Annís Barron

Class of 2025

Faculty Advisor: Pedro Regalado

Peer Mentor: Mercedes Martinez Milantchi

Atlanta native Annis Joelle Barron graduated summa cum laude with departmental honors from Spelman College, where she majored in Spanish Language and Literature.  Annis is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and the Delta Sigma Pi Honor Societies.  Her dedication to social justice and equality has earned her participation in multiple fellowships.  In 2022, Annis enjoyed the privilege of completing a fellowship at the University of California, Santa Barbara Afrolatinidades Institute, where she studied Afro-Latinx poetry, film, music, and literature.  In 2023 Annis participated in a study abroad program at FLACSO, a research and humanities center in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. There, she studied Dominican history, geography, gastronomy, music, and culture.  Most recently, Annis completed a 2023 summer residency, followed by participation in a yearlong fellowship with Harvard Law School’s Future Leaders in Law Program.

While at Spelman, Annis also studied Brazilian Portuguese.  She dreams of becoming a polyglot and as a CLAS student, she hopes to become fluent in Portuguese.  Passionate about how Afro-descendant communities in Latin America use music and colloquial language to describe the precariousness of their environments, Annis’ research focuses on how Dembow music and dance are a form of resistance to societal woes in the Dominican Republic.  During her time at Spelman Annis served as President of AfroLatinidad, an organization dedicated to demystifying the Black roots of Latin America and encouraging social change within our global community.  

As an Afro-Latina with a strong connection to her Afro-Panamanian and Dominican heritage, Annis has always had a zeal for language and culture.  This zeal influenced her travels to immersive Spanish environments such as Panama City, Panama, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Spain, and various parts of the Dominican Republic. Her hobbies include singing, writing poetry, and salsa dancing.  Completion of the Latin American Studies Master’s Program at Stanford University will serve as the launching pad for her to make an impact on global consciousness.