Full Description
Philanthropy is commonly depicted as a universal practice and is either valued for supporting community transformation or critiqued for limiting social justice. However, dominant definitions and even popular connotations tend to privilege wealthy Western approaches. Using the Caribbean as a rich site of observance and concentrating on the island nation-state of The Bahamas, Get Involved! uncovers the hidden and under-documented activities of "philanthropy from below," revealing a broader conception of philanthropy and civil society, especially within Black and other historically marginalized populations. Kim Williams-Pulfer draws on narrative analysis from enslavement to the current post-post-colonial moment, depicting the repertoires and practices of primarily Afro-Bahamians through the stories emerging from history (including the transnational observations of Zora Neale Hurston, social movements, and political and social institution building), the arts (from Junkanoo, literature, and visual practices), to the lived experiences of contemporary civil society leaders. Get Involved! shows the long history and continued significance of civil society and philanthropic engagement in The Bahamas, the circum-Caribbean, and the wider African Diaspora.
Junkanoo is the national cultural festival of The Bahamas. It fosters a sense of community pride, identity, companionship, spirituality and unity. Watch a video about Junknoo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnMpMesNb1Q&t=14s
Contents
Chapter 1 "There are ways to get involved..."
Chapter 2 Submarine Narratives and Transnational Action
Chapter 3 "And the People are Outside": Historical Narratives of Bahamian Civil Society
Chapter 4 Black Politics and Civil Society
Chapter 5 Arts as Engagement and Identity
Chapter 6 Narratives of the Contemporary Lived Experience
Chapter 7 Entangled Time and The Future of Civil Society
Acknowledgments
Notes
Bibliography
Index
