Voices from Our America™: Interview with Emiliana Bernard Stephenson

Abstract

Emiliana Bernard Stephenson is an Afro-descendant woman, journalist, feminist and human-rights defender. She was born in the island of Providence, in the archipelago of San Andrés and Providence, in the Western Caribbean. Bernard left her home island at the age of eight for the city of Barranquilla on the Colombian mainland, to further her education. During her 15 years there she was influenced by and became involved in Black social movements. She eventually returned to her home islands and started to work as a journalist, encouraging the voiceless to participate actively in community development. She is currently the general manager of the San Andrés Simon Bolívar Television Station. This interview/guided autobiography reveals the fascinating arc of Bernard's life, particularly with regard to the her deep connection to and identification with her Caribbean culture; her experiences with discrimination on the mainland and her racial, ethnic, and gender-focused activism; her and her family's historical contact with the United States; her genealogy − including her recently-discovered family members − and her professional trajectory.

Keywords:

• San Andrés
• Colombia
• Afro-descendant
• Caribbean
• women's movement
• discrimination
• Barranquilla

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Mr Ivio Quejada, without whom this interview would have been impossible. Thanks, also, to J. A. Smith for his invaluable assistance.