Book on Statia’s African burial grounds launched

WEESP, The Netherlands--AFRO Magazine and HOX Projects hosted the official presentation of “Restoring Our Ties: The Voices of Statians Making A Difference” on Saturday, May 23, 2026, bringing attention to St. Eustatius’ African burial grounds, the voices of Statians, and the importance of Caribbean communities telling their own history.

The presentation took place at the AFRO Magazine office in Weesp, where approximately 20 guests attended the launch. The book was produced in connection with the St. Eustatius Afrikan Burial Ground Alliance and is the result of a research project carried out by cultural anthropologist Dr. Artwell Cain.

Dr. Cain, who is based in Aruba, spent several weeks on St. Eustatius last year interviewing residents about their views on the human remains found at African burial grounds on the island. The publication serves both as a record of that research and as a contribution to the wider historical narrative of St. Eustatius. It also includes stories and reflections connected to the island’s past and the ongoing need to address history from the perspective of the people whose ancestors lived it.

Kenneth Cuvalay, chairman of the St. Eustatius Afrikan Burial Ground Alliance, said the project was necessary because the history of St. Eustatius has too often been shaped by colonial viewpoints. He noted that although St. Eustatius is a small island, it once played an important role in colonial activity, making it essential for Statians to present a fuller and more complete historical narrative.

Dr. Cain also addressed the audience on the importance of the research and the wider process of decolonizing memory. He stressed that telling one’s own story is part of the struggle for liberation, heritage, dignity and self-understanding, not only for Statians but also for the Caribbean and the wider diaspora.

The book was published by HOX Projects BV, the company behind AFRO Magazine. Founder and Director Marvin Hokstam Baapoure thanked Cuvalay and the Alliance for entrusting the project to a Black publisher, saying the publication reflects the responsibility to use expertise to tell Black stories with the right nuance.

During the event, Hokstam Baapoure also presented AFRO Magazine’s recently released Academic Edition, an 84-page bilingual publication featuring Black academic stories and reports connected to the work of Het Broos Instituut. AFRO Magazine also announced that HOX Projects will publish two novels this summer, both written by Hokstam Baapoure, along with the magazine’s Summer Edition scheduled for June.

The launch also featured a reading by MJ French, winner of AFRO Magazine’s Griot writing competition, as well as a mini exhibition of works by artist Abbygail Diko, who is scheduled to be featured on the cover of the magazine’s Entrepreneurship edition in September.

According to AFRO Magazine, “Restoring Our Ties: The Voices of Statians Making A Difference” is available through its webshop. The publication adds to ongoing conversations about African heritage, burial grounds, historical repair and the right of Caribbean people to tell their own stories.

HOX Projects B.V. is the Netherlands-based media, publishing and project company led by Marvin Hokstam Baapoure. The company operates at the intersection of media, project management and Afrocentric knowledge production, and is the publisher of AFRO Magazine NL and AFRO Magazine EU. Through its work with AFRO Magazine, Stichting Bigi Bon, the Broos Institute and related initiatives, HOX Projects focuses on publishing, education, cultural storytelling and projects that center Afro-descendant communities in the Netherlands, the Caribbean and the wider diaspora.

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