Noise #184: The legacy of Bertha Arzú

A Honduran activist empowers women in indigenous communities.

Last week, the United Nations Population Fund posted an article about Bertha Arzú, a Honduran activist working on behalf of Black and indigenous women.

For over three decades, Arzú has organized and educated women in the Garifuna community, an ethnic minority in Honduras. In the words of Maria Miranda, a Garifuna woman who worked with Arzú’s non-profit:

It changed my life for the simple reason that I [came to know] my rights, my duties, and I also knew how to teach other women. I thank [Bertha] very much for having been by my side, by the side of all the women.

I really admire Arzú’s efforts and impact. Her story also struck because it wasn’t something I expected to see. At least through the cloudy lens of American media, South and Central American nations are often drawn in one-dimensional darkness, without significant context, depth, or nuance.

I wrote Noise #184 in celebration of an article that fleshed out an often-caricatured country with a sense of humanity. I also recorded the music while keeping in mind the legacy of an activist who lifted those around her.

I hope you enjoy listening:

Michael

(Noise #184 by Michael Gallant. Copyright 2024 Gallant Music LLC. All Rights Reserved.)