Myrna Manzanares

Myrna Manzanares (born 1946) is a Belizean writer and activist, considered an ambassador of Belizean Creole culture. She has worked to preserve this culture, particularly the Creole language, and advocated for racial justice both in Belize and in the diaspora.[1][2][3]

Early life and California years

Myrna Manzanares was born in Gales Point, a small village in Belize District, in 1946. Her mother was the town's craft instructress. At age 8, she left her home village to attend St. John’s Anglican Primary School in Belize City.[4][5][1]

She then moved to California in 1965, to join family who had already left after Hurricane Hattie.[5] She obtained a degree in psychology at Pepperdine University, as well as taking English as a second language classes at the University of Southern California. She completed postgraduate studies in psychology at California State University, Long Beach.[1] During her time in California, Manzanares became deeply involved in the Belizean diaspora community of Los Angeles, which she was active in organizing.[2]

Activism and career

Manzanares returned to Belize in 1986 and became involved in community organizing there, including through the now-defunct PRIDE Belize.[6]

She is a longtime activist and organizer around black identity and Belizean Creole.[2][7] In 1995, she co-founded the National Kriol Council, which aims to promote the culture and language of Belizean Creole people.[1][8] She was also a longtime president of the institution.[5]

Her cultural activism includes extensive oral history work.[1] Manzanares has also fought for women's rights and sexual and reproductive health,[1] as well as for substance abuse prevention[9] and against HIV/AIDS, serving as chair of the National AIDs Task Force and president of the Addiction Alert Rehabilitation Center.[10] She has also been involved with the Belize History Association and the Belize National Library Service Board,[1] and she has been politically involved in the United Democratic Party, including a failed run for the Belize City Council in 1999.[11]

Manzanares has worked for Peace Corps Belize, the Belize Teachers College, and the University of Belize.[1][10] She has also been appointed as a Justice of the Peace.[10]

Writing

Manzanares has written poetry, prose, and nonfiction.[4] Her work was included in both Volumes I and II of Memories, Dreams and Nightmares, an anthology of short stories by Belizean women writers published by the Belizean Writers Series.[12][13][14] She also contributed to Tek Mi! Noh Tek Mi!, a collection of Caribbean folktales,[15][16] and has edited Creole language materials and journals[1]

Her other published works include Tell Me a Story (folklore); Life Lines (poetry); Traditional Games of Belize (compiled for UNICEF);[17] Faith-Based Response to HIV and AIDS; and Healing Circle,[1] a 2017 poetry collection in collaboration with teenager Azizi Hoy.[18]

Personal life and recognition

Manzanares has two children, a daughter Shalini and son Robert.[10]

In 2008, she was honored as a Member of the Order of the British Empire "for services to education, culture and social development."[19][10] The same year, she was honored in Belize's Outstanding Women Awards.[20]

In 2018, she was named one of the first-ever Artists Emeritus by Belize's National Institute of Culture and History[3]

References
  1. "Myrna Manzanares". Belize Living Heritage. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  2. Morris, Bilal (March 2018). "Myrna Manzanares & The Creole Identity". Belada Magazine.
  3. Polanco, Andrea (2018-10-19). "NICH bestows first ever Artist Emeritus titles". Channel 5 Belize. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  4. Wilentz, Gay Alden, 1950- (2001). She : Belizean women poetry. Factory Books. OCLC 948165960.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. "Twenty Questions - The January Interview with Myrna Manzanares, President of the Kriol Council of Belize". Belize Magazine. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  6. Studies on Belize Conference (5th : 1991 : Belize City, Belize) (1992). Independence ten years after : fifth annual Studies on Belize Conference. Published for SPEAR by Cubola Productions. OCLC 31268682.
  7. MEJIA, SHARON LOUISE. (2019). MAI BUK AH KRIOL/INGLISH POAYMZ. AUTHORHOUSE. ISBN 978-1-7283-3407-3. OCLC 1130769014.
  8. "National Kriol Council - History and Mission of The Council". National Kriol Council. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  9. "Conference confronts key issues affecting youth". Channel 5 Belize. 2006-03-28. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  10. "Five JP's on Honors List 2008". STAR Newspaper. 2008-06-22. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  11. "P.U.P. takes City Council". Channel 5 Belize. 1999-03-04. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  12. "Women's literature anthology launched". Channel 5 Belize. 2005-06-17. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  13. Memories, dreams and nightmares : a short story anthology by Belizean women writers. Wilentz, Gay Alden, 1950-, Abraham, Iris. (1st ed.). Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize: Cubola Productions. 2002. ISBN 976-8161-03-5. OCLC 53082005.CS1 maint: others (link)
  14. Meza Márquez, Consuelo. (2007). Narradoras centroamericanas contemporáneas : identidad y crítica socioliteraria feminista. Aguascalientes, Ags., Méx.: Universidad autónoma de Aguascalientes. ISBN 978-607-8227-26-6. OCLC 808349435.
  15. Tek mi! noh tek mi! : Caribbean folktales. Campbell, Hazel D., Manzanares, Myrna., Payne, Nellie., Mohamed, Yasin F., Grell, Jane., Petty, Michelle M. Kingston, Jamaica: Carlong Publishers. 2008. ISBN 978-976-638-096-0. OCLC 712603772.CS1 maint: others (link)
  16. Elswit, Sharon (19 October 2017). The Caribbean story finder : a guide to 438 tales from 24 nations and territories, listing subjects and sources. Jefferson, North Carolina. ISBN 978-1-4766-6304-3. OCLC 984211155.
  17. "Traditional Games of Belize". University of Florida. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  18. "Poets Azizi Hoy, Myrna Manzanares Team Up for "The Healing Circle"". Channel 5 Belize. 2017-05-25. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  19. "Birthday Honours List — Belize". The Gazette. 2008-06-14.
  20. Griffith, Kendra (2008-03-04). "Outstanding women to be honoured". Channel 5 Belize. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.