How did Black hair become a symbol of race, identity, power, and resistance? In this episode of Dis A Fi Mi History Podcast, host Wendy Aris sits down with Dr. Shaunasea Brown to explore the complex history of Black hair from the era of transatlantic slavery to the present day.

Discover how European beauty standards shaped ideas of "good" and "bad" hair, influencing generations of Black communities across the Caribbean and the African diaspora. Dr. Brown examines the historical roots of hair discrimination, the social and professional pressures surrounding hair straightening, the health and emotional impacts of chemical treatments, and the legal battles that have challenged workplace discrimination.

The conversation also explores the rise of the Natural Hair Movement, cultural identity, self-acceptance, and the ongoing work of dismantling harmful stereotypes while reclaiming Black beauty and heritage. Through history, research, and lived experience, this episode highlights why hair is far more than appearance—it is a reflection of culture, resilience, identity, and freedom.

Whether you're interested in Black history, Caribbean history, race and identity, social justice, genealogy, or the history of beauty standards, this episode offers powerful historical insight and meaningful discussion.

🎧 Subscribe to Dis A Fi Mi History Podcast for conversations exploring Caribbean history, genealogy, archives, and the untold stories that continue to shape our world.

BIO:

Dr. Shaunasea Brown is an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University whose research focuses on Black Canadian Studies, Black feminism, womanism, and the politics of Black women's hair. She earned her PhD in the Department of Humanities at York University, where her interdisciplinary scholarship examined the artistic practices of second-generation Black Canadian women of Caribbean descent and their contributions to community care, identity, and cultural expression.

Dr. Brown's research explores how race, gender, beauty, and representation shape the lived experiences of Black communities in Canada and throughout the African diaspora. Her work examines Black hair as a site of identity, resistance, self-love, and cultural politics, challenging Eurocentric beauty standards and highlighting the historical and contemporary significance of Black hair. She is the author of influential publications including "Don't Touch My Hair": Problematizing Representations of Black Women in Canada and "Take the Kinks out Your Mind, Not Your Hair": Black Canadian Girls' Hair Politics & Self-Love.

Beyond her academic research, Dr. Brown is a passionate advocate for Black Studies and community engagement. She is a co-founder of the Black Researchers of Southwestern Ontario (BRSO), a network that supports Black scholarship, collaboration, and mentorship across the region. Her work emphasizes radical community care, cultural expression, and creating spaces where Black voices and experiences are centered.

On Dis A Fi Mi History Podcast, Dr. Brown explores the history of Black hair from the era of slavery to the present day, examining how colonialism, racism, and Eurocentric beauty ideals shaped perceptions of "good" and "bad" hair. She discusses the lasting impacts of hair discrimination, the Natural Hair Movement, and the ongoing work of reclaiming Black identity, self-expression, and cultural pride across the Caribbean and the African diaspora.

#BlackHair #NaturalHair #BlackHistory #CaribbeanHistory #HairDiscrimination #AfricanDiaspora #CulturalIdentity #Genealogy #HistoryPodcast #DisAFiMiHistory

What can Caymanian bush medicine teach us about history, healing, and cultural identity? In this episode of Dis A Fi Mi History Podcast, host Wendy Aris welcomes Hannah Reed Ford, founder of Bush Girl Medicine, to explore the rich tradition of Caymanian herbal medicine and the ancestral knowledge passed down through generations.

Discover how medicinal plants have supported the health and well-being of Caymanian families while preserving cultural heritage and strengthening community resilience. Hannah discusses the importance of traditional plant knowledge, the role of elders in safeguarding these practices, and how modernization, urbanization, and the Caribbean diaspora have influenced the transmission of this invaluable wisdom.

The conversation also highlights the connection between genealogy, oral history, environmental conservation, and traditional medicine, demonstrating how local plants serve as living archives of Caribbean history. Hannah shares personal stories, practical ways to reconnect with nature, and why documenting and protecting this knowledge is essential for future generations.

Whether you're interested in Caribbean history, traditional healing, genealogy, ethnobotany, oral history, or Indigenous and cultural knowledge, this episode offers a fascinating look at the enduring legacy of Caymanian bush medicine.

BIO:

Hannah Reid Ford is a Caymanian ethnobiologist, educator, and founder of Bush Girl Medicine, an initiative dedicated to preserving and sharing the traditional knowledge of Caymanian medicinal plants and their cultural significance. Her work explores the intersection of ethnobotany, oral history, environmental stewardship, and cultural heritage, documenting the ways generations of Caymanians have relied on native plants for healing, nourishment, and survival.

Drawing upon research, community engagement, and knowledge passed down by elders, Hannah advocates for the preservation of bush medicine as a living cultural archive. She emphasizes that traditional plant knowledge is more than herbal remedies—it represents the history, resilience, and identity of the Cayman Islands. Through Bush Girl Medicine, she encourages people to reconnect with the natural environment, learn from elders, and safeguard this invaluable knowledge for future generations.

