As an Artist and Organizer, Christopher Udemezue Connects Queer and Caribbean Communities

Christopher Udemezue describes a stark binary in perceptions of Caribbean culture, contrasting the pleasures of flavorful food and island music with the darkness of colonial violence and persistent homophobia. His practice mines his identity as a queer Caribbean-American. Growing up on Long Island, Udemezue felt connected to his heritage through his relatives, especially his Jamaica-born mother. But as he matured, he found few spaces that celebrated both LGBTQ and Caribbean diasporic communities