Garifuna Activist and Historian, Mr. Felix “Igemeri” Miranda Passes Away

This Belizean Garifuna Man, a Formidable Force and Leader in Brooklyn, was 74 Years Old.

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2021 Copyright by Teofilo Colon Jr. a.k.a “Tio Teo” (T.O. Tayo). All Rights Reserved. Contact Tio Teo.

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Belize, Central America: It is with a heavy heart that I report that Mr. Felix “Igemeri” Miranda, of Belizean Garifuna Heritage, passed away on August 7th 2021, thus joining the Ancestors. His family has not announced a cause of death.

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Born on November 17th 1946 to Florencio Edmund Miranda and Eugenia Miranda, Mr. Felix Francis Miranda (Friends called him Igemeri “Light” in the Garifuna Language) was born and raised in Hopkins, Belize.

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Mr. Miranda’s parents were from Newtown, a settlement between Hopkins and Dangriga / Stann Creek, Belize.

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After the birth of his son, Mr. Miranda came to the United States in 1971, going straight to New York City.

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EDUCATION and CAREER of Garifuna Man, Mr. Felix Miranda

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According to Mr. Miranda’s LinkedIn profile, He attended St. Francis College from 1974 through 1977, where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree (B.S. in Business Management).

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Later on, he went to Fordham University in the Bronx, where he went to the Graduate School of Business Administration (1980-1984). At both St. Francis’s College and Fordham University, Mr. Miranda was a member of the Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity.

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As for work, Mr. Felix Miranda was an Administrative Manager for The New York City Transit Authority for 21 years (1988 through 2009). In 2009, he retired from New York City Transit, enjoying the winter of his life with his family in Brooklyn and Belize.

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Mr. Felix Miranda was also the co-founder of Miranda Brothers Company Ltd, serving as President and CEO of it’s offshoot, Garifuna Fabrics & Fashions USA LLC.

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ABOVE PHOTO CAPTION: Mr. Felix Miranda’s Military Portrait Photo. Courtesy of Facebook.

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Mr. Felix Miranda was also a military veteran. I assumed that he was part of the Belizean Military in his youth, but at his funeral in Belize, Mr. Miranda’s coffin was covered by the American flag, and had American Soldiers and Officials standing at attention around it.

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As soon as I can confirm which branch of the Military Mr. Felix Miranda served in (U.S. Marines? U.S. Navy?), I will update this posting.

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UPDATE: Mr. Felix Miranda was in The U.S. Army. I have not been able to get his years of service on Active Duty at this time.

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ABOVE PHOTO CAPTION: Mr. Felix Miranda’s coffin covered with the American Flag. American Military officials/soldiers are standing at attention beside the coffin. Photo courtesy of Empire Funeral Home of Belize on Facebook.

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In 1991, Mr. Felix Igemeri Miranda was the host of the first Garifuna Radio Show in the United States, Lumalali Garifuna (Voice of The Garifuna People). It was broadcast out of WNYE 91.5 FM. This Garifuna Radio Show aired every Sunday from 4pm to 5pm. I have not confirmed whether it was broadcast out of Medgar Evers College.

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As major part of Mr. Felix Miranda’s life was his Activism and Advocacy for the Garifuna People. I know him for representing the World Garifuna Organization. However, other organizations are also associated with him. Including:

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• World Garifuna Organization — This organization was founded in 1994 in New York City. Six Garifuna Organizations from Belize, Honduras, Guatemala and The United States met to establish common objectives. Those six organizations were: Unification of Garifuna Culture, Libaya Baba Garifuna Students Organization, The United Garifuna Organization, The Garifuna Gualtemalteca-Yurumei Association, The Prometra Society and The National Garifuna Council of Belize. The World Garifuna Organization was formally launched six years later on April 12th 2000. Their stated objectives were to: a) unify Garifuna People b) claim reparations from the British Government for historical atrocities against Garifuna people c) promote the social, economic and cultural progress of the Garifuna people. The primary organizers of The World Garifuna Organization were: Dr. Theodore Aranda of Belize and Mr. Felix Igemeri Miranda. (pg. 274, Diaspora Conversions: Black Carib Religion and the Recovery of Africa – by Paul Christopher Johnson. Copyright 2007 by The Regents of The University of California. University of California Press.
• Garifuna Council of New York, Inc
• Lawanserun Garifuna Heritage, Inc
• One of the original members of The Garifuna Coalition USA Inc

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Mention of Garifuna Man Mr. Felix Igemeri Miranda in Books

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As mentioned above, Mr. Felix Igemeri Miranda also served as a reference in books about Garifuna culture. He is thanked in the Acknowledgements page for his “fraternal support” in the 1994 Garifuna Folktales book by Jessie Castillo. (Garifuna Folktales. Copyright 1994 by Jessie Castillo and The Caribbean Research Center at Medgar Evers College of CUNY) .

