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African drums, traditional woven clothing, dreadlocks, and the Arawak language abound in Livingston, Guatemala. This proud Afro-Latin community is one of the few in the Americas to have avoided slavery, and has kept its African culture alive for centuries.
In the 1600s, a slave ship from Nigeria crashed near the Caribbean island of St. Vincent. Survivors intermixed with locals and created a new community, the Garifuna - a blend of African and indigenous American traditions, language, and culture.
About 200 years later, the British invaded, and the Garifuna people fought back - but eventually were displaced to their present-day homes of Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras.
Today, Garifuna people have also spread around the world, especially in U.S. cities like New York, where some share the unique culture that they’ve held on to for centuries.
The Wabafu Garifuna Dance Theater shares their history through dance, and many Honduran and Guatemalan restaurants serve dishes that represent a direct link to the African cuisines of our ancestors.
While many of us have been separated from our ancestry because of slavery, we can celebrate those who have managed to keep theirs alive, like the Garifuna.
“For me, it’s very important that I pass on everything,” says Catherine Ochún Soliz-Rey, who has Garifuna heritage and lives in New York. “...I’ve felt first-hand how much it’s helped me.”