Finding La Negrita, a historical fiction novel set in 1634 colonial Cartago, Costa Rica, is a retelling of the Black Madonna narrative, which has driven Costa Rica’s national and spiritual identity since the 1700s. It traces an African family’s story across time and space, from Africa to colonial Costa Rica, as they grapple with love, legacy, secrets, and the lines between freedom and enslavement. Presented by the Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice at Brown University.

Speaker bio:

Dr. Natasha Gordon-Chipembere has been a professor of African Diasporic literature for over 20 years. She has taught in classrooms from South Africa to New York to Costa Rica. Her academic scholarship focuses on slavery and her first book project, Representation and Blackwomanhood: The Legacy of Sarah Baartman is now required reading for all first-year college students in South Africa. Gordon-Chipembere’s writing has also been published in Essence Magazine along with a monthly series, Musings from An Afro-Costa Rican in the Tico Times.

natashagordonchipembere.com