Faces of

Afro-Belizeans

Stunning Photos of the African Presence in Belize

Suggested Readings on Afro-Belizeans (Garifuna)

Belize

The Garifuna of Belize are a true Afro-Caribbean people, originating over 500 years ago when the indegenous inhabitants of the island of St. Vincent intermarried with enslaved Africans, together resisting slavery and fighting fiercly against the conversion of their lands into slave plantations.

British and French colonists vied to control the island, eventually deporting the Garifuna to Central America, where the survivors formed communities along the Caribbean coast in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Belize (formerly British Hondurus.  

Today, Garifuna culture has not only survived but is known worldwide through its music and dance. Garifuna culture is so unique it was proclaimed by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001.