Intersect Antigua-Barbuda

“Colonization, I repeat, dehumanizes even the most civilized man; that colonial activity, colonial enterprise, colonial conquest, which is based on contempt for the native and justified by that contempt, inevitably tends to change him who undertakes it; that the colonizer, who in order to ease his conscience gets into the habit of seeing the other man as an animal, accustoms himself to treating him like an animal, and tends objectively to transform himself into an animal. It is this result, this boomerang effect of colonization that I wanted to point out.” from “Discourse on Colonialism” by Aimé Césaire Visual Description: Image of old, white, Dutch colonial style building surrounded by vibrant, towering trees. The sky above is blue and cloudless, while the grass surrounding the building is short and bright green — illuminated by the sun overhead. The accompanying quote by Aimé Césaire takes the form of black text encased within white boxes that are overlayed atop the scenery. The Intersect logo — an “i” consisting of blue, pink, and white circles — sits in the bottom lefthand corner of this image.

Today, we’re thinking about the ways in which colonisation dehumanises both coloniser and the colonised by way of this quote 👇🏾 from Aimé Césaire’s 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮.

Are you reading any Jamaica Kincaid this month? 🤔

“As if to save myself, I turned to her and said, ‘Well, like father like son, like mother like daughter.’”

“The word ‘slut’ (in patois) was repeated over and over, until suddenly I felt as if I were drowning in a well but instead of the well being filled with water it was filled with the word “‘slut,’ and it was pouring in through my eyes, my ears, my nostrils, my mouth.”

“. . . it had pained her to see me behave in the manner of a slut (only she used the French-patois word for it) in the street and that just to see me had caused her to feel shame.”

“She went on to say that, after all the years she had spent drumming into me the proper way to conduct myself when speaking to young men . . . “

A copy of Jamaica Kincaid’s “Annie John” braces against a log on the beach. In the foreground are tufts of dried twigs and white sand, while the sea —vibrant and blue — rolls in the background.

Today, we’re sharing a quote from Jamaica Kincaid for #ReadCaribbean month 👇🏾🇦🇬

Statement in Solidarity with Palestine — Intersect Antigua We will not look away. We must raise up a cry of transnational feminist solidarity, a polyphony of rage and dissent, against the ongoing violence against Palestinians by the settler colony of Israel a...

📍Intersect’s Solidarity Statement: www.intersectantigua.com/blog/stateme...

comunicado update hc opal For immediate release: The HC Opal unloaded at least 10 tons of military chemicals in Israel in breach of international law and flag state prohibition The Palestinian-led BDS movement urges Antigua...

📍The BDS Movement’s press release: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Urgent: Vessel Under Antigua and Barbuda Flag Delivers Military Explosives to Israel Despite Prohibition Urgent: Vessel Under Antigua and Barbuda Flag Delivers Military Explosives to Israel Despite Prohibition To Whom It May Concern, We are writing to bring to your attention a breaking story of serious i...

📍The letter draft: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Text: RESOURCES IN BIO -Access the email draft, courtesy of Comrade Libre (@afroaboriginal47 on IG), to send to local and regional media organisations and government officials. -View the BDS Movement’s full press release. -Read Intersect’s full Statement in Solidarity with Palestine. In transnational feminist solidarity, INTERSECT ANTIGUA-BARBUDA Visual description: The background of this slide is a simple gradient of deep red that matches the red on the Palestinian flag. All of the text in this slide is white, and the heading is bolded and in all caps. To the bottom of this slide is the Intersect logo — an “i” consisting of blue, pink, and white circles.

👇🏾 Access the following resources below this post or through the link in our bio.

Text: “We will not look away. We must raise up a cry of transnational feminist solidarity, a polyphony of rage and dissent, against the ongoing violence against Palestinians by Israel and its allies.” - Intersect’s Statement in Solidarity with Palestine WE MUST RESIST COMPLICITY IN GENOCIDE. Visual description: The background of this slide is a simple gradient of deep red that matches the red on the Palestinian flag. All of the text in this slide is white, and the final sentence is bolded and in all caps.

We call on the people of Antigua and Barbuda, as well as the wider Caribbean, to act in solidarity with us.

