New York, NY (September 1, 2026) – The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO) has announced the fellows and community micro-grant recipients selected for the third year of the “Rooted + Relational” research initiative. This year’s theme, “Black Cuerpas: Race, Body Politics & Culture,” invites researchers to engage with how race, sex, gender, and body politics shape the histories and lived experiences of Boricuas.
The fellows selected are:
- Ana Castillo Muñoz, Hybrid Fellow
- Chayanne Marcano, Hybrid Fellow
- Christopher Colón, Dissertation Fellow
- Helen Maria Cristina Ceballos Viñas, Hybrid Fellow
- Dr. Isabel Guzzardo Tamargo, Research Associate
- Dr. Joseph Cáceres, Research Associate
- Dr. Judith Sierra-Rivera, Hybrid Fellow
- Maria Bear, Archives Fellow
- Melanie Rodríguez Vázquez, Dissertation Fellow
- Mirella Aparecida dos Santos Maria, Dissertation Fellow
- Nitzayra Leonor, Artist-in-Residence
- Dr. Wendyliz Martínez, Research Associate
CENTRO has also announced the recipients of its 2026–2027 Rooted + Relational Community Micro-grants. Each grantee will receive up to $5,000 to support their work in community-based arts, history, healing, and cultural practice.
The Community Micro-grants will support the following initiatives:
- La Colindancia: El Gandul y Tras Talleres
Agua, Sol y Sereno from Santurce, Puerto Rico - Cartografías afrofeministas: memorias y luchas de mujeres negras en América Latina
Asociación de Investigadores Afrolatinoamericanos/as y del Caribe (AINALC) from Buenos Aires, Argentina - Imágenes Ancestrales
Colectivo Ilé from San Juan, Puerto Rico - Desde FURIA: Educación Legal Comunitaria desde la Abogacía Participativa
Firmes, Unidos y Resilientes con la Abogacía (FURIA) Inc. from San Juan, Puerto Rico - Reflections Between the Tide / Reflexiones entre la marea
Imna Arroyo from New London, Connecticut - Norwood Community Library’s Nuyorican Reading Series
Norwood Community Library from The Bronx, New York - Bomba – Ocupando Espacio
Pal’ Pueblo Collective from Austin, Texas - The Sanctuary Studio: Healing, Identity & Music for Youth in Chicago
Panas en Chicago from Chicago, Illinois - The Legacy of Cleo Silvers, the Young Lord and Black Panther Revolutionary
Stephanie Alvarado from Brooklyn, New York - Barrio No se Borra: Archivo Vivo de Jardines, Memoria y Saberes Barriales
Taller Lumpen from Mayagüez, Puerto Rico - Sazón for the Soul: A Boricua Diaspora Learning Series
We Spirit Project: Empowering Realities (“W.S.P.E.R”) from New York, New York - La Voz Que Soy / The Voice I Am
Dr. Zuly E. Inirio from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The “Rooted + Relational” research initiative follows an annual thematic structure, unifying the work across CENTRO, and offering scholarly and cultural programming.
“This year our theme is Black Cuerpas, that is the corporal, legal, labor, linguistic, social, cultural, and educational experiences that have differential impacts on Puerto Ricans who are racialized, classed, and gendered as Black, Afro-descedant, or “visibilemente Negras” in the archipelago and the diaspora. We know that the Afro-diasporic lens is critical to understanding Puerto Rican histories and the lived experience of all Puerto Ricans, particularly those who are Afro-descendants. This area of study is rich in knowledge and cultural and intellectual practices and we are excited for the perspectives this cohort will bring to these discourses through their research and artistic inquiries,” said CENTRO Directora, Dr. Yomaira C. Figueroa-Vásquez. “From intellectual histories to literary study; from reparations mapping to curating archives of key Puerto Rican institutions; and studies in printmaking culture, performance, museum studies, and journalism; this cohort comprises a rich constellation of thought and community action. We are honored to host this brilliant and talented group of scholars, artists, and thinkers, who are committed to contributing to and reimagining the field of Puerto Rican Studies,” continued Figueroa-Vásquez.
Throughout the year, fellows will meet weekly at The Center for Puerto Rican Studies for seminars, workshops, and events. Dr. Ariana Mangual Figueroa, Professor of Latin American, Iberian, and Latino Cultures, Urban Education, Black, Race, and Ethnic Studies at the CUNY Graduate Center, will be the CUNY faculty presider for the year, offering mentorship and support for the cohort. The fellowship will culminate in a symposium in Spring 2027, accompanied by an edited volume published by CENTRO Press.