HNUH218L

What happens when celebration itself becomes an act of resistance? Emerging from the entangled histories of slavery, colonization, and migration, carnival in the Caribbean has become a contested arena for identity, critique, and survival. This course explores carnival and carnivalesque celebrations in the region as a space where joy, masquerade, and performance both disrupt and reimagine social order. Tracing the development of several "carnivals" in the Caribbean, we will investigate how these celebrations are spaces for social commentary, reflect local politics and become sites of freedom.