Discovering My Passion for Podcasting Through Afro-Bolivian Storytelling

Introduction

When I reflect on the moment I became a podcaster, I think back to my college days when I studied abroad in Bolivia. I was drawn to the small South American country because I learned about Evo Morales,the first Indigenous president that the government elected in a majority indigenous country. It was also the first time a president led initiatives to recognize Afro-Bolivians in the Bolivian constitution.

A picture of Doña Nicolasa and Don David, my Afro-Bolivian host family in the Yungas Black People Don’t Exist in Bolivia

A picture of Doña Nicolasa and Don David, my Afro-Bolivian host family in the Yungas

Black People Don’t Exist in Bolivia

Intrigued by the Afro-Bolivian social movement, I decided to focus my independent project on Afro- Bolivian stories and activism. However, I faced skepticism from many locals who denied the existence or significance of Afro-Bolivians. Many of my Bolivian friends told me that the Afro-Bolivian population was only “un poco” of the population and I should focus my project on something else.

My Connection to the Afro-Bolivian Story

My decision to focus on the Afro-Bolivian story was rooted in my experiences as a Black of Central American descent in the United States. Growing up in the Bronx, I often felt like my story was overlooked in the grand narratives of New York City. I also encountered surprise and disbelief when people learned about my Afro-Central American roots. I was constantly reminded of the historical erasure faced by my community, the Garifunas, whose language, culture, and identity have been systematically marginalized in countries like Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and Nicaragua. I deeply resonated with the experiences of

Afro-Bolivians, who faced similar challenges of erasure and invisibility. Determined to learn more, I packed my bags and headed three hours out of the city to the Yungas, where most Afro-Bolivian communities lived. There, I lived in a small town with an Afro-Bolivian host family.

Weyu in the Yungas

The Power of Storytelling Afro-Bolivian Storytelling

I'll never forget the moments I used my tape recorder to capture my host mother's Doña Nicolasa story about growing up Black in Bolivia. We shared our experiences over meals while drinking cocoa tea and picking coffee beans from her yard that she sold in the market. Despite our differences in where we come from, we bonded over our shared experiences as Black women and our ongoing struggle to tell our stories. In these moments, my passion for podcasting and storytelling was solidified.

If you would like to learn more about the Afro-Bolivian population, check out my episode Empowering Afro-Bolivian Voices Episode: Community Radio as a Tool for Social Change. Listen to my podcast, Labyrinth of the First Gen, to discover inspiring stories of resilience, identity, and the power of storytelling. Let's celebrate the diverse voices of our world together.

Weyu Hodge is a first-generation daughter of immigrants from New York City, her passion for storytelling focuses on highlighting the perspectives of black and indigenous populations in the diaspora. Her love for interacting with people across borders led her to live and work in nine countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Her career began in the international development field when she worked for a social enterprise in Brazil, taught English in Colombia, and managed medical missions for an International. She has

received a Mellon Mays grant to do a storytelling project on the Afro-Bolivian social movement in Bolivia. Her podcast Labyrinth of the First Gen features stories from more than ten global pioneers around the globe who are creating their path and challenging the status quo.