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Mr. Felix Igemeri Miranda also served as a reference as a buyei in the 2007 book, Diaspora Conversions: Black Carib Religion and the Recovery of Africa – by Paul Christopher Johnson. (Diaspora Conversions: Black Carib Religion and the Recovery of Africa – by Paul Christopher Johnson. Copyright 2007 by The Regents of The University of California. University of California Press.)

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In the Diaspora Conversions book, Mr. Miranda also details his being initiated as a Youruba ancestor priest and as a Garifuna buyei (Garifuna Spiritual Figure). (page 132. Diaspora Conversions: Black Carib Religion and the Recovery of Africa – by Paul Christopher Johnson. Copyright 2007 by The Regents of The University of California. University of California Press.)

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Mr. Felix Igemeri Miranda also details the work involved getting Garifuna Culture and Language recognized in New York City, The United States and throughout the world in the Diaspora Conversions book (pages 141-142. Diaspora Conversions: Black Carib Religion and the Recovery of Africa – by Paul Christopher Johnson. Copyright 2007 by The Regents of The University of California. University of California Press.).

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In essence, Mr. Felix Igemeri Miranda explains that this effort (in 1991, the Garifuna Language was recognized by New York State as an official language category for children entering the public school system. Also, New York recognized November 19th as Garifuna Settlement Day in 1991, United Nations recognizing the Garifuna People in 1992) involved in getting Americans to identify and recognize the Garifuna people and the Garifuna Language was strategic and involved WORK.

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Mention of Garifuna Man Mr. Felix Igemeri Miranda in Various Media (Newspapers, etc)

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As the media in New York City became aware of the Garifuna ethnic group, particularly after The tragic Happy Land Social Club Fire of 1990, profiles or articles about the Garifuna tended to have a quote from Mr. Felix Miranda in it.

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In fact, the first major article about the Garifuna ethnic group in New York City (“Club Tragedy was an Awakening for Garifuna” by Edna Negron, for New York Newsday Newspaper, August 18th 1991) was an article that was a profile of the Brooklyn Garifuna organization MUGAMA. In it, the Journalist, Edna Negron of New York Newsday, tried to get a sense of the community after The Happy Land Social Club Fire.

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In 2000, there was another profile of the Brooklyn based Garifuna Organization, MUGAMA. This time it was by City Limits . In the article (“Points of Entry: New York’s Garifuna” by Laura Ciechanowski for City Limits. April 1st 2000), Mr. Felix Miranda gives an insightful answer to the question of how to balance assimilation and the need to preserve our unique cultural heritage.

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In a 2003 article on a symposium on Vincentian History (“Vincentian Distorted History Leaves Damning Legacy” by Nelson King for Queens Chronicle. March 20th 2003), Mr. Miranda is also quoted talking about the horrors of Balliceaux, an island off the coast of St. Vincent that Garifuna people were sent after being defeated in war by the British. Sort of a Garifuna version of Auschwitz.

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In 2009, Mr. Felix Miranda took part in a conference regarding relations between residents of St. Vincent Island and it’s Diaspora. The Searchlight Newspaper/Website mentioned that Mr. Miranda gave an inspiring speech about the Initiative.

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In 2017, Mr. Felix Miranda was also part of a contingent of Belizean Garifuna activists meeting with Honduran NGO, OFRANEH about Honduran Garifuna Land Issues. (“Belize Delegation Reports back from Honduras OFRANEH Garifuna Territorial Defense (Part 1” July 19th 2017).

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As a Garifuna Activist and Advocate, Mr. Felix Miranda was also concerned about the erosion of Garifuna Culture, namely the declining use of the Garifuna Language. In 2014, The Endangered Language Alliance videotaped a talk between Mr. Felix Miranda and Belizean Garifuna Singer/Musician Mr. James Lovell.

• Endangered Language Alliance. Interview with Mr. Felix Miranda and James Lovell. Part 1.
• Endangered Language Alliance. Interview with Mr. Felix Miranda and James Lovell. Part 2.

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Mr. Felix Miranda also has a role in the Garifuna In Peril movie directed by Ruben Reyes and Ali Allie. In it, he portrays one of the town elders who expresses concern over an issue one of the protagonists has in the film’s drama.

