Overview
Visual artist, poet, and educator/activist Michelle Ricardo––a Dominican native––discusses what it means to be an Afro-descendant in the Dominican Republic and what she believes contributes to a culture of anti-blackness existing there. Through her work, she strives to assist in changing the cultural ideology of and within Dominicans to accept all parts of their identity. We go on to converse about a variety of topics, such as her life journey, feelings of displacement, and art as a tool for social change and self-expression.
Discussion Questions
Discussion Questions
– Describe three (3) key issues that Michelle Ricardo discusses in this video interview about the framing of Dominican identity.
– What part of the video interview did you like the best?
– For what college courses or disciplines would you recommend this video interview? Why?
– Please share any takeaways or comments that you have about this video interview.
KEYWORDS: Dominican Republic; culture; identity; visual arts; social reform; anti-blackness; beauty aesthetics
Collaborators
Faculty Mentors: Professor Jean-Yves Plaisir and Professor Aleah N. Ranjitsingh
Student Researchers: Tyone Campbell, Tyze Davis, Alexis Jacquet (volunteer), Lanue Ngwashi-Hibbert, and Madeline Rey
BMCC Humanities Alliance Fellow: Meagan Hammerbacher
International Collaborators: Michelle Ricardo and Aniova Prandy
Book Mentioned: La Muñeca de Dieula by Ana Belique with Illustrations by Michelle Ricardo
https://www.dominicanwriters.com/product-page/la-mu%C3%B1eca-de-dieula?lang=es
