UCLA

In tracing the evolution of black consciousness, class and identity in Belize, this thesis examines key episodes in the history of Afro-Belizean resistance to the colonial state. Given Belize’s unique multiracial, multiethnic character and its connection to Caribbean and Central American economic and political histories, expressions of black identity and resistance have not always been apparent. In analyzing the slave economy, labor riots and the emergence of Garveyism in Belize, I argue that these moments are also representative of black Belizean men and women’s navigation of colonial repression and persistent struggle for equality. This thesis attempts to situate black Belizeans and resistance as part of a larger response to slavery and colonialism in the Caribbean while also looking at the vital role of black women in shaping labor and political struggle.