What ideas come to mind when you see this artwork, “When I Am not here/ Estoy allá, 1994” created by Afro-Cuban multidisciplinary artist, María Magdalena Campos-Pons?

Brainstorming exercise

.Write a concise reflection using the following prompts 

A. If you identify as an Afro-Latina/o/x: Write about the intersection of your Black and Latinx identities. You can incorporate all the joys and/or traumas that make up your Afro-Latinx experience by potentially including the similarities and/or differences between your Black and Latinx identities.

B. If you DO NOT identify as an Afro-Latina/o/x: Write your perceived views about the intersection and differences between Black and Latinx identities and cultures. 

Possible themes: culture, family, mental health, politics, assimilation, isolation, community, feminism, femininity, masculinity, and queerness.

.Share your response with a partner.

.Introduce your partner to the class.

Group Discussion: Debriefing on the Syllabus

What struck your attention? What interested you the most about it? What question(s) or concerns do you have? Do you recognize any of the authors and sources we will discuss? Do you usually read fiction or watch films, videos, or TV from the Caribbean? If that is the case, what was the last thing you watched or read from the region?

In-closing: Campos-Pons

How do you connect these pieces with the themes we will discuss during the semester?

“After Duchamp, 2010”

“Songs of Freedom, 2013”