Strictly Facts: A Guide to Caribbean History and Culture
Are you passionate about Caribbean history, its diverse culture, and its impact on the world? Join Strictly Facts: A Guide to Caribbean History and Culture as we explore the rich tapestry of Caribbean stories told through the eyes of its people – historians, artists, experts, and enthusiasts who share empowering facts about the region’s past, present, and future.
Strictly Facts is a biweekly podcast, hosted by Alexandria Miller, that delves deep into the heart and soul of the Caribbean, celebrating its vibrant heritage, widespread diaspora, and the stories that shaped it. Through this immersive journey into the Caribbean experience, this educational series empowers, elevates, and unifies the Caribbean, its various cultures, and its global reach across borders.
Episodes
149 episodes
The Caribbean Influence on Fashion with Alcot Laing of Rice & Tees
The Caribbean has influenced fashion and style all over the world, especially in global music culture. In this episode, Alcot Laing joins us for a brief discussion on some of the keen ways that Caribbean people have contributed to, challenged, ...
A Brief History of Haiti's Battle of Vertières, a Triumph for Human Dignity
On November 18, 1803, Haiti, or what was then Saint-Domingue, successfully defeated the French in the Battle of Vertières, the final conflict in the Haitian Revolution that led to Haiti's proclamation as the first independent Black nation month...
The 1948 Castries Fire: A Brief History on Disaster and Rebuilding in Colonial St. Lucia with Milt Moise
One of the most defining events of the last century in St. Lucia is the Great Fire of Castries Fire, which destroyed most of the island's capital on June 19, 1948. In this episode, Milt Moise joins us to discuss the events of the fire, it...
Independence and Liberation in 19th Century Cuba Part II with Marley Pulido
Closing out Hispanic Heritage Month, Marley Pulido joins us for this second of a two-part conversation on Cuban independence. Together, we highlight the importance of Afro-Cubans to the island's early movements for liberation and discuss the co...
Independence and Liberation in 19th Century Cuba Part I
Rarely do nationalist movements arise over night. This is also true for Cuba as we discuss in this first of a two-part series on Cuba's independence movement. Join us in commemorating 154 years since Cuba's Declaration of Independence this week...
A Brief History of the Irish in Montserrat with Ursula Petula Barzey
Did you know that, outside of Ireland, the only other nation to celebrate St. Patrick's Day as a national holiday is the Caribbean island of Montserrat? Montserrat's celebration of its Irish connections go beyond a long history of Irish migrati...
A Brief History of the West Indian Day Parade
The West Indian Day Parade is a decades long staple in New York culture. In this brief episode, listen to how the parade was founded as an ode to its post-pandemic return.
A Brief History of Bush Medicine with Dr. Julia S. Jordan-Zachery
Bush medicine, herbal medicine, or roots are all names for traditional forms of medicine used across the African diaspora. These traditional forms of healing carry legacies of history and knowledge as we discuss with Dr. Julia S. Jordan-Zachery...
Carry on Friends: Exploring Dual Citizenship
In the bonus episode, of Strictly Facts: A Guide to Caribbean History and Culture, we’re doing an episode swap with Carry on Friends: The Caribbean American Podcast. In this episode, Ke...
A Brief History of Emancipation in Antigua with Dr. Natasha Lightfoot
The anglophone Caribbean and other parts of the former British empire celebrate Emancipation Day on the First of August, commemorating the abolition of slavery on August 1, 1804. In this episode, Dr. Natasha Lightfoot joins us for a discussion ...
The History of US Immigration Policies & Caribbean Migration with Joy Charles
US Immigration policies have historically marginalized people of color across the world. In this episode, Joy Charles joins us to discuss how these policies have disproportionately affected immigrants from the Caribbean despite our long history...
Puerto Rico's Bomba: A Musical Revolution with Dr. Sarah Bruno
Long before Puerto Rico became known for reggaeton, the island had bomba. A music and dance tradition created by enslaved and self-emancipated Africans to forge community and even incite rebellion, bomba has continued to grow as a space of Blac...
Strictly Facts' Summer Reading 2022
What a better time to catch up on some Caribbean history books than during Caribbean American Heritage Month! We're reading Aunty Roachy Seh by Louise Bennett-Coverley, Black Jacobins by C.L.R. James, and Far from Me...
Sir Randol Fawkes & Bahamian Labor History
Happy National Caribbean Heritage Month! In this episode, we celebrate the life and legacy of Sir Randol F. Fawkes, Bahamian "Father of Labor," in honor of Sir Randol Fawkes Labor Day this Friday, June 3rd.
Carry On Friends: In Solidarity
In this bonus episode of Strictly Facts, we’re doing an episode swap with Carry On Friends The Caribbean American Podcast featuring the episode "Solidarity". In this episode w...
Who Are Your National Heroes?
Celebrations of national heroes in the Caribbean pay homage to individuals who have had an immense impact on the region. In this quick chat, we discuss Barbados' national heroes and their impact, and even talk about who we'd like to see as nati...
Haiti: The Legacy of the First Black Republic with Dr. Yveline Alexis
Formerly known as Saint Domingue, Haiti is the world's first Black republic and the first independent Caribbean nation. Despite these facts, Haiti has faced a series of postcolonial challenges rooted in the racial threat the Haiti Revolution (1...
Post-emancipation Migrations in the French Caribbean with Dr. Philippe Zacaïr
In a similar fashion to other Caribbean islands, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Haiti remained in close connection throughout France's colonialism. Dr. Philippe Zacaïr joins this episode to discuss how these connections strengthened after Haiti's ...
The History of Jewish-Caribbean Connections in the Caribbean with Ainsley Henriques
Jewish life in the Caribbean extends as far back as the fifteenth century with Jewish-European migration following patterns of trade and colonialism to the region. Ainsley Henriques, Jewish-Jamaican genealogist and Administrator of Kahal Kadosh...
Calypso: The Original Music of the Caribbean with Meagan A. Sylvester - Music Sociologist.Author.Researcher
Originating in the nineteen century, calypso is a genre of Caribbean music that can be traced since spread across the region and its diaspora through migration. In this episode, we discuss calypso's evolving history, impact, and representation ...
The History of the Garifuna: Indigenous Legacies in the Caribbean with Dr. Paul Joseph López Oro
The Garifuna are an Afro-indigenous community native to Saint Vincent who, in the late eighteenth century, were forcibly exiled to Central America after surrendering to the British during the Second Carib War. Dr. Paul Joseph López ...
The Aftermath of the Panama Canal with Dr. Khemani Gibson
Following the completion of the Panama Canal in 1914, some West Indian migrants returned home, but also many stayed and formed new West Indian-Panamanian communities. In this episode Dr. Khemani Gibson shares the challenges and experiences thes...
The History of Papiamentu/o in the Dutch Caribbean with Keisha Wiel
The Caribbean is rich with diversity, including our languages. In this episode, Keisha I. Wiel joins us in sharing about the history of Papiamentu/o, the widely spoken language in the Dutch Caribbean islands, and even official language in Aruba...
Happy First Birthday Strictly Facts!
This week we're celebrating Strictly Facts's first birthday! This brief episode is a massive thank you to all our listeners and a note to take the Strictly Facts 2022 Listener Survey. Complete for a chanc...
The History of Jamaica's Maroons with Chief Richard Currie
Maroon populations across Latin America and the Caribbean have a unique history of self-emancipation and, for some, sovereignty. In this episode, His Excellency, Chief Richard Currie, Head of State of Cockpit Country, one of Jamaica's mar...