Text: WE CALL on the press to urge transparency to ensure that the public is consistently and adequately informed of the measures taken to address this egregious breach of international law. WE CALL on the people of Antigua and Barbuda, as well as the wider Caribbean, to act in solidarity with us. Visual description: The background of this slide is a simple gradient of deep red that matches the red on the Palestinian flag. All of the text in this slide is white, and “WE CALL” is bolded and in all caps.

We call on the press to urge transparency to ensure that the public is consistently and adequately informed of the measures taken to address this egregious breach of international law.

Text: “We call on Caribbean and international feminist collectives, gender affairs bureaus, and gender justice organizations to join in solidarity with the movement for Palestinian liberation.” - Intersect’s Statement in Solidarity with Palestine WE CALL on Caribbean feminist groups and civil society organisations to organize by sharing resources, contacting your governments, protesting, and reaching out to media outlets to continue agitating against this genocide and ensure international law is upheld. Visual description: The background of this slide is a simple gradient of deep red that matches the red on the Palestinian flag. All of the text in this slide is white, and “WE CALL” is bolded and in all caps.

We call on Caribbean feminist groups and civil society organisations to organize by sharing resources, contacting your governments, protesting, and reaching out to media outlets to continue agitating against this genocide and ensure international law is upheld.

Text: “Intersect Antigua and Barbuda strongly condemns the despicable and atrocious forms of violence including genocide, apartheid, settler colonial occupation, and displacement being meted out to native Palestinians by the settler colony of Israel and its allies.” - Intersect’s Statement in Solidarity with Palestine WE CALL on the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to maintain its stated position and take immediate action to ensure accountability, uphold international law, and prevent any future breaches of this prohibition. Visual description: The background of this slide is a simple gradient of deep red that matches the red on the Palestinian flag. All of the text in this slide is white, and “WE CALL” is bolded and in all caps.

We call on the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to maintain its stated position and take immediate action to ensure accountability, uphold international law, and prevent any future breaches of this prohibition.

ANTIGUA & BARBUDA’S POSITITION “The BDS movement has applauded the unequivocal position taken by Antigua and Barbuda upholding its legal obligations under international law. However, we now urge Antigua and Barbuda to translate its declared position into concrete actions to combat this infringement of its laws and sovereignty by taking legal action against it.” - Mahmoud Nawaja’a, General Coordinator of the Palestinian BDS National committee Visual description: The background of this slide is a simple gradient of deep red that matches the red on the Palestinian flag. All of the text in this slide is white, and the heading is bolded and in all caps.

Intersect has reached out to government officials and local media organisations — including Antigua & Barbuda’s Prime Minister, the Hon. Gaston Browne, and the Antigua & Barbuda Broadcasting Services (ABS) — to promptly address and report on this crucial matter.

Text: DEADLY CARGO “Based on information the BDS movement has received from a credible source, the HC Opal is believed to be carrying at least 23 containers of military materiel destined for use by Israel in its genocide against Palestinians in direct violation of the Genocide Convention and the orders of the International Court of Justice.” “All of this cargo is in fact raw material for making artillery shells and air-to-surface bombs. A single MK84 bomb can level a whole residential building, killing entire Palestinian families. Many of these bombs fail to explode, and the Israeli forces are in need of detonators to enhance the lethality of their weapons.” - Dr. Shir Hever, Military Embargo Campaign Coordinator with the BDS movement Visual description: The background of this slide is a simple gradient of deep red that matches the red on the Palestinian flag. All of the text in this slide is white, and the heading is bolded and in all caps.

“A single MK84 bomb can level a whole residential building, killing entire Palestinian families.“

Text: THE HC OPAL However, after this directive was issued, the HC Opal’s radar went dark – disappearing from tracking systems for six days. It only reappeared on June 5, 2025, after the offloading in Israel was complete. This was a deliberate attempt to avoid detection and bypass the directive. Documentation reviewed by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement proves that the HC Opal offloaded 10 tons of Hexachloroethane at Haifa Port on June 4, 2025.It is assumed that the vessel’s remaining cargo – including rocket parts, detonators, RDX/Hexogen, and TNT – was also offloaded. Visual description: The background of this slide is a simple gradient of deep red that matches the red on the Palestinian flag. All of the text in this slide is white, and the heading is bolded and in all caps.