As a speaker and educator, Hannah shares practical knowledge about Caymanian medicinal plants while highlighting the importance of biodiversity conservation, sustainable living, and cultural preservation. Her work has helped inspire a renewed appreciation for traditional ecological knowledge and its relevance in the modern world.

On Dis A Fi Mi History Podcast, Hannah discusses the rich tradition of Caymanian bush medicine, the role of oral history in preserving ancestral knowledge, and how medicinal plants serve as living records of Caribbean history. Her conversation explores the connections between genealogy, cultural identity, conservation, and the enduring legacy of traditional healing practices in the Cayman Islands.

Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bushgirlmedicine/

Website: https://bushgirlmedicine.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bushgirlmedicine

🎧 Subscribe to Dis A Fi Mi History Podcast for conversations with historians, genealogists, researchers, and cultural practitioners uncovering the hidden histories of the Caribbean and its global connections.

#CaymanIslands #BushMedicine #CaribbeanHistory #TraditionalMedicine #HerbalMedicine #Ethnobotany #Genealogy #OralHistory #CulturalHeritage #BlackHistory #IndigenousKnowledge #CaribbeanCulture #EnvironmentalHistory #DisAFiMiHistory #HistoryPodcast

The 1790s marked a turning point in Caribbean history, as revolutionary ideas swept across the Atlantic world and transformed the lives of free and enslaved people throughout the Greater Caribbean. In this episode of the Dis A Fi Mi History Podcast, Professor Klooster explores how the French Revolution, the Declaration of the Rights of Man, Spanish colonial reforms, and British abolitionist debates inspired new hopes for freedom, equality, and citizenship.

Discover how revolutionary ideals spread through trans-imperial networks, with Curaçao serving as a critical hub connecting the Caribbean, Europe, and the Americas. Learn how sailors, merchants, migrants, and free people of color carried news, political ideas, and legal strategies across colonial borders, influencing resistance movements and shaping the revolutionary era.

Professor Klooster examines the legal petitions of free people of color, the role of Atlantic migration, and the impact of rumors, communication networks, and revolutionary language in fueling resistance from Saint-Domingue (Haiti) to the wider Caribbean. The conversation also explores the complexities of race, colorism, class, slavery, colonialism, and the long struggle for civil rights and equality in the British, French, Spanish, and Dutch Caribbean.

Whether you're interested in Caribbean genealogy, Atlantic history, the Haitian Revolution, abolition, colonial history, or the African Diaspora, this episode offers valuable insight into one of the most significant decades in world history and its lasting influence on the modern Caribbean.

• The French Revolution and its impact on the Caribbean
• Declaration of the Rights of Man
• The Haitian Revolution and Saint-Domingue
• Curaçao as a revolutionary crossroads
• Free people of color and legal petitions
• Slavery, emancipation, and abolition
• British, French, Spanish, and Dutch colonial empires
• Revolutionary ideas across the Atlantic World
• Caribbean resistance and revolts
• Race, class, and colorism in the colonial Caribbean
• Caribbean genealogy and historical research
• The African Diaspora and transatlantic networks

#CaribbeanHistoryPodcast #CaribbeanHistory #GreaterCaribbean #French Revolution #HaitianRevolution #Saint-Domingue #Curaçao #AtlanticWorld #AtlanticHistory #Slavery #Abolition #Emancipation #FreePeopleofColor #DeclarationoftheRightsofMan #CaribbeanGenealogy #AfricanDiaspora #Colonial History #BritishCaribbean #SpanishCaribbean #DutchCaribbean #French Caribbean #BlackHistory #RevolutionaryAtlantic #CaribbeanStudies #GenealogyPodcast #HistoryPodcast #ColonialJamaica #CaribbeanResistance #AtlanticSlaveTrade

#DisAFiMiHistoryPodcast.

BIO:

Professor Wim Klooster is a distinguished historian specializing in the history of the Atlantic World, with expertise in the Caribbean, the Age of Revolutions, colonial Latin America, and the Dutch Atlantic. He is the Clark Professor of History at Clark University and is internationally recognized for his research on the interconnected histories of Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

Professor Klooster's scholarship explores the movement of people, ideas, and goods across the Atlantic, examining how revolutions, migration, trade, and colonialism shaped the modern world. His work has significantly advanced our understanding of the French Revolution, the Haitian Revolution, the Greater Caribbean, slavery, emancipation, and the complex relationships among the British, French, Spanish, and Dutch empires.

He is the author and editor of numerous acclaimed books and scholarly publications, including Revolutions in the Atlantic World: A Comparative History, The Dutch Moment: War, Trade, and Settlement in the Seventeenth-Century Atlantic World, and Migration, Trade, and Slavery in an Expanding World. His research highlights the role of free people of color, enslaved communities, merchants, sailors, and revolutionary networks in shaping the Atlantic World during periods of profound political and social change.