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How does a community move from being "hidden in plain sight" to becoming a recognized political force? In this pivotal episode, host José Francisco Ávila breaks down the strategic roadmap for the New York City Garifuna community as we approach the 2031 Decennial Redistricting.

We are shifting the focus from cultural celebration to political self-determination. With over 250,000 Garifuna residents in New York City—and a 100,000-strong concentration in the Bronx—our community has the density and the drive to demand a seat at the table.

In this episode, we explore:

• Defining a "Community of Interest": What it is, why it matters for electoral maps, and how it keeps our neighborhoods together.
• The Census Challenge: Navigating the complexities of Afro-Indigenous and Afro-Latinx identity to ensure we aren't fragmented across rigid data categories.
• The Bronx Stronghold: Identifying the specific geographic boundaries—from Tremont Avenue to 135th Street—that define our political heartland.
• The 2032 Vision: Marking the centennial of Garifuna settlement in NYC by achieving a historic benchmark: direct political representation.
• Civic Innovation: We aren't just drawing maps; we’ve launched an AI-Powered Advocacy Toolkit to help community members draft formal testimony and letters to the Districting Commission instantly.

This is more than a podcast; it’s a call to action. Learn how defining our "Community of Interest" profile today will drive the power, prosperity, and progress of our people for the next decade.

Listen, subscribe, and join the movement.

Stay united, stay proud. Sungubei Lidan Aban

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• The Garifuna Experience in NYC | Bronx walking tour
• The Garifuna Experience in NYC 
• The Happy Land Memorial Walking Tour 
• Garifuna Heritage Walking Tour (BronxNet Video)

Books by José Francisco Ávila

• Pan-Garifuna Afro-Latino Power of Pride: My Quest for Racial, Ancestral, Ethnic and Cultural Identity
• Garífuna Ancestry: The DNA Quest to Decipher the Garifuna Distant Past