Sarah Rafael García & Cecilia López
Modest Avila Obstructing Development Since 1889 (#MAOD) is a bilingual platform for collecting and sharing relevant history with a specific focus on Latinx, women and regional narratives in English and Spanish. #MAOD builds movement culture by preserving and re-presenting history from the point of view of people of color. Combined, the archives and published creative work will also present a bilingual open-source book through APP Digital that engages a broader audience through diverse language, scholarly work and the digital humanities. With the collaborative research produced alongside undergraduate student and photographer Cecilia Lopez, multimedia artist Sarah Rafael García aims to transpose Modesta Avila’s image from criminal to digital storyteller.
Sarah Rafael García is an author, community educator, performance ethnographer and first generation everything. As a child of immigrants and first-generation graduate, she has over 13 years of experience as an Arts Leader and is the founder of Barrio Writers, LibroMobile and Crear Studio. Currently, she splits her time writing and implementing Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) strategic framework for art spaces, teaching Ethnofiction for Contemporary Narratives, and developing an archival ethnofiction project for the life of Modesta Avila as a 2020 USLDH Mellon-Funded Grantee. Most recently, she was recognized as 2021 ARCUS Fellow, a groundbreaking community of support for emerging leaders of the historic preservation movement. García gives credit to her parents’ GED education and the migrant labor that brought her grandparents to the US as the source of her perseverance and foundation to her accomplishments.
Cecilia López is a photographer, research coordinator and literacy tutor. She is an advocate for human trafficking survivors; her creative work intersects social justice themes with photographic documentation. She is a second year undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley majoring in Sociology with a focus on Chicanx Studies and Digital Humanities. Currently, she is a research contributor for the 2020-2021 USLDH Mellon-Funded Grant: Modesta Avila Obstructing Development Since 1889, an archival project that documents the life of Modesta Avila, under the direction of Sarah Rafael García.
The #MAOD virtual timeline is part of collaborative multimedia ethnofiction project initiated by Sarah Rafael Garcia. The digital enhancement for elaborate project is supported in part by multimedia artist Carla Zarate Suarez and transmedia artist Reema, jointly they will create the graphic illustrations and augmented reality for digital storytelling. Most recently, Modesta Avila has resurfaced in Twitter– collectively we have reconstituted her image to demonstrate a story from an alternative perspective. Her narrative includes black and white photos as regional documentation. #MAOD is the first multi-media scholarly publication of Modesta Avila that is collected, preserved and re-presented by two Chicanas from SanTana: Sarah Rafael García and Cecilia Lopez.
Twitter: @ModestaAvilaOD
IG: @cuentosmobile
Sarah Rafael García
Cecilia López
“La leyenda de la resistencia de Modesta corre como un fantasma por todas nuestras comunidades (The legend of the Modesta’s resistance runs like a ghost throughout our communities),” by Jose Artiga, SHARE FOUNDATION, Executive Director and Sarah Garcia
Gracias Modesta por tu protesta en contra de la compañía poderosa de Santa Fe Railroad.
Tu ejemplo me recuerda las protestas de los indígenas Lencas de Honduras. Hace un par de años llegamos con una delegación de la Fundación SHARE a Honduras. Del aeropuerto nos fuimos directamente a unirnos a una caravana de carros hacia el peaje de Progreso sobre una carretera nueva hecha con fondos donados al gobierno. El narco gobierno de Juan Orlando Hernández había regalado a una compañía privada el derecho de cobrar peaje a los carros que ocuparan la carretera, en algunos tramos el costo era tan alto como los ingresos de un día de trabajo.
Llegamos al peaje y la caravana se enfrentó con un despliegue de militares, tanquetas y vehículos militares. Había más de 5 militares por cada uno de nosotros en la protesta. Nuestra protesta era cruzar el peaje sin pagar. Nos cerraron el paso y nos rodearon de militares. Mi hijo Alejandro que me acompañaba me pregunto qué posibilidades que nos disparen los militares, yo le dije que no sabía, pero por ser internacionales teníamos una mejor suerte que los locales que generalmente son perseguidos con cárcel, desaparecimientos y asesinatos. Nos dejaron pasar sin pagar el peaje, se dieron unos discursos y terminamos la protesta.
