Who We Be

In Jamaica, after a long, godforsaken day of labor, people often gathered together on the verandah to talk long and loud and wide, the TV droning on in the distance about some boring political scandal. And, between the peeling of potatoes, the braiding of hair, and the counting of money, the drama of the day tumbled down quickly like the guavas that littered the front yard, overripe and righteous.

There is a Jamaican word for this time that people spend together: “palaav,” perhaps from the English “palaver” which, according to Merriam Webster, means “idle talk.”

There is a Jamaican word for this time that people spend together: “palaav,” perhaps from the English “palaver” which, according to Merriam Webster, means “idle talk.”

Ouch.

But when we "palaav," it is much more than idle talk. To “palaav” is to build relationships and relationships make new worlds possible.

OUR ETHOS

The Palava Project is grounded in this Jamaican cultural practice with one significant difference: we are a queer and trans collective, founded in June 2025. We are dedicated to public education initiatives that center histories of gender and sexuality across the Caribbean & the Black diaspora.

Come, palaav with we.