"Music, and Mysticism in When the Spirits Dance Mambo and Bird of Paradise: How I Became Latina"

In his virtual presentation, titled “Music, and Mysticism in When the Spirits Dance Mambo and Bird of Paradise: How I Became Latina,” Dr. Trent Masiki discusses how Dr. Marta Moreno Vega and Raquel Cepeda center African American cultural icons and new religious movements, respectively, in their memoirs. Masiki argues that the representation of African American choreographer Katherine Dunham in Vega’s memoir and of the Five Percent Nation (FPN) in Cepeda’s reveal the significance of the African American presence in Afro-Latina identity formation and highlight the commensurability between Latino, Afro-Latino, and African American studies. Dr. Masiki is the Director of Black Studies and Asst. Prof. of English at Suffolk University. He earned his PhD and MA in Afro-American studies from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. In addition to his degrees in Afro-American studies, he also has an MFA in Creative Writing, an MA in English, and a BS in Computer Science. His research focuses on African American literature and culture and as well as African Americans' intercultural influences on and connections with other peoples of African descent in the US and the global African diaspora. His first book, The Afro-Latino Memoir: Race, Ethnicity, and Literary Interculturalism (University of North Carolina Press, 2023), won the 2024 Anna Julia Cooper and C.L.R. James Award for Outstanding Scholarly Publication in Africana Studies. The award was bestowed by the National Council for Black Studies.