From the bottom of our hearts—thank you for being part of the inaugural Afro-Diasporic Ocean Festival at Rockaway Beach! Whether you joined us in person, helped behind the scenes, or lent your support from afar, this event was a vibrant success because of you.

Together, we celebrated International Day of Afro-Descendant Women, ocean conservation, and the deep connection between cultural memory, land stewardship, and climate justice.

We extend our deepest gratitude to the incredible volunteers and production crew whose dedication, care, and behind-the-scenes efforts brought this festival to life:

Festival Producer: Tanya Alfonso — your leadership and dedication made all of this possible.

Special thanks to our production crew: Jova Vasquez, Faith Yañez, Chris Hill, Kamila Hoe, Shellie Martinez, Niyah Bennett, Alex Lievano, Alejandra Parra

Offsite Support – LiberArte’s Team: Yura Sapi, Martin Mungai, Valentina Gutierrez, Tobi Miracle, Yara Aly, Brianna Nicole, and the LiberArte Board of Directors and Donors

🎥 Our Creative Team

• Photographer: Cesar Cristancho (LUMO Studio)
• Videographer: Lowel Alomar
• Reel Works Media Maker Intern: Jahida Seignious
• Graphic Designer: Ashley Villanueva
• Sound System: Eric Delage

— your hard work made every moment possible.

🤝 Our Community Partners

We are deeply grateful to the individuals and organizations who brought vision, collaboration, and heart to this festival, whether that was behind the scenes or on the ground at the event.

Special thanks to:

• Afro-Latin@ Forum – Josue Perea
• Oceanic Global – Gina Jurlando & Delaney Denmark
• Raíces Nuevas – Julio Bermudez
• Laru Beya Collective – Aydon Gabourel
• Reel Works Media Makers
  
• NYC Parks
  
• Los Herederos – Naomi Sturm & Mauricio Bayona
• AfroLatinx Travel – Dash Harris
• La Casa de la Cultura – Milagros Ugueto

Each of you helped ground this experience in joy, cultural memory, and collective purpose. Thank you for being part of our growing ecosystem of justice, art, and connection.

🌍 Festival Highlights

🎤 AfroLatina Wisdom: Guiding the Future of Ecojustice
Curated by Afro-Latin@ Forum, this powerful panel reminded us that AfroLatinas are ancestral wisdom keepers and leaders in the environmental justice movement. A heartfelt thank you to our moderator Isabela Arboleda-Ocoro and incredible guest panelists — Clarivel Ruiz, Milka Rodriguez, and Davina Resto — for guiding us in a critical, healing dialogue around ecojustice, legacy, and liberation.

🎶THANK YOU TO Incredible Performances by Visionary Artists

• Julissa Emile, poet and healer, opened hearts with her stunning words
• Koku Gonza brought soul and diasporic connection through her Afrobeat-inspired music
• Mai-Elka Prado Gil took us on a journey of Afro-Latinx cultural memory
• Melvis Santa, Grammy-nominated artist, lifted us with Afro-Cuban jazz brilliance

💃🏾 DJ Agent DMZ closed the night with a high-energy set that transformed the boardwalk into a dance floor powered by diasporic beats and community rhythm. It was the perfect way to celebrate and close a day of joy, liberation, and oceanic memory.

🎨 Live painting by Quiana Lewis, herbal healing with Jawhara and Terri with seed swapping from Nos Cuidamos Community Garden, and beautiful work from Afrotika Arts made our vendor village an immersive cultural and ecological experience.

Thank you for showing up and bringing your brilliance, spirit, and solidarity.

🙏 A Huge Thank You To...

💛 Our Funders

• New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA)
  
• New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA)
  
• Howard Gilman Foundation via Flushing Town Hall
  
• Materials for the Arts
  
• NEFOC Mutual Roots Fund

🔗 Stay in touch!

Follow @liberarte_inc on Instagram, and visit liberarteinc.org to continue supporting our future programming.

💌 We’d Love Your Feedback!

Please take a moment to share your experience by filling out our Audience Survey. Your insights help shape future events and programming.

🎁 Bonus: When you complete the survey, you’ll be entered into a raffle to win exclusive merch as a thank-you for your time and support!

👉 Click here to complete the survey