies the power of workers' activism in Cuba. This is more than just a history lesson; it's an exploration of the power of activism and the complexities of labor history in Cuba. Tune in for a captivating and enlightening conversation.

Anasa Hicks is Associate Professor of Caribbean History at Florida State University. Her research focuses on race, gender, and labor in 20th-century Cuba. Her first book, "Hierarchies at Home: Domestic Service in Cuba from Abolition to Revolution" was published by Cambridge University Press in 2022. 
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Rate the Show Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform Share this episode with someone who loves Caribbean history and culture Send us a DM or voice note to have your thoughts featured on an upcoming episode Share the episode on social media and tag us Donate to help us continue empowering listeners with Caribbean history and education Produced by Breadfruit Media

Have you ever wondered what Cuba was like before the 1959 Revolution? This fascinating episode promises to take you there. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with us as we are joined by Dr. Takkara Brunson for a riveting exploration of the Republic of Cuba period (1902-1958) through the lens of Black Cuban women. We unravel their significant contributions to the independence movement despite the racialized and gendered dynamics that pervaded their society.

The evolution of Black women's activism in this era is a narrative of transformative power. Learn how their discourse gradually shifted from respectability to a critique of racism, sexism, and classism. Understand how they leveraged their political clout to form independent organizations and, surprisingly, how Black civic clubs became their gateway to patronage networks. We also highlight inspiring figures like  María Dámasa Jova Baró authored a and Inocencia Valdés’s commit, who used their voices and actions to make a tangible difference in their communities. This episode is a testament to the resilience and undying spirit of Black women in Cuba.

Takkara Brunson is Associate Professor of History at Texas A&M University. Her research focuses on political and cultural traditions of the African Diaspora, with emphasis on how Black women have shaped Latin American and Caribbean societies after slave abolition. She is the author of Black Women, Citizenship, and the Making of Modern Cuba, which was co-awarded the Letitia Woods Brown Book Prize for African American Women's History. Brunson’s research has appeared in Gender & History, Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism, and Cuban Studies, among other places. Her research has been supported by the Institute for Citizens and Scholars (formerly the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation), University of Rochester Frederick Douglass Institute, Ford Foundation, and UNCF/Mellon Programs.  She received her Ph.D. in Latin American History at the University of Texas at Austin and B.A. in Comparative Women’s Studies at Spelman College. Follow Dr. Brunson on Twitter.
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Looking to read more about the topics covered in this episode? Subscribe to the newsletter at www.strictlyfactspod.com to get the Strictly Facts Syllabus to your email!

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Rate the Show Leave a review on your favorite podcast platform Share this episode with someone who loves Caribbean history and culture Send us a DM or voice note to have your thoughts featured on an upcoming episode Share the episode on social media and tag us Donate to help us continue empowering listeners with Caribbean history and education Produced by Breadfruit Media