June is officially Caribbean American Heritage month! I did an older post on 5 Ways to celebrate Caribbean-American Heritage Month, and wanted to update with new events, charities and all things Caribbean you can do to celebrate this month.
For most Caribbean Americans our Caribbean roots are somehow infused into our daily lives, but that doesn’t mean we can’t amp things up in honor of celebrating Caribbean-American Heritage Month. Need a few ideas on how you can embrace your culture this month? Here’s a list of things you can do.
1.) Buy Caribbean
The best way see continuous growth of the Caribbean and its Diaspora is through commerce. Music is such a huge part of our culture, however illegal downloading has ravaged much of the industry’s ability to make money off music sales. Buy music from some of your favorite artists right now Morgan Heritage’s Strictly Roots, Machel Montano’s Monk Monte are in heavy rotation on my iPhone. It’s not just the music, support Caribbean – American fashion and beauty brands like Chen Burkett, 84Gem, Trefle Designs, Anya Ayoung-Chee . Buy books like Somerset Grove by Dionne Peart, The Roving Tree by Elsie Augustave and Miss Ivy’s Tea Room by Marlene Rose-Clarke.
2. ) Donate to Caribbean Charity
There are multiple charities that are Caribbean-American based that you can donate to assist back home. Choose organizations like JAMPACT, Rockhouse Foundation or another non profit that you love to contribute to the progression of Caribbean islands.
3.) Share Your Culture
Embracing your culture means sharing it with others. Share an interesting fact about your culture on Facebook or Twitter, take a co-worker to Salsa night or take a friend to a great Caribbean restaurant. Exposing others to the greatness of your culture not only gives them good insight to who you are as a person, it gives them a chance to learn and embrace different cultures as well. Use the hashtag #CAHM , #CaribbeanHeritageMonth or #TeamCaribbean to find out what’s happening. (Tag us on Instagram @StyleandVibes or use the hashtag #FlyCaribbeanChic to be featured!)
4.) Eat. Drink & be Merry
This is probably the easiest idea to put into action (at least for me anyway!). There’s always a great Caribbean Restaurant to nearby, especially if you live in or near a major city. A few of my favorites in the New York/Connecticut area are Sugarcane, Spur Tree, Suede, A Place 2 Go, Ripe or Miss Lillys. If you’re not near a major city or new to your city check out Yelp to help you look for local listings.
5.) Attend an Event
As the summer heats up, so do the events! Plays, concerts, festivals you name it! Check out my list of 10 reggae concerts and festivals as well is this year’s line up for Caribbean concerts at Six Flags Theme Park to attend this summer or check out a Caribbean Film series by the Caribbean Film Academy. You can event check out the fitness dance classes like Socacize , Soka Tribe and Bruk Wine .
This post was published as part of Rewind and Come Again’s 2015 June Blog Carnival celebrating National Caribbean-American Heritage Month.
Mikelah
Mikelah is a Caribbean Culture expert, curating the bridge between the Caribbean and its diaspora. A CUNY Baruch College graduate with a BBA in Marketing. With previous experience with Caribbean lifestyle brands such as VP Records, Tempo TV and JAMROCK Magazine. Currently serving as a digital marketing maven by day, while continuing to collaborate with Caribbean brands.
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