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Mr. Felix Miranda was one of the subjects interviewed in the long in development, I Am Garifuna Documentary by Milton Guity Jr.

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In the I Am Garifuna Documentary, The Director, Milton Guity Jr goes to each Central American country that makes up most of the Garifuna Diaspora (Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, and Nicaragua) and interviews Garifuna people about the Garifuna experience. Mr. Felix Miranda represented the country of Belize.

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I only met Mr. Felix Miranda once.

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It was in 2010, at The Brooklyn Memorial for the co-founder of Belize Garifuna Settlement Day, Mr. Thomas Vincent Ramos. The respect that attendees had for this elder was evident.

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ABOVE PHOTO CAPTION: Trish St. Hill from St. Vincent, Jose Francisco Avila (Honduras/USA) from The Garifuna Coalition USA Inc, Rosita Alvarez (Belize) of the Brooklyn Garifuna Settlement Day Cultural Mass Association, and Mr. Felix Miranda at The Memorial for the Co-Founder of Belize Garifuna Settlement Day, Mr. Thomas Vincent Ramos (a.k.a. T.V. Ramos). Photo by Teofilo Colon Jr for Being Garifuna. All Rights Reserved.

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This respect was also evident as attendees listened to Mr. Miranda’s speech about Mr. Thomas Vincent Ramos’s legacy with rapt attention. The eagerness that select attendees had to take a photo with him also illustrated this as well.

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This event took place after his retirement from The New York City Transit Authority (I learned of this after the fact), and I wish I had known that it would be my last time seeing him.

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ABOVE PHOTO CAPTION: Mr. Felix Miranda, Irene Aranda and Unidentified Man (although he looks like he a Brother of Mr. Felix Miranda’s) at The 2010 Brooklyn Memorial for the Co-Founder of Belize Garifuna Settlement Day, Mr. Thomas Vincent Ramos. Photo by Teofilo Colon Jr Photography for Being Garifuna. All Rights Reserved.

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ABOVE PHOTO CAPTION: Mr. Felix Igemeri Miranda in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of Facebook.

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At times, Mr. Felix Miranda wore African clothing. In seeing photos of him in African clothing, I am reminded of Mr. Miranda’s steady insistence that Garifuna people recognize the African portion of our Cultural Heritage and Ancestry. In that sense, Mr. Miranda stood out. I recall his pointing out the African influence in Garifuna culture at times on social media.

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Below is video of an outdoors Garifuna Concert at Lincoln Center in Manhattan, New York City in 1996. It may have been the Lincoln Center Out of Doors Summer Festival.

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This Outdoors Garifuna Concert featured The Wanichigu Dance Company, Garifuna Kids / Garifuna Legacy (USA, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize), Titi Man (from Belize), Yumurei Band (out of Boston, Massachusetts), and Aurelio Martinez.

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At the very beginning of the video, Mr. Felix Miranda is speaking to the audience about Garifuna Culture and it’s connection to African and Amerindian Heritage.

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In September 2016, a contingent of women led by Belize Ambassador at Large, Miss Attallah Shabazz (oldest daughter of American Civil Rights Activist, Malcolm X) visited Belize.

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In the video below, Mr. Felix Miranda welcomed this Delegation of Women to Belize and gave them a speech giving a brief summnation of the Garifuna people.

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Mr. Felix Igemeri Miranda is predeceased by:

• His Father, Florencio Edmund Miranda
• Grandson, James Anthony Nunez
• Brothers, Hubert Stanley, Eric Miranda
• Sisters, Dorothy Miranda, Florence Miranda

Mr. Felix Igemeri Miranda is survived by:

• Mother: Eugenia Miranda
• Children: Charles, Godston, Kenrick, Felice, Igemeri
• Grandchildren: Chanell, Godston Jr, Jaylen, Aaliyah, Liana, Kaya, Ariel, Saraye, Yuni, Kaslyn and Kiarah
• Siblings: Mark, Thomas, Myvette, Fidel, Andrew, Maurice, Joseph, Alfonso, Nicholas
• Wife: Blanca Miranda
• Frances Alberta Miranda (former wife of 35 years and mother of his children)

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Beinggarifuna.com extends a Leiba Ameragua (“Go Rest (Masculine)/Rest In Peace” in the Garifuna Language) to Mr. Felix Igemeri Miranda. He lived a long, productive life. Hopefully we can learn from your legacy.

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Here is the link to the Funeral for Garifuna Activist and Advocate, Mr. Felix Miranda as presented by the Empire Funeral Home of Belize on Facebook.

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