The echoes of Caribbean carnivals, the rhythm of calypso, and the wisdom of our elders - these are the threads that weave the rich tapestry of our heritage. As I navigated the bittersweet waves of personal loss this holiday season, I was reminded just how vital it is to preserve the legacy of our ancestors. This brief but poignant episode is a reflection on the journey of Strictly Facts, our growth through the podcasting world, and the challenges faced in education during an unprecedented global pandemic. It's an intimate look back at the last few years, with a forward gaze filled with hope and determination.
We're celebrating three years of Strictly Facts with heartfelt gratitude, acknowledging the unwavering support from our listeners who have become family. I take you through the personal stories that fuel my passion for Caribbean history and share latest updates moving forward. Join me, Alexandra Miller, as we continue to empower, elevate, and unify through the stories of our past, and stride into a year of abundance and shared narratives.
Welcome to Strictly Facts, a guide to Caribbean history and culture hosted by me, alexandra Miller. Strictly Facts teaches the history, politics and activism of the Caribbean and connects these themes to contemporary music and popular culture. Hello, hello, happy new year and welcome back to another year of Strictly Facts, a guide to Caribbean history and culture With me, your host and Caribbean historian podcaster, alexandra Miller. I'm so excited and truly humbled and honored to be embarking on another year of the show with you all as we near Strictly Facts third birthday. The last two years have taught me so much, I think. At first, you know, it was me getting to understand the podcasting industry and my hopes and dreams for the platform. But as I've journeyed throughout this time, you know, and creating Strictly Facts, I've spoken several times about my love for history and while that is still very much true, I've also seen the war and the challenges on our education increase exponentially over the last few years. I launched Strictly Facts amidst COVID and that in itself was a problem and created several problems for our education system. And while there have always been wars on our education, for us and for all people of color in marginalized communities, the pandemic and our global issues of the time only exacerbated the circumstances, and the next year I will continue creating conversations and sharing Caribbean history and all the many other ventures I have planned for Strictly Facts to ensure that we are all empowered, elevated and unified as a region, a global diaspora and as a people made with and made of various vibrant cultures and communities. On a more personal note, I lost one of my grandparents over the holidays, and being with family, sharing stories being part of our nine nights and all of our other familial traditions as we told stories about his life reminded me that our history isn't just in academia. It doesn't solely live in textbooks. It's in all of us, including my grandfather, who was one of the first to bring electricity into our small community of prospect in Clarendon, jamaica. We can easily lose this history as our elders transition, and that's one of the reasons why it's so important to keep sharing our history our way, especially the stories that don't get made into the books and the movies. They're still a part of who we are. We are storytelling people, be that through calypsoes and carnivals, cinema or song, and I will continue ensuring that Strictly Facts is a part of that long standing tradition.
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I'm also grateful for so much these last few years. I'm grateful for all of my Strictly Facts family, not only being able to grow and learn alongside with you all, but also the fact that many of you have become friends and family in real life. I've enjoyed getting to meet some of you in various places and spaces and person and online, and I hope this year brings many more family reunions. I'm also grateful for your patience as I've navigated strictly facts and grad school. I'm currently in the thick of writing this dissertation, with a whole another story in itself, but I promise this year to do an episode on the research I've been conducting for you all.
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I've taken some time to revamp the Strictly Facts website with the help of Caribbean Business Network, so shout out to Dr Nicole K Grimes and you can keep up with us there, as I'll be making use of our blog sharing shorter pieces and thoughts in addition to what is on the podcast and on Strictly Facts social media.
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I will keep this one brief, as I just wanted to share some reflections with you all in the new year. I hope you all are doing well and I wish this year is one of abundance and growth. I thank you for being on the podcast ride with me, whether you've been a day one supporter or just found the show recently, and if you're looking for ways to support Strictly Facts and tell us happy birthday. Of course, you can rate our show, share with your friends, family and loved ones and, of course, donate to our platform via PayPal at the link in our show notes. Your donations are immensely helpful in helping our mission and vision come to life and play a crucial role in our expansion as we continue sharing all things Caribbean history and culture in a Strictly Facts style. Till our next episode, little more, and take care. Thanks for tuning in to Strictly Facts. Visit StrictlyFactsPodcastcom for more information from each episode. Follow us at Strictly Facts pod on Instagram and Facebook and at Strictly Facts PD on Twitter.