According to Dr. Shir Hever, Military Embargo Campaign Coordinator with the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) Movement, “All of this cargo is in fact raw material for making artillery shells and air-to-surface bombs.”

Text: THE HC OPAL A vessel sailing under the flag of Antigua & Barbuda, the HC Opal, was confirmed to have delivered military explosives to Israel – a violation of both international law and a recent directive issued by the Antiguan & Barbudan government on May 29, 2025. The directive stated that it is “strictly prohibited for any vessel registered under the Antigua and Barbuda flag to carry arms, ammunition, or other military equipment intended for delivery to, or use in, a conflict zone” and that a vessel in “breach of this prohibition is liable to be detained at the request of the Administration in a foreign port for removal of prohibited cargo, at the owner’s expense.” Visual description: The background of this slide is a simple gradient of deep red that matches the red on the Palestinian flag. All of the text in this slide is white, and the heading is bolded and in all caps.

A vessel sailing under the flag of Antigua & Barbuda, the HC Opal, was confirmed to have delivered military explosives to i$rael – a violation of both international law and a directive issued by the Antiguan & Barbudan government on May 29, 2025.

Text: WE CALL ON THE CARIBBEAN TO SUPPORT PALESTINE By urging for accountability and action concerning the vessel bearing Antigua & Barbuda's flag INTERSECT ANTIGUA-BARBUDA Visual description: The background of this slide is an image of the Palestinian flag flying in the air, in front of a vibrant blue sky. The text for this slide is white and bolded, in all caps. To the right of the text is the Intersect logo — an “i” consisting of blue, pink, and white circles.

Intersect Antigua-Barbuda calls on the Caribbean to act in solidarity with Palestine as we urge for action and accountability to be taken regarding the vessel bearing Antigua and Barbuda’s flag. 🇦🇬🧵

Old Testaments — Intersect Antigua When I agreed to testify against that man, I did it because Isaiah wanted me to. Because I needed to. Because a little distance lulls you into a false sense of security. Because the silent empty well ...

🔗 Click here to read Jacinth’s resonant piece, and let us know your thoughts: bit.ly/44YWGNW

Ayani’s old testaments aid in the conviction of her abuser, and they reintroduce the possibility of justice for herself, other survivors, and her brother ❤️‍🔥

“Darling, I have never once heard your beautiful voice, and you do not deserve what that man did to you... to us.”

. . . due to unequal power relations, potential support for the abuser, the risk of ostracisation, or the threat of their own safety being (further) compromised ❤️‍🩹

Despite being a work of fiction, “𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬” functions as an alternative archive for survivors of similar experiences who are forced into silence . . .

. . . namely, sexual abuse at the hands of her uncle and the murder of her brother, Isaiah, by those same hands.

📖✍🏾 Dated entries, a closing letter, and striking biblical allusions tie time and testimony together as we are gradually made privy to the injustices our main character, Ayani, endured as a child . . .

“When I agreed to testify against that man, I did it because Isaiah wanted me to. Because I needed to. Because a little distance lulls you into a false sense of security. Because the silent empty well I’d been falling down for years finally allowed me to scream.”

Photo of Dr. Jacinth Browne-Howard sitting cross-legged on the beach, her head thrown back in laughter. Two hardcover books rest in her lap. She is wearing a vibrant, floral crop top with a long, white skirt.

Today, we’re sharing Dr. Jacinth Browne-Howard’s (IG: thelightinthecracks) final and potent piece as our Artist-in-Residence, “𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬.”

🌿 Read it here: bit.ly/44YWGNW

Text: Scholars have defined the practice in a variety of interconnected ways: as a system of health care and scientific practices, a means of social control and mediation of status in black communities, an alternative system of governance and meting out of justice, and a central form of creole religious expression. It was also a tool for organizing rebellion; in 1736, enslaved Antiguan conspirators used obeah rituals to lay careful plans to overthrow white rule. Visual description: Image of waves meeting the shore of a beach, on which there are rocks covered in seaweed. The water and sky are both blue, and the scene is framed by an overhanging, vibrant green tree in the foreground.

This excerpt comes from her chapter, “𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝗪𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬,” which we explored in her teach-in with us earlier this year.