Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More Puerto Rico — An island-wide blackout hit Puerto Rico on Wednesday as the largely Catholic residents of the U.S territory prepared to celebrate the Easter weekend All 1.4 million clients on the island were without power which oversees the transmission and distribution of power “The entire island is without generation,” he said It was not immediately clear what caused the shutdown the latest in a string of major blackouts on the island in recent years said officials were “working diligently” to address the outage Dozens of people were forced to walk next to the rails of the rapid transit system that serves the capital while scores of businesses including the biggest mall in the Caribbean were forced to close Professional baseball and basketball games were cancelled as the hum of generators and smell of smoke filled the air The last island-wide blackout occurred on New Year’s Eve. Puerto Rico has struggled with chronic outages since September 2017 when Hurricane Maria pummeled the island as a powerful Category 4 storm razing a power grid that crews are still struggling to rebuild The grid already had been deteriorating as a result of decades of a lack of maintenance and investment While San Juan’s vibrant streets draw millions of visitors to Puerto Rico every year just a short drive away lies Loíza — a town that pulses with the soulful rhythms of Africa’s enduring legacy joy and pain through its intricate beats and movements “It’s a conversation with the dancers and the players,” says master drummer Tito Ayala, owner of El Batey de Los Hermanos Ayala. Bomba born from the resilience of enslaved Africans served as a powerful outlet to express complex emotions it’s more than just music; it’s a living history passed down through his family for generations he keeps the tradition alive through his children and teaching visitors wanting to learn the art of bomba firsthand I lived in Boston for 42 years,” Ayala shares recalling his time performing at Harvard University and the Berklee Performance Center it’s very important for me and my family.” where Ayala continues to teach bomba to anyone interested in learning — no set class times Some call ahead or make arrangements through a tour company while others simply find their way to El Batey de los Hermanos Ayala during opening hours hoping to hear the rhythms of bomba echoing in the air “A lot of people come to this place from around the world,” says Ayala One of the liveliest times to experience his teachings is during the Fiestas Tradicionales en Honor a Santiago Apóstol, or the Festival of Saint James bomba performances and colorful processions honoring the town’s patron saint with live drumming and dancing that invite both locals and visitors to join in And people come with the costumes for the festival,” Ayala adds The festival is also when Loíza’s iconic vejigantes come out in abundance Dressed in handmade coconut masks with horns and flamboyant costumes African and Taíno traditions dating back to the Middle Ages the vejigante evolved into a distinctly Puerto Rican figure — one seen today as a vibrant symbol of ancestry and identity Beyond bomba and the festival, Loíza offers year-round opportunities to explore its Afro-Puerto Rican legacy. One notable stop is Maria de la Cruz Cave Historical Park The cave was once used as shelter by both free and enslaved Africans the historic site includes cultural exhibits and offers classes in bomba dance and turban tying Loíza’s bomba traditions are just one piece of Puerto Rico’s deep connection to Africa. According to Dr. Mayra Santos-Febres, writer and Principal Investigator for the Academic Diversification Project in Afro-descendant and Racialization Studies at the University of Puerto Rico the island’s ties to the African diaspora run deep and wide we have a direct connection between Africa and the Caribbean and our territories because of the slave trade and also because of constant migrations between immigrants and workers from Africa that come through Puerto Rico in order to get into the United States,” Santos-Febres explains “There’s a constant flux and interconnection between Africa the Caribbean and many people from the Dominican Republic or the US Virgin Islands or Haiti or Cuba that try to migrate through Puerto Rico.” These connections are evident in the very fabric of Puerto Rican identity. Santos-Febres notes that roughly 73 percent of the island’s population identify as mixed race “There has been a lot of research connecting people to the slave trade and tracing people that came from São Tomé in Guinea also a lot of Bantu people from Ghana all that region of the Ashanti people.” This heritage is also deeply rooted in Puerto Rican cuisine where the same African legacy that echoes in the drums of Loíza can be tasted in the island’s kitchens passed down and reimagined through generations fuse African techniques with local ingredients to create signature dishes like mofongo While Loíza offers a deeply immersive experience in African-rooted music and culture, the broader celebration of Puerto Rico’s African diaspora influence can be found across the island — including at events like Culinary U an annual food festival that highlights the island’s rich culinary heritage held in October 2024 at the Wyndham Grand Río Mar Resort adaptation and cultural pride through food Vice President of Sales at Wyndham Río Mar Culinary U showcases a rich blend of flavors with local and international chefs highlighting the island’s unique culinary heritage “We love to taste food from all over the world in addition to our cuisine that anybody that comes to Culinary U will be able to taste,” García adds Executive Chef Ramon Carillo reflects on how Puerto Rico’s cuisine embodies its shared African heritage alongside Spanish and Indigenous influences We got a little bit of the African cuisine We got a little bit of the Indian cuisine and we have some of the Spanish cuisine When you travel in the whole Caribbean and you go to Jamaica you feel that connection with all different races Chef Carillo’s dishes featured ingredients like coconut milk “I understand from the bottom of my heart love is everything when you cook.” Whether it’s the heartbeat of bomba in Loíza or the bold flavors of a perfectly spiced mofongo at a resort kitchen Puerto Rico’s African heritage continues to inspire and unite the island offers visitors a vibrant glimpse into a legacy built on resilience the next time you find yourself in Puerto Rico where the rhythms of Africa tell a powerful story of endurance and celebration — a story that’s still being written today Cover Page Legal HistorySports SearchLoíza confronts coastal erosion proactivelyThe San Juan Daily StarDec 5 20243 min read3rd municipal summit scheduled for March Loíza Mayor Julia Nazario FuentesBy The Star Staff Loíza Mayor Julia Nazario Fuentes presented an update earlier this week on the coastal erosion mitigation work being done in the northeastern coastal municipality “Coastal erosion is mainly caused by climate change a significant variation in climate when comparing long periods of time which may be decades or more,” the mayor said Monday the average temperature of the 1950s compared to the average temperature of the 1990s This increase is linked to the process of industrialization to the burning of ever-increasing amounts of oil “In Loíza we have been suffering from this for several years now with greater intensity We notice it in the way in which the sea is ‘eating away’ at the coast as fishermen and residents alike point out.” who holds a doctorate degree in professional counseling said the public policy of her administration is to firmly recognize the preeminence of science I promoted the holding of the first Municipal Summit on Coastal Erosion in March 2023 with the active participation of Resident Commissioner and Governor-elect Jenniffer González who brought with her the Norwegian ambassador to the United States an expert in maritime and Arctic law,” she said “Then we held the second edition of the Coastal Erosion Summit in April 2024 because we are the fourth most affected municipality,” Nazario Fuentes said researchers and academics discussed projects underway as well as the risks and challenges posed by the erosion of our coasts.” The Third Coastal Erosion Summit is already scheduled for Wednesday The mayor added that together with state and federal entities they raised the need to accelerate concrete actions to mitigate the damage to coastal communities “Going from theory to practice was the mission given the advance of coastal erosion on the beach in front of the Los Lucas community in full coordination with the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources we had to resort to covering the most affected area with stones the encroachment of the sea that causes the loss of life and property.” “We know that this is not the first option but it is an option; it was the fastest [remedy] to save the road that gives access to the community and peace of mind to families who lived in fear of the force of the sea every time there were strong waves,” Nazario Fuentes said “The stone cladding work done in the Los Lucas sector is the third [project] that our municipality has carried out to address the problem of coastal erosion,” she added The first project was undertaken about a year ago in Parceles Suárez where the United States Army Corps of Engineers had already lined 1,050 linear feet with stones and it was necessary to continue that work to save the sanitary water system that was on the verge of collapsing The second stone cladding project was executed this year on a section of the PR-965 highway since the sinkhole was so deep that if we didn’t do something the road would be lost in the next storm surge leaving area residents without access to their homes,” Nazario Fuentes said “The Department of Transportation and Public Works came assessed the situation and provided the money for the project.” © 2025 The San Juan Daily Star - Puerto Rico The outage hit at dawn, plunging the island into an eerie silence as electrical appliances and air conditioners shut down before those who could afford generators turned them on. “It had to be on the 31st of December!” exclaimed one man, who gave only his first name, Manuel, as he stood outside a grocery store in the capital of San Juan, grumbling about the outage that coincided with his birthday. “There is no happiness.” Nearly 90% of 1.47 million clients across Puerto Rico were left in the dark, according to Luma Energy, a private company that oversees electricity transmission and distribution. Luma said in a statement that it appears the outage was caused by a failure of an underground power line, and it is restoring power “in the quickest and safest way possible.” A Luma spokesman told the Associated Press that the incident was under investigation. World & Nation The increase will affect 1.5 million households connected to the grid, which continues to crumble amid a lack of maintenance after Hurricane Maria in 2017. The blackout fanned simmering anger against Luma and Genera PR, which oversees the generation of power in Puerto Rico, as a growing number of people call for their ouster. Governor-elect Jenniffer González Colón, who is set to be sworn in on Thursday, has called for the creation of an “energy czar” to review potential Luma contractual breaches while another operator is found. “We can’t keep relying on an energy system that fails our people,” she wrote on X, adding that stabilizing Puerto Rico’s energy grid would be her top priority in office. Meanwhile, Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said he was in touch with Luma and Genera PR, adding on X that “we are demanding answers and solutions.” The outage forced businesses, parks and several malls to close, and the government announced limited schedules for some of its agencies. Workers checked on hundreds of bedridden patients. “I’ll go to my balcony. That’s where I’ll sleep,” Raúl Pacheco, who is 63 and diabetic, said with a shrug as he sat on a walker nursing an injured foot. Julio Córdova, a municipal worker, said he got dressed by the light of his cellphone and planned to buy candles. “This affects me because I had plans. It couldn’t have been yesterday or tomorrow?” he said, shaking his head as he raked leaves. Department of Energy to spend $440 million to install solar panels on Puerto Ricans’ homes to counter the island’s struggles with its electric grid. Although blackouts are rare in Puerto Rico, the island struggles with chronic power outages blamed on a crumbling power grid that was razed by Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm, in September 2017. The system, however, was already in decline after years of lack of maintenance and investment. Only recently did crews start making permanent repairs to Puerto Rico’s power grid after Hurricane Maria. The island continues to depend on generators provided by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency to help stabilize the grid. In November, Puerto Rico’s government asked U.S. officials for permission to keep using more than a dozen portable generators for two additional years. Some Puerto Ricans took the latest outage in stride. “They’re part of my everyday life,” said Enid Núñez, 49, who said she ate breakfast before work thanks to a small gas stove she bought for such events. Meanwhile, the Electric Power Authority, the largest of the island’s government agencies, struggles to restructure more than $9 billion in debt. Power plants that rely on petroleum generate more than 60% of Puerto Rico’s energy, followed by natural gas and coal. Solar rooftops account for only about 7% of electricity consumption on the island, whose poverty rate tops 40%. California Hollywood Inc. Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm warned Friday in Puerto Rico that the U.S. territory needs more power generation as it struggles to recover from a recent massive blackout. It was Granholm’s last official visit to the island as many worry what kind of resources and funding Puerto Rico’s crumbling power grid might receive under President-elect Donald Trump, who chose a fossil fuels executive as his energy secretary. Granholm noted that 232 outages have hit Puerto Rico since Hurricane Fiona pummeled the island in September 2022 because of insufficient generation. She said that only about half of installed generation capacity is online even as the U.S. Department of Energy has invested millions of dollars in solar projects across the island, generating more than 1,200 megawatts of new renewable capacity. While Granholm was considered an ally by former Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, the island’s newly sworn in governor, Jenniffer González, snubbed the federal energy secretary and was not present during Friday’s press conference. On Wednesday, González, who backs Trump, said Granholm would be visiting Puerto Rico “for her picture tour, so we are asking her, in black and white, that in addition to her photo tour, that she address the root problems. I am not going to fall for the photo game.” González also appointed a so-called energy czar to review contracts of two private power companies that oversee the generation, transmission and distribution of power on the island as she criticized the U.S. government, saying it has not yet released $18 billion slated for the island’s power grid. “The (Department of Energy) doesn’t control the funds related to the grid. That is FEMA’s prerogative,” Granholm said in a news conference Friday when asked about González’s comments. Granholm noted that $6 billion in federal funds have been obligated to help rebuild the grid after Hurricane Maria razed it in September 2017 when it struck the island as a powerful Category 4 storm. She added that FEMA has approved 200 of more than 440 projects submitted to the agency to repair and strengthen the grid. Of those approved, 125 are under construction. But despite the ongoing work to stabilize and strengthen the grid, outages remain constant. On Dec. 31, a nearly island-wide blackout hit the U.S. territory of 3.2 million people as it prepared for New Year’s Eve. As of Friday, more than 1,200 customers remained without power, some because of improvements being made to the system. Javier Rúa Jovet, public policy director for Puerto Rico’s Solar and Energy Storage Association, said in a phone interview that the U.S. Department of Energy has been a renewable energy ally under Granholm. But he worries about the future of the grid under the Trump administration. “Solar needs a grid that is in good shape,” he said. “Puerto Rico’s grid reconstruction is basically fully predicated on the flow of FEMA dollars. … If it’s not actually invested in, it’s in peril, especially when you have a new administration coming in federally that will be looking for money everywhere to fund tax cuts for the wealthy.” In November, Trump chose campaign donor and fossil fuel executive Chris Wright to serve as energy secretary. The nomination comes as Puerto Rico struggles to lessen its dependence on petroleum and embrace renewable energy on an island battered almost yearly by hurricanes and tropical storms. Power plants that depend on fossil fuels provide 93% of energy in Puerto Rico. Another 23% is fueled by natural gas, 8% by coal and only 6% by renewables. A 2019 public policy act calls for Puerto Rico to meet 40% of its electricity needs with renewable energy by 2025, 60% by 2040 and 100% by 2050. “Puerto Rico has a law,” Granholm said. “I am expecting that that law will be followed.” Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america Stay secure and make sure you have the best reading experience possible by upgrading your browser! Loíza is home to the largest Black population in Puerto Rico Kelsey Marie•Feb 11 If you’re looking for an escape this winter that’s easily accessible, has tropical weather, amazing food, and rich Black history and culture, look no further than Puerto Rico. Immerse yourself in Black Boricua culture by visiting the town of Loíza.  Located just a few minutes outside the capital city of San Juan and past the touristy area known as Isla Verde Loíza is home to the largest Black population in Puerto Rico.  I had a chance to visit this town last year and immediately felt connected to the beat of the drums that welcomed me as I joined a Bomba dance class held by instructor Sheila Osorio We gathered in a circle as Osorio taught us about the origins of the traditional dance which dates back to the transatlantic slave trade You let your intuition guide your body as it moves and communicates with the drums It’s a way for the people of Loíza to honor their African ancestors It was many enslaved people’s only form of self-expression I had never really thought of Puerto Rico as having such a huge African influence before this experience It sparked my interest to dive deeper into the history of the seaside community known as Loíza Related: Pinterest Partners With Travel Noire To Create ‘Safe Black Travel Hub’ The town of Loíza was settled in the 16th century by members of the Yoruba tribe who were brought to the island as slaves from West Africa cuisine and traditions are representative of the customs brought to the island from West Africa.  located at the northeast corner of the island The beachside community of Piñones is where you want to be to try the delicious traditional food in Loíza Here you’ll find businesses selling fritters and fried turnovers referred to locally as frituras These fried-to-perfection bites are fresh and flavorful and come in huge portions chicken and pork skewers and fruit frappes Wash it down with a beer as the gentle breeze brushes your face.  A post shared by Discover Puerto Rico (@discoverpuertorico) If you enjoy nature while traveling, discover Piñones State Forest where Piñones begins at the Loíza city limit Explore the mangrove forest that spans most of the Loíza coast by bike or foot The trail and boardwalk stretch about 8 miles and end at Vacía Talega beach.  Corporacion Piñones Se Inegra (COPI) is a non-profit organization in Piñones that provides cultural and ecotourism experiences to visitors enjoy a cultural workshop and attend a bomba dancing class on some Saturdays.  A post shared by Discover Puerto Rico (@discoverpuertorico) This archaeological site was discovered in 1948 and houses remains of the first inhabitants of Puerto Rico that date back to 4000 BC There are also many Taíno artifacts in this cave which measures 98 feet in height there have been facilities around the clave Guided tours of the cave are available.  Renowned Puerto Rican artist Samuel Lind lives and works in Loíza The artist opens up his home and studio to the public where you can purchase prints learn more about his practice and view decades worth of work by the renowned artist Linda work sheds light on his perspective of the life rich culture and heritage of the Afro-Puerto Rican people on the island.  A post shared by Kelsey-Marie | Style + Art (@kelseydashmarie) Lind’s work has been exhibited at museums and galleries in cities such as Chicago Visit Loíza in July for the Festival of Saint James aka Fiestas Tradicionales en Honor a Santiago Apóstol women in colorful skirts and men in their traditional garments head to the town squares Attendees dance and sing to the sounds of bomba and plena music.  A post shared by Discover Puerto Rico (@discoverpuertorico) Related: I’m A Black Man Who Left Mainland U.S. For A Life In Puerto Rico, And I Don’t Regret It a free daily newsletter that features the best of travel and guides to the cities you love from a new point of view — yours you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy Queen Elizabeth Once Stepped In To Prevent Snoop Dogg From Being Banned From The UK United Airlines Flight Attendant's Armrest Announcement Sparks Social Media Frenzy ‘Basketball Wives’ Star Mehgan James Speaks Out About Popular Bahamas Island With Flesh-Eating Bacteria After Friend Loses Leg Chaos Erupts After Ethiopian Airlines Passenger Forced To Give Up Seat For Minister Check out these filming sites that have added to this harrowing story of creative survival in two popular cities Paramount+'s 'MobLand' has rapidly garnered a wide audience thanks to its fascinating characters and gorgeous scenic backdrops A 27-year-old Chinese student living in Japan was rescued twice from Mount Fuji within days – the second time after reascending for his phone The Haifeng is Taiwan’s first luxury dessert-themed train It redefines the afternoon tea experience with some Michelin-starred desserts is taking a step towards opening its doors to international travelers This past February, we checked in with the Loíza Alliance for Peace, one of our  MBK National Impact Community partners for a virtual site visit about their effort to keep violence in Loíza at all-time lows The Alliance for Peace was born out of the idea of supporting youth in Loíza—a town of roughly 30,000 mostly Afro-descendant people—in the process of strengthening their quality of life and taking racial equity into account as part of the context for reducing local violence and conflict mediation among Loíza’s youth Though most in-person meetings and activities are halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic Loíza Alliance for Peace staff and organizations have pivoted to serve young people through remote outreach As violence began to spike in the second half of 2020 the Alliance leveraged their grant from our $1 million investment fund—created in the wake of the COVID-19 and ongoing racial injustice—to onboard more outreach workers and violence interrupters The Alliance also activated a network of local businesses and community organizations to further fill the gaps of lost work opportunities for young people in light of the economic downturn from delivering food boxes and personal protective equipment in the community to educational campaigns to encourage COVID-19 prevention measures to providing electronic devices and Internet access to all staff members and participants the Alliance stepped up to ensure its critical work continued this coalition has helped maintain violence levels in Loíza that are at all-time record lows According to Taller Salud’s most recent data deaths in Loíza were reduced nine last year compared to 42 in the previous year When the organizations in the Alliance began exploring potential models to address youth violence in Loíza years ago murder rates in Loíza were five times higher than the rest of Puerto Rico consistently landing among the top 10 for the island according to Impact Community Leader Alana Feldman Soler driven by the dedicated efforts of the Alliance “ We will continue to work until we reduce the number of deaths to zero in the town of Loíza.” Hear for yourself how the Alliance harnesses the resources and expertise of these organizations that have the community’s trust and the unique ability to engage youth to become change agents all while navigating the challenges of being a town with limited political power in the oldest colony in the world Join us for this special glimpse of our virtual tour We need your help to turn hope into action—to inspire The Obama Foundation Shop (Opens in a new tab) SearchLoíza mayor demands emergency declaration for seafront community subject to erosionThe San Juan Daily StarJan 142 min readA tidal event this past weekend generated waves reaching heights of up to 13 feet on the island’s northern coast resulting in the closure and loss of roads in Loíza Loíza Mayor Julio Nazario is demanding that the new central government administration declare the Parcelas Suárez community an emergency zone as 12 families are in imminent danger due to severe coastal erosion in the area a tidal event generated waves reaching heights of up to 13 feet on the island’s northeastern coast resulting in the closure and loss of roads Nazario on Monday stressed that while part of the community benefits from a rock barrier built with the assistance of the U.S there are still unprotected sections where two houses are critically at risk “The area that is not protected …” the mayor said [Grid operator] LUMA [Energy] had to remove an electricity pole on Saturday around two in the afternoon Engineer Josué Colón [the island’s energy czar] assessed the situation and approved the removal of that pole no one is considering the urgent need to protect the remaining houses -- that’s my main focus.” Nazario also criticized the lack of response to her urgent plea for assistance this past weekend the designated secretary of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) “I can state unequivocally that while Josué Colón came by and the new DNER secretary called to say he would send [agency personnel] so someone else should come.’ I need to document this If the government does not declare this an emergency zone I am left without funds to take any action as mentioned on social media and as confirmed by the Loíza mayor Nazario also recounted a harrowing experience from the weekend when she was swept away by a wave while trying to guide a family to safety “There were about ten feet between us and the danger I mistakenly thought the sea was far away,” the mayor recounted during a radio interview but it’s far from us.’ As soon as I said that the wave surged and engulfed us up to our necks there was a tree nearby; one person grabbed it while another pulled me to safety we managed to escape the area before another wave came crashing in behind us.” September 2022 will mark five years since the destruction and misery caused by Hurricane María in Puerto Rico, and the National Weather Service is forecasting a very active and dangerous hurricane season for 2022 To understand lessons in resilience learned from the hurricane and the response from community-based organizations, I talked at length with Tania Rosario Méndez, Executive Director of Taller Salud Taller Salud’s mission is to improve women’s access to health and support Loíza’s economic development through activism and education Like many other women-led and community-based organizations in Puerto Rico Taller Salud has taken up the recovery and resilience development in their communities to face the acute climatic and social crisis that Puerto Rico is facing after the devastation caused by Hurricane María in 2017 Taller Salud works from a feminist perspective that prioritizes the autonomy and self-determination of women Here I provide an edited transcript of our conversation based on a few questions I asked Tania Please describe for us the community you serve Taller Salud is based in the town of Loíza It is located some 16 miles east of San Juan and to the south are mangrove wetlands and the Río Grande de Loíza channel Loíza is joined to part of the San Juan Bay estuary It’s like an islet connected by bridges to the island of Puerto Rico both freed and escaped slaves (cimarrones) settled in Loíza because they could easily remain hidden in the complex mangrove environment and these geographic conditions had political implications Loíza is not the only example of communities formed by freed or escaped slaves but in Loíza the community includes the whole town and not just sectors or wards (barrios) as in other towns in Puerto Rico So Loíza became an Afro-Puerto Rican enclave where its geographic isolation fostered the development of a unique culture whose strengths are anchored to that culture The sense of Afro-Puerto Rican identity and its tools make Loíza a unique community in Puerto Rico But that isolation also resulted in a lag in socio-economic development It’s as if the rest of Puerto Rico has never forgiven Loíza for daring to exist Disinvestment is abundant and this has had consequences: Loíza is one of the Puerto Rican towns with the highest rates of violence rates of people who don’t finish high school Loíza is an afro-Caribbean community with a unique history and cultural tapestry as well as a beautiful and rich coastal and riverine environment that has long been sought after by many interests Can you tell us a bit about how such interests have affected the quality of life and environment of the people of Loíza Loíza’s coastline has not been the target of much development (there are no hotels we could see from afar the fangs of disaster capitalists The [federal] long-term recovery plan rests on the notion that people will leave and not come back in the creation of factors that artificially lower property values (this is one effect of flood maps) in order to promote massive land transfer that afterwards allow for flood risk mitigation and real estate development of those lands This was seen very clearly after the hurricane environmental racism can be seen as something that is very concrete Literal redlining of flood-prone areas that are disinvested so they become worthless all that worsened by the fact that federal [disaster recovery] programs provide funds only for relocation But increases in housing costs do not allow people to relocate I often hear the question “Why don’t they leave if it’s not safe [to live in flood-prone areas]?” And I think to myself how narrow-minded can someone be to say something like that?” Well they don’t leave because their mother-in-law lives right above them and any one of these could look after the kids If you work three hospital shifts as a nurse They have built their support network—the one that the government does not provide—and they have built it themselves how does Taller Salud evaluate your own community work to face the disaster and its consequences the first reflection that the Taller Salud staff engaged in was that But during those moments [in the immediate aftermath] we did not see ourselves as such because we did not lose our homes or our jobs And we set out to fulfill two tasks: first to avoid deaths among a community that had been abandoned In these tasks we did the most feminist thing we could do given the circumstances and we never considered doing work that was not feminist Our lenses to comprehend everything and our moral compass for decision-making were defense of the autonomy and self-determination of women And this reflection on the work we did after María has served to reaffirm a position completely rooted in environmental justice that we did not have before the hurricane we had not considered an issue that Taller Salud had to engage in the problem of access to safe housing was seen by us as necessary only to support the healing process of victims of domestic violence and not as a basic asset whose absence endangers the lives of all Puerto Rican women The hurricane catapulted us quickly towards issues that we were already on track to tackle we assumed that help from the federal and Puerto Rican government would promptly arrive so the waters did not recede and many homes in Loíza were submerged by the waters We organized brigades for collecting and distributing food while we waited for rescues that never came The community took that upon themselves and rescued survivors and bed-ridden people in dinghies we were very disconcerted by the circumstances and we did not understand that all of this happened in a context in which the response capacity of the government had been depleted and dismantled purposefully was the creation of a Department of Public Safety six months before María which functioned as a bureaucratic umbrella [under which the disaster response of Puerto Rican government agencies was centralized] with little clarity and lots of internal disagreement about who had authority to make decisions Describe for us the work of Taller Salud right after Hurricane María and we visited shelters in order to identify special needs Taller Salud’s logistical plan was finalized before the hurricane to hold in-person meetings and make decisions barely two days after María Three days after the hurricane we were driving a truck full of supplies to Loíza We created a check-in system with community leaders to receive their input about all the decisions that Taller Salud made we prioritized Taller Salud’s collaborators We visited them at their homes or shelters and surveyed their needs so we would have information to guide distribution of material aid to them I fundraised among our supporters to secure four months’ worth of their wages Once we were able to meet with our [all female] community leaders With low formal education and no epidemiological training they had conducted surveys with categorical data useful to prioritize saving lives They knew the locations of diabetic individuals where and how many bed-ridden persons were on their own and with family members They multiplied the efficiency of the distributed aid because they knew where the needs were One of the things that stands out in Taller Salud’s work is the defense of the autonomy and self-determination of women and of equity as a principle We elevated the existing local knowledge and leadership and we were very careful not to impose modern or orthodox ways of doing things we didn’t say to them “You need to do that in Excel” and prioritized the protection of lives above the protection of material things (that is the logic of capitalism) Our practices are tied to feminist principles To give you a clearer idea of how we applied community feminism I’ll tell you that in an assembly we held in December of 2017 our community leaders submitted a proposal to form groups of promotoras de salud comunitaria (female community health advocates) to identify both the social determinants of health and risk factors They wanted to bring theoretical frameworks and tools from public health to strengthen the practices they had already developed with the goal of creating programs to promote community health based on this knowledge Before 2017 ended we had trained them and in February 2018 we launched a funded program And this way of working in community starkly contrasts with the model of response to disasters and other needs that emerges from government The governmental model lacks a gender perspective The first persons to fill out the FEMA application for aid are the ones who can communicate in English who are proficient with a computer or on the internet The obstacles [to access services] are immense and are designed so that people get frustrated and give up What are the main obstacles to increasing the quality of social environmental wellbeing and to face climate impacts in Loíza This is very worrying because that debt is going to be paid by present and future generations and the working classes The mere notion that there is a board from Congress that has more power than the elected government is a very big obstacle I also see that another great obstacle is the unconscious bias present in racism in Puerto Rico In Puerto Rico there is not an easily-identifiable racism that has been codified by law and accepted But there is a racism that is part of the unconscious biases through which people are denied services and opportunities And there are three particularly troubling manifestations of this unconscious bias visible through poverty in the most climatically and geographically vulnerable areas where garbage and discharges of toxic pollutants are common there is a racially-biased gender-based violence whereby Black women are the most exposed to such violence there is the racism produced by the school-to-prison pipeline in Puerto Rico which creates the conditions for Black and Afro-descendant youth to not finish their secondary education There are no data collected to quantify this racism but it is evident when visiting a penal institution or a school Unconscious bias is a major obstacle because it prevents political mobilization towards the eradication of racism in Puerto Rico There is political mobilization for defending the rights of incarcerated people and abused children for just trials and to uphold the prohibition of the death penalty But the bias is unconscious and political mobilization is issue-based; the racialized bond that binds all these issues is not seen it does not produce a claim for the eradication of racism Another obstacle is that there is a lot of citizen demobilization; mass mobilization only occurs when dangers are imminent–for example or a gas pipeline is already under construction I see many challenges to develop community political consciousness and organizing in Loíza there is a great deal of exposure to violence at an early age This has cognitive and developmental consequences For example, the Informe sobre Desarrollo Humano en Puerto Rico (Report on Human Development in Puerto Rico) finds that there is an increase in toxic cortisol levels among children chronically exposed to stressors such as violence our experience in the community tells us that violence is normalized from an early age and that this contributes to the inability to understand how it relates to the multiple forms of violence experienced by the people of Loíza Imagine that the community of Loíza could implement its vision of a resilient future to address the challenges it faces What do you think that future would be like Despite the sadness and bewilderment caused by the hurricane during the first year after it we went through a process of building community relief and recovery networks creating community disaster recovery plans—not only for individuals or families because it impacted people’s lives and built power but they cannot make disappear what has already been built this is anchored to the fact that the people who assume leadership roles somehow have some historical awareness of what they are trying to heal I have seen it in Loíza: the formation of networks of leaders learning about specific environmental risks that allow them to differentiate the risks of erosion from the risks of flooding It is knowledge acquired in the process of planning the reconstruction of their communities I’ve also seen it in the context of articulating economic development that serves the needs of the community There have been small-scale projects where we have seen success If we maintain the same feminist criteria that we applied to protect the community during the critical situation of the disaster these same criteria must be used to plan the true economic recovery Tania Rosario Méndez is the Executive Director of Taller Salud She has a Master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Puerto Rico and an associate’s degree in geographic information systems and finds solutions to the unequal human health and livelihood impacts of environmental hazards particularly those exacerbated by climate change For text alerts, text "SCIENCE" to 67369 or sign up online Receive urgent alerts about opportunities to defend science. Recurring messages. Reply STOP to cancel. Msg & data rates may apply. Terms, Conditions, and Privacy Policy We use cookies to improve your experience. By continuing, you accept our use of cookies. Learn more. By Wednesday afternoon, power was back up for 98% of Puerto Rico’s 1.47 million utility customers, said Luma Energy, the private company overseeing transmission and distribution of power in the archipelago. Lights returned to households as well as to Puerto Rico’s hospitals, water plants and sewage facilities after the massive outage that exposed the persistent electricity problems plaguing the island. Still, the company warned that customers could still see temporary outages in the coming days. It said full restoration across the island could take up to two days. “Given the fragile nature of the grid, we will need to manage available generation to customer demand, which will likely require rotating temporary outages,” Juan Saca, president of Luma Energy, said in a statement. The lights went off in Puerto Rico at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, darkening almost the entire archipelago as people prepared to ring in the New Year. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the outage, but Luma Energy said a preliminary review pointed to a failure in an underground electric line in the south of the territory. Governor-elect Jenniffer González Colón, who is set to take office on Thursday, warned that customers might experience interruptions in the coming days, with power plants not yet operating at maximum capacity. “These days, I urge you to be moderate with your energy consumption to help reduce load shifting, so that more people can have access to electricity and the system can start up without any major setbacks,” González Colón said on social media platform X. On the campaign trail, González Colón had promised to appoint an “energy czar” to oversee the operation of the power grid, which has long been fragile and faulty due to years of neglect. The island’s power grid was ravaged in September 2017 by Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm. Unreliable electricity remains frustratingly common, hindering daily life for Puerto Ricans. In June, over 340,000 customers were left without electricity as people reeled from soaring temperatures. At the peak of Hurricane Ernesto in August, over half of all utility customers lost power. Tens of thousands of people remained without electricity a week after the storm. The New Year’s Eve outage came as clients brace for a hike in electricity rates. Last month, Puerto Rico’s Energy Bureau approved an increase of 2.2 cents per kilowatt hour for residential customers from January through March, causing electric bills for the average household to jump by nearly $20, the Energy Bureau says. Search3rd Coastal Erosion Summit set for Thursday in CarolinaThe San Juan Daily StarMar 262 min readLoíza Mayor Julia Nazario FuentesBy The Star Staff Loíza Mayor Julia Nazario Fuentes announced Tuesday that preparations are complete for the Third Coastal Erosion Summit a significant event aimed at educating the public and raising awareness about the effects of global warming and community resilience The summit will take place this Thursday from 9 a.m we initiated our first effort with a group of local and international experts to analyze the impact of coastal erosion on Puerto Rico especially following several natural disasters in recent years,” the mayor said “We took this initiative because we in Loíza have witnessed the significant loss of our beach and how the ocean continues to encroach on our coastal communities Among the speakers at the event will be Prof a climatologist and professor at the University of Puerto Rico at Carolina a former secretary of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources an assistant professor at the University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla whose work focuses on the conservation and ecological restoration of coastal ecosystems He has done particularly effective work in Loíza,” the mayor added The aforementioned will also be joined by Juan Picorelli planner and master’s student in archaeology Nazario expressed particular pleasure at the attendance of Sen Marissa “Marissita” Jiménez Santoni from the Carolina district who chairs the island Legislative Assembly’s Joint Commission on Climate Change Mitigation “We have been collaborating since the last legislative term and I am familiar with her work,” the mayor said “She understands how coastal erosion has adversely affected us in Loíza.” NNPA – Samuel Lind’s two-story wooden home functions as an art gallery and studio visitors can view his overwhelming collection of work which ranges from colorful cartoonish posters for local festivals to serious life-sized clay and bronze statues depicting African people and deities Themes of nature and African heritage fill the walls of the studio—and so does the Puerto Rican flag Several of the island’s flags hang visibly and proudly among Lind’s hundreds of paintings because most of Lind’s work is inspired by his hometown Loíza is Puerto Rico’s center for African-inspired traditions and it retains one of the largest Black populations on the island; more than 60 percent of its 30,000 residents identify as Black “This town is very dynamic in its expressions of its Black roots,” Lind said African heritage can be seen all around the town—the music art and food are all deeply rooted in African tradition Known as the “Capital of Traditions,” Loíza is the birthplace of Black Puerto Rican music and is where the dance Plena was born Bomba music and other African-Taino infused food and traditions are commonplace here Loíza artisans produce the colorful coconut masks displayed at festivals and make the unique Bomba drums Loíza is the home of the Saint James Festival which is celebrated in July and depicts the battle Saint James over the Moors The festival is known for the participation of vejigantes made of papier-mâché or coconut masks and vibrantly colored dresses Lind said his art is the instrument that best describes his identity and he purposely depicts African heritage to get display its influence on the island’s culture A giant 16-foot bronze statue designed by Lind rests in the African section of the Botanical Garden in Caguas and symbolizes African roots in the island’s culture and identity he said beyond being Black the people of Loíza are also Puerto Rican and people here are very clear that they are African descendants,” Lind said Many residents in the town express pride in their African origins as well as their Puerto Rican roots “Afro-Puerto Ricans have to look at themselves through the context of being Puerto Rican because we are not straight up African,” said Maricruz Rivera Clemente Clemente founded the organization in 1999 to bring awareness to social issues affecting the island’s Black communities “[Most] people understand that some aspects of our heritage are Black Rivera Clemente continued: “We are working to educate people about ‘our blackness,’ but not just that we are African but also about,” our Puerto Rican heritage offers educational activities centered on community development and economic development has performed on stages around the world including New York [Taino] Indian and African,” said Raul Ayala son of master artisan and founder of the Hermanos Ayala folkloric ballet Raul Ayala runs the family’s famous yellow souvenir shops the colorful coconut mask worn in festivals; His father opened the shop in 1959 This separation helped the town maintain its cultural roots Loíza gets its name from a Taino female chief who chose the name “Luisa” after being baptized by the Spaniards It began as a place to harbor escaped slaves from Puerto Rico and all over the Caribbean Loíza is one of the most impoverished parts of Puerto Rico Only 20 minutes east of the capital San Juan Loíza is often overlooked as a tourist destination even though resorts lie 5-10 minutes east of the river in Rio Grande because of its large Black population and bureaucratic racism Loíza has been left out of the island’s development compared to neighboring towns on the island Nearly 50 percent of the residents in Loíza live under the poverty line and the town’s unemployment rate is almost triple the national average “What makes Loíza any different from any other Black ghetto?” Clemente asked “Africans all over the world must reach out to each other to change this.” Clemente said that she often feels alienated for her bold views on race She hopes to create a Pan-African library in the town Some residents report negative stereotypes about Loíza often referred to as “that Black town,” because of its high crime rate while others contend that race relations on the island are improving but we are conscious of race; some people are racists Tatyana Hopkins is a staff writer for the Washington Informer who recently traveled to Puerto Rico to report on the hurricane recovery efforts for the NNPA Newswire and BlackPressUSA.com Puerto Rico — Situated in the northeast region of Puerto Rico Affectionately labeled the “Capital of Tradition,” this coastal town is widely known for mouth-watering seafood and its spectacular annual week-long festival honoring Saint James And while many tourists venture outside of Old San Juan to experience the abundantly colorful sights and sounds this pueblo offers they’ve only recently begun to see what loiceños have understood for generations: Loíza’s undisputed role as the mecca of Afro-Puerto Rican culture that we find two of the town’s most celebrated icons: bomba dancer Raquel Ayala and renowned painter and sculptor Samuel Lind Raquel Ayala has always had a passion for dance As a young child listening to Cheo Feliciano and Ismael “Maelo” Rivera Ayala —who says salsa was her first love— knew music to be an intrinsic part of her being she flowed freely to those radio tunes her parents played in their humble home one of Puerto Rico’s traditional folk genres where call-and-response forms the backdrop of an impassioned conversation between subidor (main drummer) and bailador (dancer) began forming what would become the family’s musical legacy the Ballet Folclórico Los Hermanos Ayala de Loíza (Ayala Folkloric Ballet of Loíza) the group consisted of my sister Celia and my brothers Marcos and Rubén Father said I couldn’t be a part of the group until I was older,” Ayala recalled when my older siblings married and after Celia had already moved to Boston Don Castor officially founded the dance company as a cultural non-profit organization Raquel continued fine-tuning her craft as the group’s principal female dancer In time the group would be offered numerous opportunities to bring bomba to other shores and throughout the East Coast of the United States the Ayalas showcased Puerto Rico’s vibrantly rich heritage Their performing in festivals and participating in television and travel channel documentaries allowed bomba to reach a much wider audience And while Raquel Ayala’s legacy as matriarch remains unquestioned Though she is retired from traveling with the dance troupe her father created Reflecting on what she sees in children learning to dance she said: “The children who come here are very excited to learn the music and the dance I remind them that each of us has our own style and unique flavor she added: “Bomba is about hand movements When they start doing ‘shake-y shake-y’ with their shoulders When not overseeing one of the group’s practice sessions she can be found on her porch playing dominoes with younger sister Linda she’s sometimes seen entertaining tourists with her magnetic personality and infectious laughter Raquel is quick to offer a tip to anyone eager to learn a few bomba moves Painter and sculptor Samuel Lind (Courtesy of Edmee Cappas) it’s about allowing these youngsters (many of them teens) to see possibilities rather than obstacles Calling to mind other creatives from Loíza —such as film producer Roxana Quiñonez Villalobos mixed media artist Celso González Quiñones and painter Daniel Lind Ramosm to name a few— Lind recognizes the relatability factor who look like them and come from the same pueblo   they begin to see that doors do open,” he explained “They begin to foster pride in their identity and in our culture.” Lola Rosario is a spoken word poet and cultural storyteller based in Loíza, Puerto Rico. Twitter: @lola_declama […] Solely two weeks earlier than Fiona Lola Rosario Aponte wrote a feature on Loíza for Latino Rebels Lola Rosario Aponte wrote a feature on Loíza for Latino Rebels Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Youtube{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"Article","headline":"In East Harlem the feast day of a Catholic saint became a beacon of Afro-Puerto Rican pride."