La comunidad mantenía presencia en el peaje de Progreso cada día pidiéndoles a los motoristas que no pagaran el peaje y efectivamente en el Progreso no se paga peaje, si se paga en los otros peajes de la carretera hacia la capital de Tegucigalpa.
Pocos meses después la comunidad organizo darle fuego a las casetas del peaje y amarraron la estructura a furgones grandes y físicamente destruyeron las casetas de peaje. NO más peaje en la carretera del progreso.
La historia de Modesta es poderosa y es universal, la entendemos en centro America y la entendemos en Africa.
Construir a 15 pies de la casa enfureció a Modesta y le lleno de energía para hacer una protesta histórica y universal. Su línea de ropa cruzando los rieles fue una protesta muy creativa.
El primer jurado 6 vs 6 que no logro condenarla fue una victoria parcial. Porque la compañía iba a regresar con más poder y con más manas para que el siguiente jurado la condenara a prisión.
Igual en Honduras. La policía se metió en las casas de miembros de la comunidad y los capturo y puso muchas demandas. Les acudo de destrucción de propiedad privada, les acusó de tener pertrechos de guerra, les planto evidencia falsa para condenarles. El proceso legal tardo mucho tiempo para tener a los detenidos presos en condiciones inhumanas.
Cuando Modesta dice en el video, este es un acto de protesta, ella esta clara que esta peleando contra una compañía poderosa pero eso no la va a detener de expresar su protesta y exigir su demanda. Su demanda es una reparación a los danos. Me encanta cuando dice estoy enojada y pido 10 millones de reparación.
La leyenda de la resistencia de Modesta corre como un fantasma por todas nuestras comunidades. Es la leyenda de Berta Caceres que defendía el rio, el bosque y las comunidades de las compañías nacionales y multinacionales, y por eso le asesinaron.
Viva Modesta, Viva la resistencia!
The legend of the Modesta’s resistance runs like a ghost throughout our communities.
Thank you Modesta for your protest the powerful company of the Santa Fe Railroad.
Your example reminds me of the protests of the indigenous Lencas of Honduras. A couple of years ago we arrived with a delegation from the SHARE Foundation to Honduras. From the airport we went straight to join a caravan of cars to the Progreso tollbooth on a new highway made with funds donated to the government. The narc government of Juan Orlando Hernández had given a private company the right to collect tolls on the cars that travel the road, in some sections the cost was as high as the income of a day's work.
We arrived at the toll booth and the caravan was faced with a deployment of soldiers, tanks and military vehicles. There were more than 5 soldiers for each of us in the protest. Our protest was to cross the toll without paying.
They blocked our way and surrounded us with soldiers. My son Alejandro asked me what possibilities the military would shoot us. I told him that I didn't know but because we were international we had better luck than the locals who are generally persecuted with jail, disappearances and murders. They let us pass without paying the toll, there were speeches and we ended the protest.
The community maintained a presence at the Progreso tollbooth every day, asking drivers not to pay the toll and indeed in Progreso no toll is paid, if it is paid at the other tolls on the highway to the capital of Tegucigalpa.
A few months later the community organized to set fire to the toll booths and tied the structure to large trucks and physically destroyed the toll booths. NO more toll on the highway of Progreso.
The history of Modesta is powerful and universal, we understand it in Central America and we understand it in Africa.
Building 15 feet from the house enraged Modesta and filled her with the energy to make a historic and universal protest. Her clothing line crossing the rails was a very creative protest.
The first 6 vs 6 jury that failed to convict her was a partial victory. Because the company was going to return with more power and with more tricks for the next jury to sentence her to prison.
Same in Honduras. The police broke into the homes of community members and captured them and made many demands. I go to them for the destruction of private property, accused them of having war supplies, planted false evidence to convict them. The legal process took a long time to hold the detainees in inhumane conditions.
When Modesta says in the video, this is an act of protest, she is clear that she is fighting against a powerful company but that is not going to stop her from voicing her protest and voice her demand. Her claim is compensation for damages. I love it when she says I'm mad and ask for 10 million in reparation.
The legend of the Modesta’s resistance runs like a ghost throughout our communities. It is the legend of Berta Caceres who defended the river, the forest and the communities of national and multinational companies, and that is why they assassinated her.
Long live Modesta, long live the resistance!