Prophet World Beat Productions

MUSEUM GRANTS AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE

THE WORLD BEAT CULTURAL CENTER WILL STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, EXPAND ACCESS TO ARCHIVAL DATA, AND PRESERVE RECORDINGS OF THE CULTURAL TRADITIONS AND DIALECTS OF MAROON SOCIETIES THAT PROVIDED SANCTUARY FOR BLACK SEMINOLES AND MASCOGOS WHO FLED TO MEXICO FOR THEIR FREEDOM. WBCC WILL DEVELOP A MODULAR EXHIBITION OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD SOUTH THAT CENTERS THE EXPERIENCE OF BLACK SEMINOLE, GULLAH GEECHEE, MASCOGOS, AND MAROON SOCIETIES. THE PROJECT WILL SUPPORT MUSEUM STAFF AND PAID UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE INTERNS IN GATHERING ARCHIVAL DATA THROUGH MULTIGENERATIONAL INTERVIEWS THAT WILL DOCUMENT CULTURAL TRADITIONS AND LINGUISTIC VARIATIONS. THROUGH THESE COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH ACTIVITIES AND THE RESULTING EXHIBITION, THE WBCC INTENDS TO EDUCATE, ENRICH, AND EMPOWER MUSEUM VISITORS AS WELL AS THE DESCENDANTS OF EACH GROUP WHILE ARCHIVING AND PRESERVING LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL DATA.

THE WORLD BEAT CULTURAL CENTER WILL HOST THE TRAVELING EXHIBITION “PATHWAYS TO FREEDOM: MAROON SOCIETIES IN THE AMERICAS.” IN COLLABORATION WITH THE EXHIBIT DEVELOPER, THE PROJECT TEAM WILL EXPAND THE EXHIBITION TO INCLUDE THE HISTORY OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD PATHWAY TO FREEDOM BETWEEN CALIFORNIA AND GUERRERO, MEXICO, IN ADDITION TO DIGITIZING THE EXHIBIT AND DEVELOPING A BILINGUAL WEBSITE. PUBLIC PROGRAMMING ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MEXICO TO THE AFRICAN DIASPORA COMMUNITIES FROM 1800 TO THE PRESENT WILL INCLUDE TOURS LED BY STUDENT INTERNS, A PODCAST, AND SIX PUBLIC PROGRAMS FEATURING GUEST SPEAKERS. PROJECT ACTIVITIES ALSO WILL INCLUDE CATALOGING AND DIGITIZING VIDEO RECORDINGS OF PERFORMANCES, PRESENTATIONS, AND COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS FROM 1984 THROUGH 2021, MAKING THIS HISTORY IN THE SAN DIEGO-TIJUANA REGION ACCESSIBLE TO AUDIENCES AROUND THE WORLD.