In 2006, President Bush officially recognized June as the month to celebrate Caribbean-American heritage nationally. Three years from their 20th anniversary, the heritage of Caribbean-Americans—including our founding father Alexander Hamilton, the Mowry twins, and the late Sidney Poitier—is celebrated every June and affirmed by every president in office since Bush. For the first installment of our National Caribbean-American Heritage series (NCAH), ALLMYNE is sharing with you some of the cultural fun you can find to learn more about and/or embrace their ethnic roots!
The official Caribbean-American heritage month website has weekly themes showcasing various threads of their culture. Next week starts “Caribbean Restaurant Week” where you can reserve an online seat to learn about…
- Jamaican Cooking with Chef Karen Francis on June 12;
- Vegan/Vegetarian Cooking with Chef Lois Baker on June 13;
- Haitian Cooking with Chef VA on June 14;
- Cocktails and Appetizer Cooking with Chef Charmaine Lord on June 15;
- Seafood Cooking with Chef Llewellyn Clarke on June 16; and
- Food Truck Cooking on June 17.
All events happen at 8PM, so be sure to reserve your seat before it’s too late!
The following week is highlighting legislation, including Juneteenth, domestic policy, and foreign policy. For the Juneteenth celebration–the first of its kind—John Brown Russwurm will be discussing the holiday and moving forward as a cultural group. You can register for this event here, which starts June 19 at 10AM.
For the 23rd of June, they will be celebrating young Caribbean leaders in a “30 Under 30” event. More information about that event can be found here.
Rounding out the month, the 26th through the 28th will see a focus on small businesses, ending with an emphasis on culture for June 29 and 30. Updates for those events can be found on the Carribean-American month website.
They also have a section called “Happenings Around the Country,” which has events we’ve listed below for you to explore, along with some other gems we found!
- DC Caribbean FilmFest June 8-14 (Hosted by AFI Silver)
- Life with Basquiat Exhibit at Caribbeing House through June 11 (Governors Island) More on Basquiat.
- Trees of Little Caribbean Exhibit at Steinhardt Conservatory through December 17 (Brooklyn, NY)
- Kansas City Caribbean American Cultural Extravaganza June 9 (First Baptist Church in Kansas City, MO)
- 5th Annual Caribbean Culture, Cuisine, and Art Expo June 10 (Virtual event through Dominican Health & Education Initiative)
- 7th Annual Caribbean Film Screening June 13 (PFS Bourse Theatre in Philadelphia, PA)
- Caribbean Research Center Speaker Series with Hon. Dr. Ralph Gonsalves on June 15 (Youtube Livestream)
- Reels & Riddim/Celebrating Caribbean Artist in Music and Film on June 16 (New York, NY)
- Randolph Caribbean American Heritage Festival June 17 (Powers Farm in Randolph, MA)
- Worcester Caribbean American Heritage Festival June 18 (Institute Park in Worcester, MA)
- Juneteenth + One Love Little Caribbean Day June 18 (Lefferts Historic House in Prospect Park of Brooklyn, NY)
- Caribbean Open Mic June 19 (Philadelphia, PA)
- CaribBiz Network Momentum Expo June 22-24 (Downtown Brooklyn, NY)
- Rhode Island Caribbean American Heritage Festival June 24 (The WaterFire Arts Center in Providence, RI)
- Caribbean Heritage Day June 24 (Philadelphia, PA)
- Spectacle Island Caribbean American Boat Cruise June 25 (Long Wharf in Boston, MA)
- Steelpan Day June 25 (Lefferts Historic House in Prospect Park of Brooklyn, NY)
- Flavors of the Caribbean June 30 (Residence Inn in Boston, MA)
- Island Rhythms June 30 (Kings Theatre courtyard in Brooklyn, NY)