}Molly Crabapple: Fiesta de LoizaIn East Harlem the feast day of a Catholic saint became a beacon of Afro-Puerto Rican pride.expositionMolly Crabapple Courtesy of the artist.BY Molly CrabappleMolly Crabapple is an artist and writer based in New York She is the author of Drawing Blood and Brothers of the Gun (with Marwan Hisham) and has been published in The New York Times It's an ironic fact that the patron saint of Loiza Matamoros's origin story dates from the year 859 and a battle that supposedly took place between Christian and Muslim armies in Clavijo James the Moor Killer from becoming a veritable symbol of Spain by the time the Reconquista rolled around who was often portrayed as a knight on horseback riding over the severed heads of turbaned Muslims When Spain's colonization of South America began Matamoros took on a new guise: he became a conquistador named Mataindios they've staged festivals of Knights and Moors that are half raucous carnival half ahistorial reenactment of battles between noble Christendom and devilish Al-Andalus a cradle of Afro-Boricua culture outside San Juan these Knights and Moors started to look different The Yoruba artists who made costumes for the festivities that took place on Matamoros's saint day had a different understanding of the Reconquista hilariously foppish satires of their white hacendado oppressors The “moors” became vejigantes: exuberant tricksters in bright African masks the vejigante became the symbol of Puerto Rico iconic enough to merit his own Marvel miniseries and so ubiquitous that my father hung a small vejigante mask by his office’s doorway at the university where he worked America’s government encouraged the mass migration of Puerto Ricans like my father’s father to New York City they took low wage factory jobs and settled Many who came were Loiza's sons and daughters and they brought their celebrations with them James the Moor Killer—was paraded through East Harlem for La Fiesta de Loiza the statue was so festooned with ribbons that Santiago's horse was nearly hidden You couldn't make out the severed heads beneath the hooves They danced through the streets of El Barrio as its heroes A saint born in the revanchist bloodlust of the Reconquista defined in the genocidal conquest of the New World appeared in front of a Lebanese restaurant It transforms the meaning without altering a word El Barrio hosted its last Fiesta de Loiza in 2018––a victim of dwindling funds the festival has since been replaced by a less religiously inflected event I’m grateful to have drawn these sketches the year before the Fiesta which is still going strong in Puerto Rico When I asked parade goers what the celebration meant to them Tarps cover damaged homes in Loiza on Puerto Rico’s northeastern coast on Jan 23 Puerto Rico’s Recovery is Slow and Painful Text by Justin Worland | Photos by Ricardo Arduengo for TIME The trip into town used to be a quick affair: a hop over a bridge and 15 minutes on the road was all it took for residents of the village of San Lorenzo to reach the more populated town of Morovis to buy groceries or visit a doctor Hurricane Maria changed that when the Category-4 hurricane slammed into the island in September Not only did the storm—with winds topping 155 miles per hour—destroy thousands of local homes it also caused the bridge into town to buckle All that’s left these days is a couple of battered pillars Now getting to Morovis requires a perilous trek across the river by an all-wheel-drive vehicle if you’re lucky or by wading through deep water The shortest and safest detour through the nearby hills can take three hours they risk their lives or cars to make it to appoint­ments a San Juan-based photographer who was born and raised in Puerto Rico “The bridge was the only way to get where people need to go.” Utility workers replace a power pole in Loiza More than 5,500 workers are employed restoring power The coastal city of Loiza was hard hit by Hurricane Maria with a long-lasting power outage and water and food shortages Arduengo used a drone to capture the wreckage that has become a part of daily life in San Lorenzo and similar communities across the island homes draped in blue tarp to replace broken roofs in Loiza and a damaged sports complex in Vega Baja offer glimpses of the slow trod taking place to get Puerto Rico back on its feet And even in places where roads are operational traffic lights with faulty electricity still trigger frequent traffic jams it gives you a totally different perspective,” says Arduengo who crisscrossed the island taking photo­graphs before and after the storm Traffic lights without electricity snarl cars in a traffic jam in Humacao Residents face daily disruptions even in places where infrastructure remains intact Solar panels left shredded by Hurricane Maria at a utility-scale solar power plant in Humacao And even then Puerto Rico will face deep challenges “We need a strong resilient infrastructure Palm trees left flattened in the southeastern town of Yabucoa where Hurricane Maria first made landfall in Puerto Rico on Sept Vehicles cross a waterway where a bridge once stood connecting the village of San Lorenzo to the more populated town of Morovis where residents could buy groceries and visit a doctor Restoring consistent access to electricity across the island represents the most urgent challenge with more than 5,500 workers dedicated to bringing back power And yet 28% of customers still lack electricity Those with access to electricity have only that with the power flickering on and off without warning Governor Ricardo Rosselló plans to privatize the government-owned and deeply indebted utility company Damaged wind turbines remain standing in the southeastern town of Naguabo remains inoperative after a mudslide triggered by Hurricane Maria The road is a primary thoroughfare in central Puerto Rico A damaged pool is left in disrepair at a sports facility in Vega Baja President Don­ald Trump signed a sweeping budget deal on Feb 9 that includes $2 billion to fix the electric grid and aditional funding for other infrastructure improvements But even when the power is back and bridges are rebuilt the scars on the worst-impacted areas will still be visible “But it’s going to take longer than expected.” Beachfront houses in the northern coastal town of Vega Baja remain unlivable as a result of water damage from Hurricane Maria Justin Worland IS a writer at time. follow him on twitter @JustinWorland. Thousands gathered to celebrate Afro-Latino culture in the city during the latest edition of the “Fiestas Tradicionales en Honor a Santiago Apóstol,” known as the Loíza Festival named after the city in Puerto Rico that inspired the festival a half-century before Loíza is home to the largest community of African descendants in Puerto Rico and the three-day cultural event brings Afro-Latino and African diaspora practices to El Barrio Among those who performed were Los Pleneros de la 21 Johnny “Dandy” Rodríguez (Tito Puente’s Orchestra) and foods rooted in Afro-Puerto Rican fare transported festivalgoers to the city of Loíza Among this year’s highlights was the co-naming of the street and unveiling of the street sign in honor of Aida Pérez The naming took place at 105th Street and Lexington Avenue guests honored African ancestors with the traditional Processional of the Saints a hallmark of the festivities in Puerto Rico serves as a bridge for Afro-descendants in the Caribbean and in the United States have partnered since 2012 with the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) and Taino Towers The groups seek to celebrate local artists while maintaining a global sensitivity which includes inviting artists from another country with Afro-Latino roots This year’s invited performers were Melvis Santa y Ellas Son from Cuba For more on the celebration, please visit Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) at cccadi.org or call 212.307.7420 Miles de personas se reunieron para celebrar la cultura afro-latina en la ciudad durante la última edición de las Fiestas Tradicionales en honor a Santiago Apóstol por la ciudad de Puerto Rico que inspiró el festival medio siglo atrás Loíza es el hogar de la comunidad más grande de afrodescendientes en Puerto Rico y el evento cultural de tres días trae prácticas afro-latinas y diásporas africanas a El Barrio Entre los que se presentaron estuvieron: Los Pleneros de la 21 Johnny “Dandy” Rodríguez (Orquesta de Tito Puente) artesanías y comidas arraigadas en la comida afro-puertorriqueña transportaron a los asistentes al festival a la ciudad de Loíza fundada por “cimarrones” o esclavos fugitivos Entre los puntos destacados de este año estuvieron la co-denominación de la calle y la revelación de la placa de la calle en honor a Aida Pérez una de las fundadoras del Festival de Loíza El nombramiento tuvo lugar en la Calle 105 y la Avenida Lexington los invitados honraron a los antepasados africanos con la tradicional procesión de los santos un sello distintivo de las festividades en Puerto Rico sirve de puente para los afrodescendientes en el Caribe y en los Estados Unidos se han asociado desde 2012 con el Centro Cultural del Caribe del Instituto de la Diáspora Africana (CCCADI por sus siglas en inglés) y Taino Towers para fortalecer y hacer crecer el festival Los grupos buscan celebrar a artistas locales manteniendo una sensibilidad global que incluye invitar a artistas de otro país con raíces afro-latinas Los artistas invitados este año fueron Melvis Santa y Ellas Son from Cuba Para más información sobre la celebración, por favor visite el Centro Cultural del Caribe Instituto de la Diáspora Africana (CCCADI, por sus siglas en inglés) en cccadi.org o llamando al 212.307.7420     FALL RIVER — While sheltered at Nichols College in Dudley during the winter months Josh Boria received an unexpected phone call The 2023 Durfee graduate took the call from his native homeland in Puerto Rico from his old coach, who relayed to him that he was eligible to get drafted for pro baseball. Boria jetted to Puerto Rico and began practicing with a team. On the day of the draft, the former Hilltopper pitcher was selected in the first round at number 8 by the coach and owner of the Cocoteros de Loiza team. "In that moment my emotion, hard work and dedication came together," said Boria via phone call from Puerto Rico. "A dream come true since I was 5 years old." Béisbol Doble A — Double-A Baseball — is governed by the Federación de Béisbol Aficionado de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico Amateur Baseball Federation). This Puerto Rican amateur baseball spring and summer baseball league was founded in 1940 and is based in San Juan. Over the years, Puerto Rico produced five Major League Baseball Hall of Famers — Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Alomar, Ivan Rodriguez and Edgar Martinez. "Still feels unreal that I’m playing the sport that I grew up playing at the next level," Boria said. "Not many players had this chance to be in this position, going from high to college freshman year and get signed after three months. It’s unreal." Boria was a two-time Herald News All-Scholastic for baseball and Southeast Conference all-star. He had a batting average of nearly .400 in two seasons. Boria collected 43 hits, scored 34 runs, drove in 29 RBIs and hit five doubles and a home run his senior year. He helped lead Durfee to a Division 1 Sweet 16 and Round of 32. Boria, 19, said he's indebted to B.M.C. Durfee for his growth in baseball. "I want to thank Coach (Mike) Martin, Coach (Devin) Sanders and all the Durfee coaching staff that really help me to see my future at the next level as well as teach me how to be the man I've become today inside and outside the baseball field," he said. "I know I was hard to coach and I always thought I was right. But a year later, I’m playing at the next. I thank them for that." Boria said his routine each day includes rising out of bed at 5 a.m. to be ready at 6:30 a.m. to be at the clubhouse for breakfast, gym workouts, outfield reps and workout drills. Then there's an hour nap before game time at 7:30 or 8 p.m. "Being a pro baseball player, a lot of people don’t see the sacrifice that we do outside of the daily game days," Boria said. Boria started in his second game in centerfield where he got his first pro hit and RBI. He also plays left and right field. "My mom (Zeilyn Carrasquillo) and dad (Joel Boria) push me through everything and I’m grateful for them that," Boria said. "They (never) said no to bring me to the baseball field. Since 3 year olds, I got something I wanted for baseball."  Boria said he's looking into taking classes online at Nicols but the time this spring is hard because of the lack of free time. Now Boria, is looking to play for an independent league and has some rights to play for the ABL Australia ligue. He's looking for a spot in Canada too. Boria said he'll continue to work hard each and everyday for fulfill his dream "Just looking for the best offer and looking for a agent that help me fine something to make it to a MLB team," Boria said.  Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette sports editor Steven Sanchez can be reached at ssanchez@heraldnews.com. You can follow him on Twitter @Chezsports While I am all those things — and will always be proud to be — I usually let people fill in the blank for the term they feel most suits me Aside from falling in love with the ancient castles of Old San Juan I really don't remember much of that trip except the hotel pool I later visited in my 20s; San Juan was a stop on my family's Carnival Cruise trip While the Italian side of my family visited the El Yunque National Forest my half-Puerto Rican cousins and I drove on a dirt road with my uncle looking for my abuelo's burial ground in a cemetery for masons I always felt disjointed from my Latinx culture after a recent trip to Puerto Rico — on my own as an adult — it seems like Abuelita was leaving clues for me to discover all along Even with a language barrier when I was very young (my abuelita learned English as I grew up), Aurea Gomez upheld Puerto Rican traditions. Holiday weekends at her home in South Ozone Park, Queens, included an outside shed where elders roasted pernil as salsa played on the radio. We spent every Día de los Reyes at St where I was excited to receive even more Christmas presents in January she brought home a traditional flamenco doll with skin sun-kissed brown like mine She always reminded me that I was Puerto Rican I didn't have an opportunity to speak Spanish but after being scolded for speaking English in the house by my abuelo None of my cousins speak Spanish or uphold the traditions I never wanted to get too far away from my Latinidad especially since Abuelita had laid such a foundation I won't let her culture fade out of our family fabric I had this hunger my entire life to learn exactly who I am and where I come from Since she didn't grow up with my grandfather at home West Indian who looks Dominican but who's as preppy as can be I want to learn every bit of my culture to make sure that her traditions live on I spent three days in Viejo San Juan as a guest of Discover Puerto Rico What made the trip extra special was that I was in an all-Latina traveling group With our common love of the culture and our connection with our own Latinidad we were able to have some affirming conversations I was able to see so much of Puerto Rico that I was too young to understand when I first visited at age 7 we learned about Puerto Rico's dedication to representing the three parts of our identity: Spain And as we traveled from towns like Caguas and Loíza I saw how all three intersect and make me who I am feeling completely comfortable speaking with our group Jada GomezBut where did I fit in on the map we learned that Puerto Ricans also identify with creole identity Outside of the museums and in passing conversation "We are all Puerto Ricans," which is what I'm used to hearing at home left me with the word that made me feel completely seen When he saw my golden skin and long wavy hair "Mulatta!" And although that word is outdated it was the first moment in over 30 years where I felt like I had the real talk about who I am especially as it came to him so easily and fluidly It recognized my two Latinx parents with completely different skin tones which has led to completely different experiences It also recognized that my experience is a rich and complicated one that deserves to be fully seen I don't have to carry the shame anymore or have others define me This Latina wallflower has stepped into the sun I am also no longer uncomfortable using the term biracial as I have one White Latinx parent and one Black Latinx parent Image courtesy of the artist.Legend has it that Loíza, a small town that sits on the northeastern coast of Puerto Rico takes its appellation from a Taíno kasike She changed her name to the more Spanish-sounding Luisa after marrying Pedro Mejías an Afro-Spanish conquistador who accompanied the first wave of European colonizers in the 1500s her geographical namesake would witness the arrival of Yoruba tribe members brought to Puerto Rico as enslaved Africans the birth of the bomba and plena musical traditions and the loss of hundreds of lives and homes to Hurricane Maria Using found and gifted objects—palm fronds and DVD players—he constructs monumental figures that trace the traditions and traumas of Afro-descendant communities in Puerto Rico and beyond “Even though the works are inspired by Loíza and Loíza is the filter through which I experience life I am sure these experiences are shared by humanity,” the artist says whether they’re personal or collective That is what interests me in my work: how memories manifest through them.” and reflecting humanity in all of its textures "El Viejo Griot — Una historia de todos nosotros" is on view through September 4, 2023 at MoMA PS1 in New York. Sign up to our newsletter for the latest arts and culture updates Home / Business News Loiza Edgington bought the business in 2011 CEDAR RAPIDS — Loiza Edgington on weekdays works her way through dozens of bridal and prom gowns business suits and vintage-shop fashions to ensure they’ll fit their new owners or continue to fit their current ones The location in a mostly vacant office park just off Interstate 380 doesn’t seem to hinder business in the online age I need some alterations,’” Edgington said has been a major force in keeping her busy since buying Seams Easy from its previous owner in August 2011 Before that Edgington worked for another tailor and did alterations for a Cedar Rapids department store “In the Philippines I went to school” for tailoring who moved to Cedar Rapids with her husband “I’ve been doing alterations for all these years.” She’ll tackle any garment that will fit on her sewing machine but Edgington developed a specialty over all these years “Working with sequins and beads,” she said ‘Sure.’ I love doing wedding dresses it was her mom’s wedding dress and I changed it to fit her.” Becoming a business owner was a similar enjoyable challenge for Edgington “The (business) skills you just learn as you experience it and you figure out how to do things next time,” she said “It’s just the time involved.” She quickly picked up on the business’ seasonal swings “Especially the prom and wedding season is big,” Edgington said and then comes back up a little bit during the fall.” Vintage and thrift-store shoppers looking to tailor their finds to fit are a steady source of work Edgington said she enjoys referrals from Czech Village vintage-clothing shop Found+Formed “Most everything I can put in my machine “Certain materials are not my favorite,” Edgington admitted She especially welcomes those heirloom wedding gowns “Wedding dresses with beads and the details and you need to change it and make it smaller,” Edgington said “That’s a little bit challenging how you would put it back the way it was originally.” Website: seamseasycr.com Seams Easy seems to have weathered the pandemic and post-19-COVID disruptions “It wasn’t great,” Edgington said of 2020 “I had a hard time finding hangers,” Edgington said by way of example The lack of pedestrian and drive-by traffic hasn’t hampered business Seams Easy’s location just off I-380 makes it an easy stop for customers from Center Point to Iowa City for some older people that don’t have cars I’ll volunteer to deliver,” Edgington said Know a Corridor business that has the potential for an interesting “My Biz” feature Let us know via michaelchevy.castranova@thegazette.com The Gazette has been informing Iowans with in-depth local news coverage and insightful analysis for over 140 years independent journalism with a subscription today © 2025 The Gazette | All Rights Reserved Support non-profit journalism and perspectives from around the world. See all those languages? The Lingua project at Global Voices works to bring down barriers to understanding through translation. following the lead of its most iconic street “This is a project that can be compared to a regional newspaper but in a virtual setting,” says Mariana Reyes “It’s always a great pleasure to write for and about a community; all journalism is hyperlocal in the end,” she adds of the site which was launched at the end of October and is updated weekly An image from La Calle Loíza in Puerto Rico Used with permission from the creators of the hyperlocal news site lacalleloiza.com “There are probably more things going on in Santurce than in most places in Puerto Rico,” says Reyes, an experienced journalist that has worked in Latino media outlets in New York City and in the island. The idea for the site came out of her deep affection for the place where she has lived in for years. While mentioning the influence of other hyperlocal news sources like Brooklyn’s Brownstoner Reyes puts an emphasis on the independent nature of her project it gives us the opportunity to give the neighborhood a deeper look Part of the trick is balancing the changing nature of Santurce where the displacement of working class residents is a growing concern look at Williamsburg and the Lower East Side in New York,” Reyes mentions “There is room for all the newcomers and also for all that has been here for decades.” lacalleloiza.com's creator is quick to point out the advantages of the internet write up an article and upload it within an afternoon it also helps that more people can work on the webpage remotely  They can send in their texts from wherever they are working.” Other hyperlocal sites have been up and running for some time. ¡Mayagüez sabe a Mangó! is focused on the the largest town in the island’s west coast steamy Loíza Street is full of sweat-drenched traffic and activity the site that bears its name is set on harnessing the daily energy of that road Orígenes from La Loíza on Vimeo used with permission from lacalleloiza.com ERROR: SECURITY TIMEOUT - Please copy your message to a backup location Global Voices stands out as one of the earliest and strongest examples of how media committed to building community and defending human rights can positively influence how people experience events happening beyond their own communities and national borders Please consider making a donation to help us continue this work Donate now Sadly my building en frente Farmacia americana was just purchased Looks like I will be forced to relocate….:( Authors, please log in » Stay up to date about Global Voices and our mission. 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For more information please read our Fundraising Ethics Policy Special thanks to our many sponsors and funders Puerto Rico (AP)—Jetsabel Osorio Chévere looked up with a sad smile as she leaned against her battered home Nearly five years have gone by since Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico and no one has offered her family a plastic tarp or zinc panels to replace the roof that the Category 4 storm ripped off their two-story home in an impoverished corner in the north coast town of Loiza “No one comes here to help,” the 19-year-old said colonial territory of 3.2 million people where thousands of homes and recreational areas have yet to be fixed or rebuilt since Maria struck in September 2017 The government completed only 21% of more than 5,500 official post-hurricane projects and seven of the island’s 78 municipalities report that not a single project has begun Only five municipalities report that half of the projects slated for their region have been completed according to an Associated Press review of government data When Hurricane Fiona hit this past Sunday with torrential rains more than 3,600 homes were still using tattered blue tarps as makeshift roofs because of the damage from Maria and ripped up asphalt from roads and flung the pieces around Hundreds of people were evacuated or rescued as floodwaters rose swiftly Rushing rivers of brown water enveloped cars and even an airport runway in the island’s southern region Forecasters said the storm dumped “historic” levels of rain on Sunday and Monday with up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) in eastern and southern Puerto Rico “The damages that we are seeing are catastrophic,” said Gov The storm washed away a bridge in the central mountain town of Utuado that police say was installed by the National Guard after Maria hit in 2017 with water rushing down big slabs of broken asphalt and into gullies Health centers were running on generators—and some of those had failed Health Secretary Carlos Mellado said crews rushed to repair generators at the Comprehensive Cancer Center where several patients had to be evacuated “I think all of us Puerto Ricans who lived through Maria have that post-traumatic stress of how long is it going to last and what needs might we face?’” said Danny Hernández He said the atmosphere was gloomy at the supermarket as he and others stocked up before the storm hit we all experienced scarcity to some extent,” he said The full extent of the damage from this latest storm remains to be tallied fear they will be abandoned to deal with it on their own once again “That is unacceptable,” said Cristina Miranda executive director of local nonprofit League of Cities Puerto Rico’s governor and Deanne Criswell Federal Emergency Management Agency who recently visited the island stressed that post-hurricane work was underway but many wonder how much longer it will take and worry the devastating storm that has now hit will worsen the situation Criswell said officials focused