As New York City celebrates the annual West Indian Day Parade, we’re joining the festivities with these five books. Some titles explore the long-lasting impacts of colonialism on the Caribbean, while others consider how the Caribbean diaspora has helped to define Black culture in America. The resulting collection is sure to add depth to today’s event. Before you join the crowd in Crown Heights, don’t forget to slip one of these books into your bag.
Vibes Up
Reggae and Afro-Caribbean Migration from Costa Rica to Brooklyn
by Sabia McCoy-Torres
This evocative examination of reggae culture challenges our culture’s tendency to define Caribbean identity through experiences of enslavement and oppression. Sabia McCoy-Torres uses research conducted on the streets of Brooklyn and Costa Rica to rewrite Caribbean Blackness as a representation of freedom and joy.
Global Guyana
Shaping Race, Gender, and Environment in the Caribbean and Beyond
by Oneka LaBennett
This powerful story of cultural, economic, and ecological exploitation resonates far beyond Guyana. Drawing from archival research and oral histories, author Oneka LaBennett spotlights Guyana as a center of social and economic activity that has been undergoing the effects of racial capitalism. Her work reveals the ecological damage of resource extraction, which continues to impact the lives of Caribbean women and children.
Rastafari
The Evolution of a People and Their Identity
by Charles Price
Although Rastafarian culture is frequently portrayed in the media, the political, religious, and cultural elements are often misrepresented. Charles Price corrects this narrative by documenting the evolution of the Rastafari movement throughout several continents, and how it overcame the obstacles of bias and prejudice. This “meticulous and engaging” volume (Novo Religio) illuminates the development of a movement that continues to shape the collective Black identity.
She’s Mad Real
Popular Culture and West Indian Girls in Brooklyn
by Oneka LaBennett
Described as a “pivotal critique” by Anthropological Quarterly, She’s Mad Real upends stereotypes of Black teenagers as decadent, lazy consumers. Using over a decade of research, author Oneka LaBennett considers the role of consumer culture in these teenagers’ lives. The resulting work offers a fascinating look at how Black youths maintain agency within a culture that marginalizes and polices them.
Discourse on Colonialism
by Aimé Césaire
Published by Monthly Review Press
Celebrated as an “important document” by Library Journal, this classic essay deconstructs the notion of Western progress and innovation by exploring the harsh impacts of colonialism and oppression. Aimé Césaire highlights the significance of African culture and identity, and calls for a psychological and cultural liberation from the colonial powers that continue to impact the Caribbean.
Colonial Phantoms
Belonging and Refusal in the Dominican Americas, from the 19th Century to the Present
by Dixa RamÃrez
Winner of the 2019 Barbara Christian Literary Award and Isis Duarte Book Prize, Colonial Phantoms insightfully explores the culture and history of the Dominican Republic, which has been left unacknowledged despite its significant role in America’s development. Using a variety of Dominican cultural texts, Dixa RamÃrez explores the evolution of their cultural expression and identity, along with the influence of Western nationalism and imperialism on the Dominican people.
How The Cold War Fight Against Soviet Antizionism Shapes Jewish American Responses to Campus Protests Today by Shaul Kelner