NEW BOOK
Get Involved!
Stories of Bahamian Civil Society
Philanthropy is often seen through a narrow lens, favoring Western perspectives. In Get Involved!, Kim Williams-Pulfer, Ph.D. explores Caribbean philanthropy, focusing on The Bahamas.
Through narrative analysis spanning history to present day, the book uncovers "philanthropy from below," emphasizing marginalized communities' contributions to civil society. This work highlights the rich, often overlooked history of philanthropic engagement in The Bahamas and the wider African Diaspora.
Although philanthropy is widely considered a global practice, Eurocentric depictions dominate the conversation. Dr. Kim Williams-Pulfer challenges the world to reconsider with Get Involved!, a sociological deep dive that draws on the narratives of Afro-Bahamian communities through the lens of ‘philanthropy from below’.
The book uses narrative analysis spanning period of enslavement to the post-post-colonial current moment. It incorporates historical observations from icons like Zora Neale Hurston as well as meditations on national and regional cultural cornerstones, including the Junkanoo tradition and the voices and experiences of contemporary civil society leaders.
Get Involved! brings to life an under-documented story of philanthropy broadening the dominant perspective by bringing attention to a place that thrives because of its cross-communal support, rich history, and vibrant people.
“Expressions of love for humanity through philanthropy by people in power most often manifest in activities aimed at fixing people instead of the conditions they live in. However, philanthropic practices in its many forms by oppressed groups provide insights into how to address root causes of their suffering.
Kim Williams-Pulfer's hyperlocal analysis of Bahamian philanthropic practices seeks to transform regressive notions of philanthropy into a concept that recognizes an authentic love that comes through resistance.”
— Andre M. Perry, author of Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities
Praise for Get Involved!
“
Williams-Pulfer brilliantly uses history, art, and storytelling to excavate and document previously 'undocumented' Black Caribbean traditions, cultures, and practices of giving in the Global South. Her cogent analysis demonstrates why centering Black people is essential to the intellectual project of understanding philanthropy as human practice."
– Dr. Tyrone McKinley Freeman, author of Madam C.J. Walker's Gospel of Giving: Black Women's Philanthropy during Jim Crow
“
The uniqueness of this book is in its examination of cultural identity, the development of civil society, and philanthropy through narratives of lived experiences. Its focus on the evolution and impact of the third sector in a small-island developing state in the Caribbean contributes new knowledge and charts new research paths."
– Eris D. Schoburgh, coeditor of Developmental Local Governance: A Critical Discourse in ‘Alternative Development’