on recovery and emergency repairs for the first three years after Maria but it will take time because authorities want to ensure the structures being built are robust enough to withstand stronger hurricanes projected as a result of climate change “We recognize the concern that recovery may seem like it’s not moving fast enough five years later,” she said “Hurricane Maria was a catastrophic event that caused damages that are really complex.” The hurricane damaged or destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes and caused an estimated 2,975 deaths after razing the island’s power grid Crews only recently started to rebuild the grid with more than $9 billion of federal funds Island-wide blackouts and daily power outages persist damaging appliances and forcing those with chronic health conditions to find temporary solutions to keep their medications cold The slow pace has frustrated many on an island emerging from the biggest municipal bankruptcy in U.S Some Puerto Ricans have opted to rebuild themselves instead of waiting for government help they feel will never come said her family bought a tarp and zinc panels out of their own pockets and set up a new roof over their second floor so now she lives with her father and grandfather on the first floor community leaders who accused the government of ignoring rural areas formed a nonprofit vowing to never go through what they experienced after Maria opened a community center in an abandoned school and used their own equipment to repair a key road They also opened a medical clinic in April and certified nearly 150 people in emergency response courses to not depend on anyone,” said Francisco Valentín with the Primary Health Services and Socioeconomic Development Corporation “We’ve had to organize ourselves because there’s no other option.” Municipal officials also have grown tired of waiting for help Mayor Gregory Gonsález said he sought permission to hire special brigades to repair roads Peñuelas is one of five municipalities that has not seen a single post-hurricane project completed Gonsález said that few companies make bids because they lack employees or they quote a price higher than that authorized by federal officials as inflation drives up the cost of materials It’s a frustration shared by Josian Santiago mayor of the central mountain town of Comerío He said it’s urgent that crews repair the main road that connects his town to the capital of San Juan because landslides are closing it down with increasing frequency Tropical Storm Earl was blamed for causing eight landslides on Sept adding that engineers recently told him it could take another two years to repair Reminders of how much time has passed since Hurricane Maria hit are scattered across Puerto Rico Faded red plastic tassels tied around wooden electrical posts that still lean as much as 60 degrees flapped in the wind as Tropical Storm Earl dumped heavy rain across the island in early September has a post leaning just feet away from her balcony in Loiza and it exasperates her every time she sees it who lost her roof to Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and again to Maria and the laminated walls near her bedroom are permanently soaked She said FEMA gave her $1,600 to rent a house while it repaired her roof adding that the government said it would move her to a new home in another neighborhood since it can’t repair hers because it’s in a flood zone But Rivera worries she will die if she moves: She takes 19 pills a day and uses an oxygen tank daily which gives her security since she now lives alone would like to see a roof for the second floor It’s where her mother raised her and her sister before dying so her younger sister was sent to live with an aunt Plywood panels now cover the windows of the second floor that her mother built by hand with cinderblocks It’s where she taught Osorio how to make candles and cloth wipes for babies that they used to sell sitting side-by-side while Osorio talked about her school day “This is my mother’s,” Osorio said as she motioned to the second floor This article combines material from two dispatches by the author Dánica Coto helps cover the Caribbean for the Associated Press and translates stories from around the region ACT NOW! Defend Environmental Protections! Lula da Silva: multilateralismo y cooperación internacional como respuesta al cambio... Sen. Angus King hits intelligence report for deleting climate change threat ‘Sinners’ review: Horror, history, and Black American folklore combine for trailblazing cinema  Chickens coming home to roost: Remember what Malcolm said Amidst capitalist crisis and war, Russian Communists struggle against Putin and the oligarchs U.S. imperialism’s new Cold War against China fosters anti-Asian racism at home Amanda Simpson: trailblazer for equality Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. The Mayor of Loiza has one truck to distribute water No one has thought to give her a satellite phone And residents are being asked to register for assistance online when there is no electricity I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The seaside city of Loiza might be Anyplace telephone poles lolling broken on house-tops Even the swollen iguanas know something is off with nature Strung along the northeastern shoulder of Puerto Rico have something many other communities clamouring for assistance in the wake of last month’s hurricane do not: it’s barely twenty minutes from the international airport in San Juan and therefore the rest of the world That should make it a first stop of any island-wide effort to distribute emergency aid And yet it seems to be no advantage at all More than two weeks after Hurricane Maria struck many of whom were already living in dire poverty There are no US soldiers handing out bottled water in the town square or keeping order when the sun goes down and you can’t see beyond the toes of your boots There is still only one available truck for city officials to attempt to get what supplies they do have – nothing is more urgent than bottled water – to all 44 communities that make up the city nobody has yet thought to give the city’s increasingly desperate mayor She has no connectivity to the rest of the island That this is the situation so close to where much of the US aid and manpower is coming into Puerto Rico is a parable of the predicament of the island as a whole has declared that the emergency response has been going swimmingly “The only thing we have seen here were the military helicopters that were flying above us to protect the president when he was here,” Luis Daniel Pizarro whose job for the town is to coordinate federal programmes “I think that once people see a military presence or military order on the streets The town was entirely cut off for three days after the storm by water “We became an island within an island,” said Mr Pizarro That’s in part because several sections of it are below sea level especially its most impoverished districts It also sits on the wide estuary of the Rio Grande de Loiza river Water careening from the mountains and a surge from the ocean converged to create a historic flood the only road to San Juan was buried under thick drifts of orange sand driven by the winds off the beach There are only about 60 people left at the elementary school that became the town’s main emergency shelter when Maria struck Some of the floodwaters that inundated thousands of homes have receded The water that remains is fetid with human waste and a breeding ground for mosquitoes and disease Those who had money before the storm are running out because the banks are closed and without electricity the cash machines are dead Social welfare benefits are not coming through guiding The Independent through some of the worst-hit areas We are fifteen miles from an international airport and we still have almost nothing We keep hearing that aid is coming to the ports and the airport and for some reason it is not being distributed fast enough.” Daisy Calderon is one of those still at the shelter For the first ten days after the storm she and everyone else had to sleep on the concrete floors of its classrooms She sees the same problem – food and water may have come to Puerto Rico but bad distribution means it has not come to them “They think they are helping but if they are not able to get the help to us than they are not doing their job.” and her family mean to get back to their house soon But she says everything there has been ruined She used to make money doing people’s hair in her kitchen But the schools will remain closed for weeks or longer She said the only money for the family will be the $350 (£266) a month they get in federal food stamps People are very destroyed,” warned Mayor Fuentes is besieged every day by residents demanding food and drinking water Every night at 8pm she drives to the next big town where the Federal Emergency Management Agency has an office just to beg – beg – for more help for her people “I think they are trying but the strategy they are using is not the correct one,” she explained They have to distribute in every town.” Some food boxes have been coming in from Fema And according to the mayor what’s inside them – apple sauce two cans of Italian ravioli – is all wrong And she needs Fema to understand better that Loiza is not Orlando or Houston it is asking residents who need help fixing their homes – almost everyone – to apply online Even if everyone in Loiza was computer literate Asked what she thought of Mr Trump’s assurance that the relief effort is going well Mayor Fuentes seemed unsure whether to speak or bite her tongue he went to a town that is rich,” she finally offered referring to his stop on Tuesday in one of the more prosperous parts of San Juan spends most her days trying to keep her 18-month daughter out of trouble and monitoring her sugar levels the roof are all gone from her home – but she too voiced dissatisfaction with the relief effort “They are saying he threw paper towels in the face of the governor,” Ms Quinones said. “That’s what they are saying here. They are saying he is not going to help the people, that he doesn’t like the people here.” She paused and seemed to make up her mind. “Trump is doing nothing. You are throwing paper towels when people here are dying. He is doing nothing to help us.” Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Its 1,560 locals now fear daily for their homes and lives. Parcelas Suárez straddles Loíza’s gloried waterfront. Its largely Afro-Caribbean community has little choice but to be active in the fight for its future — and hold the federal and local government responsible for bad decision-making in planning their communities developing projects on the coasts and the lack of follow up The mayor’s office keeps a running tally of the town’s community leaders — currently 32 — as they search for assistance, claims and services for the nearly 25,000 who reside in Loíza Local leaders planning for the future“In Loíza, when something is missing, we work together,” community leader Modesta Irizarry says. She recalls the recovery from Hurricane Maria, in 2017 when the women joined forces to prepare food for people in shelters and worked to financially support their families by making and selling handicrafts They also joined forces to demand that the Army Corps of Engineers decide on what kind of project they would develop to protect Parcelas Suárez from falling into the ocean witnessed the Paseo del Atlántico’s ruination and has served as his neighborhood’s community board spokesman in Loíza since 2012 Allende doesn’t have a formal education in public administration or politics; he is driven by concern for the safety of his neighbors and by his outrage at how the government continues to turn its back on his town Report for America: I returned home to report on poverty in California. We're strained, but not broken. He carries a folder of plans, coastal erosion studies and federal proposals alongside meeting notes, letters, emails and arguments he has made on behalf of the community before the Department of Natural Resources and Loíza’s municipal government, as well as the resident commissioner, Jenniffer González-Colón, Puerto Rico's sole representative to the U.S. Congress. As spokesman, Allende pushed the Corps of Engineers to allocate $5.2 million in funds for the construction of a breakwater to protect the coastline and residents here but construction has yet to break ground.  The Loíza municipality is a place of narrow streets and pastel corners, each of which lead inevitably to the ocean. The city is filled with palm trees and "chinchorros," traditional drink together and sell fried local food and natural coconut water As opposed to 11% of all Puerto Ricans, 38% of Loíza residents identify as black according to several community leaders.  