Carnival Chaser: Why Playing Mas is a Tribute to Black Liberation
Before Trinidad Carnival, there was Canboulay (cannes brûlée means canes burning). Canboulay was how enslaved Africans in Trinidad celebrated emancipation.
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#NoHijabDay from an LGBTQ Perspective
One of the most aggravating experiences of living between the intersections of being someone assigned female at birth, being from a muslim background and being non-religious– easier expressed as ‘exmuslim’ (though I have my reservations about this term), is enforced and gender-specific modesty. What this means is through the simple fact of being born a […]
Read MoreWhy Taking Off The Hijab Is A Feminist Act
Today, we are celebrating a feminist holiday: #NoHijabDay. Feminists have long fought against gender policing, patriarchal violence and mandated hijab. You’re not a feminist if you refuse to support women who take off the hijab. I had to quit my job because they knew where I worked. I had to sacrifice health insurance and work […]
Read MoreGabar’s Year In Review: 5 Important Lessons I Learned In 2020
1. The Most Dangerous Place for a woman is in the home 2020 has proven that the most dangerous place for a woman is in the home. Domestic violence kills more women than solo female travel ever will. Whenever I tell someone that I’ve escaped sex trafficking, they assume it happened in Colombia, Trinidad & […]
Read MoreIt Happened To Me: Forced Marriage Is Sex Trafficking
Forced marriage is sex trafficking. By ignoring forced marriage in our policy discussions about sex trafficking, we are leaving thousands of vulnerable girls and women behind. Forced marriage happens within insular religious communities every single day. Our legislation, policy-making and funding must support the lives of women and girls in religious communities who are at […]
Read MoreMy Personal Experience with Colorism in Trinidad & Tobago
It’s no secret that colorism is a major issue to reckon with. Colorism is not just about dating preferences. Darker-skinned people face longer prison sentences, disproportionately poor health outcomes, over-policing, and more punitive forms of discipline in schools.
Read MoreVisiting the First City for Free Black People in South America
I launched GabarIskuFilan to document Black liberation from the perspective of a solo female traveler. So far, I’ve traveled to Trinidad & Tobago and Colombia with the intention to learn about the universal struggle for Black liberation and self-determination.
Read MoreWhy You Should Absolutely Visit Tobago
I believe the best place to cool down after Trinidad Carnival is Tobago! Tobago is the secondary island 22 miles northeast of Trinidad.
Read MoreAugust 1st Marks The Importance of Emancipation Day in the Global Struggle for Black Liberation
August 1st is a major holiday amongst several West Indian countries. Here’s why. Emancipation Day commemorates the abolition of slavery in Jamaica, Guyana, St. Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago, St. Vincent, Montserrat and Bermuda.
Read MoreWhy I Call Myself a Kafir
Kafir is a derogatory term to describe infidels. It’s also a slur that invokes violence, death threats, and harmful repercussions.
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