Report for America: Connecticut's 'monument' to tough-on-crime era sits almost empty as justice reforms shine and which has evolved into an expression of Afro-Puerto Rican culture People here have long fought for their community’s future Like the coconut seller who asked a reporter to move as he knocked fruit from the tree locals find creative ways to maintain their livelihood And they attribute that survival to their African heritage It can be seen in the colors of their clothes: yellow Or in the turbans some women use in their hair But this heritage can also be glimpsed in Loíza’s cuisine only one year after the island established self-rule from Spain “The sea demands the space that we take away,” says Irizarry sitting before an eroding Loíza beach Parcelas Suárez "has been struggling for years." Whether it can persevere in sustaining the community and culture that distinguish Loíza is to be seen Víctor Rodríguez-Velázquez covers finance and government for Centro de Periodismo Investigativo. This dispatch is part of a series called “On the Ground” with Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. Follow him on Twitter: @Viktor_Rodz Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker KQED Live EventsPRX Podcast Garage EventsEvents Around the Bay AreaMember Benefits with KQED LiveVideos from KQED LiveWatch recordings of recent KQED Live events FeaturedThat's My WordAn ongoing exploration of Bay Area hip-hop history See Senior Director of TV Programming Meredith Speight’s recommendations from this month’s KQED 9 Watch recordings of recent KQED Live events Support KQED by using your donor-advised fund to make a charitable gift was 22 years old when a West African ancestor visited her in a dream put his hand on her chest and prayed in a Yoruba dialect “When he finished his prayer I suddenly began hearing a drum beating inside of me and it was so strong that it shook me,” she says Days later she heard the exact same rhythms while walking in town beckoning her to the free community program where she would begin to study bomba The movement and sound of bomba originates in the practices of West Africans brought to the Caribbean island by European colonizers as slaves in the 17th century and over time absorbed influences from the Spanish as well as the region’s indigenous Taíno people Slavery fueled sugar production and many other industries when a law creating a gradual ban went into effect bomba provided a source of political and spiritual expression for people who’d been forcibly uprooted from their homes “When we have something to say to protest we go out there and play bomba,” says Mar “It is our way of saying ‘we are here.’” Follow Mar Cruz in this how-to tutorial as she explains the foundations of bomba dance and goes over some basic steps or “piquetes”. “People have always been racist towards us ‘That was a tragedy!’ But they are racist too There used to be lynchings here too.” A new movement to assert black pride and to acknowledge the island’s complex history of racism is part of the resurgence of bomba, providing Mar and her sister María along with many more Afro-Puerto Rican performers in both Puerto Rico and diaspora communities a creative outlet to celebrate their oft-suppressed cultural heritage “I’m representing my ancestors,” says María “Those black slaves who danced in the past that was their only method of self-expression.” “Anyone can join the dance,” María says of the venue’s nightly bomba events “No one is going to judge you.” A bomba percussion ensemble generally comprises a few barriles hand drums originally made from rum barrels with differing pitches determining musical roles; a cuá or barrel drum played with sticks; and a time-keeping maraca Although there are archetypical rhythmic patterns the life of bomba is in the improvisational interplay between dancer and the primo barril—with the dancer taking the lead Leading the drummer is one of the elements that attracts Mar to bomba It’s different from learning the steps in what she considers more “academic” dances such as salsa merengue or bachata in that the bomba dancer creates the rhythm spontaneously “You’re making the music with your body and on top of that it’s improvised,” she says “Everything you freestyle becomes a communication between the dancer and the drummer.” kickstarting a resurgence that continues today “[Bomba] had been marginalized and forgotten, simply because it was black music,” says Jesús Cepeda, son of Rafael Cepeda, who continues stewarding the culture through the Fundación Rafael Cepeda & Grupo Folklórico Hermanos Cepeda “That’s something that not only he Our music was stereotyped as a … byproduct of black slum culture Jesús is pleased to find a new generation embracing the cause of his family And he thinks bomba culture can continue to play a role in the United States territory’s struggle for dignity and independence “Papi always said that when Puerto Rico finally reaches a point where it recognizes the value of its folklore it will fight to defend its honor,” Jesús says Visit the vibrant old town of San Juan and some of Puerto Rico’s oldest black neighborhoods to see the Afro-Latino diasporic dance tradition of Bomba with our interactive story map.  the Puerto Rican company recognized as the “El Rey del Marisco,” has contributed significantly to economic and local growth in the last 35 years With an investment of more than 2.5 billion dollars into the local economy and the creation of more than 20,000 employees during these 35 years the company has demonstrated its commitment to the Puerto Rican economy Plaza Loíza Supermarkets is celebrating 35 years of history and dedication to serving the community they have stood out on the island as “A family serving families.” Their mission is to maintain a pleasant and professional environment while offering a wide assortment of quality products they are focused on providing good service and offering a wide variety of products “Our goal is to continue solidifying our presence and leadership in the supermarket business,” assured the vice president Plaza Loíza will launch their ninth store at the Valle Arriba Heights Shopping Center in Carolina bigger and incredible customer experience in this unit many customers in the area have asked us to reopen the supermarket and here we are building a better store to provide service to the families of Carolina and adjacent towns,” said Márquez Plaza Loíza offers a range of products at competitive prices and superior quality becoming the ideal option for customers seeking a complete and satisfactory shopping experience with its first store on “Calle Loíza,” maintains its commitment to constantly improve its offer Plaza Loíza Supermarkets has led its locations and suppliers to be part of a wide variety of campaigns and the development of incredible activities during different seasons and iconic times to increase the exposure and integration of Puerto Rican families with their own they have collaborated with numerous organizations and charitable entities managing to contribute more than a million dollars in donations Márquez added that Plaza Loíza’s goal is to enrich the economy the company has evaluated successful behaviors in South America and the United States to continue its renewals and offer an even more satisfying Email notifications are only sent once a day Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Best in Travel is here! Discover 2025’s destinations The 30 best countries, cities and regions to visit in 2025 Plan your trip with Elsewhere, by Lonely Planet See where a Lonely Planet Membership takes you Subscribe to our weekly newsletters to get the latest travel news, expert advice, and insider recommendations Explore the world with our detailed, insightful guidebooks Stay ahead of the curve with our guidebooks Uncover exciting new ways to explore iconic destinations Every month, we release new books into the wild Search Search Close search menu Explore Best in Travel 2024 Africa Close menu Countries Antarctica Antarctica Close menu Regions Asia Asia Close menu Countries Australia & the Pacific Australia & the Pacific Close menu Countries The Caribbean The Caribbean Close menu Countries Central America Central America Close menu Countries Europe Europe Close menu Countries Middle East Middle East Close menu Countries North America North America Close menu Countries South America South America Close menu Countries The view from Cueva Ventana From small, farm-sourced restaurant menus to guesthouse stays, community tours and Afro-Puerto Rican cultural workshops, Puerto Rico is strengthening its sustainable tourism scene Beyond the major hotels and natural sights that have reopened since COVID-19 and Hurricane Maria there is a significant shift in mindset wherein local experiences and cultural immersion are taking center stage including a big push to preserve or create all that’s homegrown on la isla Here's a guide to traveling Puerto Rico sustainably Sign up for a three-hour walk with Spoon Food Tours and get to know locals’ favorites for coffee, snacks and meals served at family-run businesses that continue to thrive in gentrified Old San Juan The morning kicks off at Don Ruiz Coffee Shop – tucked inside the Cuartel de Ballaja, a former military barracks turned cultural center and shopping courtyard, across El Morro Fortress Try the mallorca – a sweet and savory pastry stuffed with toasted ham and cheese sprinkled with powdered sugar – and wash it down with a cup of single origin coffee harvested from the 19th-century Ruiz plantation 3000ft above sea level in the mountains of Yauco While Hurricane Maria destroyed 70 percent of the plantation's crops Learn about the historical context of food in San Juan and elsewhere in Puerto Rico before and after Maria as you sample iconic dishes like slow-roasted pork served at a traditional ‘fonda’ – a family-owned restaurant where the owner can be seen behind the kitchen counter In-season fresh fruit juices and desserts from a chinchorro or local snack bar are also part of this culinary deep dive The seaside town of Loíza in the Piñones region is known as the heart of Afro-Puerto Rican culture and the birthplace of bomba Head straight to the Corporación Piñones Se Integra (COPI) non-profit organization’s community center featuring Afro-boricua women in colorful headwraps and voluminous dresses while the interior shines with an open floor space and stage for year-round bomba dancing and drumming workshops a lagoon-facing boardwalk attracts iguanas sociologist and activist Maricruz Rivera Clemente explains to visitors bomba isn’t just a folkloric dance – it's ancestral heritage a form of spirituality and a language that unites Afro-Caribbean people When you sign up for a bomba workshop with COPI rather than tour operators offering the activity elsewhere to attract tourists it ensures you'll receive accurate information on the history of Loiza as well as an understanding of the past and present socio-political struggles of marginalized Black Puerto Rican communities in Puerto Rico.It also means your travel dollars directly benefit COPI’s cultural preservation work and its role as a support and educational system for current and future Afro-boricua generations in Piñones You could choose from any of the roadside kiosks lining Loiza’s main road but a great pick is the seaside Mi Casita restaurant serving alcapurrias – deep-fried yucca-based fritters stuffed with meat – and sweet-plantain mofongo stuffed with fish Women will change into traditional skirts post-lunch for the bomba workshop where you’ll learn the various rhythms and steps performed in response to live drummers Drumming lessons are also available at COPI as well as rental bikes to explore the boardwalk A women-led social enterprise and tour company, Local Guest offers immersive experiences around the island Founders Carmen Portela and Monica Perez’s aim is to decentralize mass tourism in Puerto Rico and direct visitors towards culture and nature-rich communities in turn providing the areas with a sustainable income Unique experiences include caving in Morovis taking a Taino pottery workshop or kayaking Puerto Rico’s longest river Rio La Plata which matches small volunteer groups with a variety of established community-based organizations’ ongoing restoration projects for long-term impact An encouraging departure from larger hotels eyeing the island post-Maria, the new Puerto Rican owned Finca Victoria is a two-and-a-half-acre botanical farm guesthouse tucked in the hills at the heart of the island A 10-minute drive to Vieques’ stunning beaches from its natural pool-facing wooden communal house to its medicinal plant garden Think complimentary yoga on the sundeck every morning plus local farm-sourced vegetarian breakfasts organic made-in-Puerto Rico bath products and your own porch with a mini-organic garden growing herbs and fruits plus a shop selling a collection of jewelry beauty products and arts and crafts all made by Puerto Rican talent The island’s over 90% dependence on food exports became evident when Maria struck a consciousness has taken root to collaborate with local farmers in growing or recovering crops and to source locally where possible One of the most popular areas where this farm-to-table movement is visible is Calle Loiza in San Juan Grab breakfast at Tostado* which features a menu that’s locally sourced and organic from the sourdough bread to the goat cheese – an improbability as recently as five years ago The Dreamcatcher hosts a four-course locally sourced vegan dinner series every month – reserve your table ahead of time – and features rotating local chefs who whip up plates like fried rice with Asian orange sesame cauliflower while you watch You might also like: Puerto Rico's 7 best hiking trailsTop 12 beaches in Puerto RicoEast End Puerto Rico, the perfect San Juan alternative