IslandMix - Soca, Reggae, Zouk and Caribbean Entertainment

Bill in Congress to make June Caribbean-American Heritage Month in the United States

Recently, on one of our local Caribbean programs (WEAA Morgan State University’s “Caribbean Affair”) we heard a discussion and interview with Dr. Clair Nelson, PhD, President of The Institute of Caribbean Studies regarding a proposed Bill to make the month of June “Caribbean-Heritage Month” throughout the entire USA. Currently, June is Caribbean-American Heritage Month here in DC, which all works out perfectly for DC since DC Caribbean Carnival takes place in June. I have received lots of information from folks trying to get the word out, and get your support for this Bill H.Res.570 to be passed. So I invite you to please support this effort either via e-mail, letter or phone. Please read the Press Release below from Dr. Nelson. I understand a postal letter-writing campaign is currently in effect and a phone-in campaign will begin shortly. The goal is to get this bill passed in this election year.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
www.icsdc.org
icsdcorg@yahoo.com
RE: Campaign to Recognize June as Caribbean American Heritage Month
Dear Friend of the Caribbean:
On March 17, 2004, Congresswoman Barbara Lee introduced a Bill (House Resolution 570) urging the Congress to recognize June as Caribbean American Heritage Month. This historic Bill which ICS assisted in drafting, builds on, and solidifies efforts that ICS have made in Washington DC since 2001 to celebrate June as Caribbean American Heritage Month in the Washington DC metropolitan area. ICS commends Congresswoman Lee for her leadership on this initiative.
The passage of this Bill which would be a landmark event for the Caribbean American Community, requires your active participation. We need bi-partisan co-sponsorship and we need White House support. To get that we need for you to write, email or call your Congressperson, Senator and the White House. This is one case in which your immigrant status is of no import. What is important is your ZIP CODE or area code.
Attached is a draft letter that you may use to send to your Members of Congress. You may find out who your House and Senate Representatives are by following the links to the House and Senate websites. The House uses the Write-Your-Representative System; you enter your zip code, and are taken to a form to a Member's website; it must be filled out completely in order to be read.
But you can also call your Representative's office - which is often a faster means to get their attention.
To find out if your representative is already a co-sponsor, simply type the bill number "H. Res. 570" into Thomas: http://thomas.loc.gov/. To print a copy of the bill or find the status of the bill type H. Res. 570 in the bill number field and hit search. All bill summary and status will show you the above info.

So far there are 29 co-sponsors so far including Congressman Ney - this is a bi-partisan effort. We would like at least 100 members to co-sponsor this Bill.

Pay special attention to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Congressional Black Caucus websites, for a complete list of Members go to:
Hispanic - http://rodriguez.house.gov/chc/members_officials.asp
Black - http://www.congressionalblackcaucus.net/
http://www.house.gov/

http://www.senate.gov/general/contac...nators_cfm.cfm

Dr. Clair Nelson

Click Here for Draft Letter

Links
( Click on the link below or copy them into your browser's address window )
Press Release: www.house.gov/lee/relea ses/04Mar19.htm
Bill Text, Summary, Status: http://thomas.loc.gov ( Type H RES 570 in the Bill Number field )
Write your Representative - House: www.house.gov/writerep
Write your Representative - Senate: http://www.senate.gov/general/contac...nators_cfm.cfm< /TD

I think that this is a devisive ploy by "the man" to continue to separate all we in the Diapsora. I understand the importance of knowing and appreciating Caribbean history, but we have Black History Month, Asian History Month and Latino History Month. Dont most W.I. fall into one of them groups?

Specifically with Blacks...why the need for an extra month...I think it ony serves to polarize the different groups. February is not African American Month (although I know some represent it to be that) It should be a celebration of all blacks from US to Caribbean, Latin America, Asia, Europe and ofcourse Africa. So while the focus of BHM does definately need to be changed to incorporate the achievements of all blacks, it should be just that.

Just my .02

Don't see it as being divisive at all....it's not like it will be done at the expense of Black History Month or anything...and truth is, most academics and street-corner intellectuals alike recognize that there is a significant difference between the two peoples.

We are all branches of the same tree, but doesn't mean that we can't be individually recognized without it being to the detriment of the other branches, or the root.

I agree that we are different but Black History Month should be about celebrating all blacks....Americans, Jamaicans, Trinis, Columbians, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Kenyans, Ghanians, Siddis, Habshis, Negritos, Brits, and everyone in between.

Yeah...but that's like lumping us all together cuz we're the same. My guess is that outside of African Americans, Caribbean-born blacks have contributed the most to this country from the African diaspora...why can't we get some recognition too?

I personally never write african Ameriacan on any forms. I always put other than write in Caribbean Ameriacan

I think it's a good idea, though I understand what you are saying Nisha. As long as it doesn't take away from BHM, why can't we have a Caribbean History Month. For example, there are a lot of Hispanic people who are also Black, but they are able to celebrate both facets of who they are, why can't Caribbean people? Honestly, I don't think a lot of Americans even think about the contributions Caribbean people made to this country. I think this will bring this to the forefront. It will also serve to educate Ameircans, White AND Black, that the Caribbean isn't made up of only Jamaica, and that we speak English as well debunking some of the other stereotypes.

I feel you on the solidarity tip Nisha....but I'm co-signing on what Ivy has raised here...

Nisha, unity is strength and it seems that you have grasped that concept, fully.

You're absolutely correct that such legislation would divide the Black community, in the USA, even more. We as Caribbean people are struggling to come together as a region, so I failed to see the usefulness in having a Caribbean American Heritage Month.

It is exactly what you have stated. It is another way of dividing the Black community further.

Bake & Ivy, I completely understand your point about htere being differences and tha the vast majority of Americans are unaware of the contributionsof Caribbean people (or that so many sucessful Americans have Caribbean roots, for that matter) But my point is if we incorporate a whole month of caribben history I think it confuses tha already ignorant masses. Its bad enough most people think that certain groups of black people not black now( Can you say Dominican?)

As a personal example...everybody in my family is black. My family consists of East Africans, Arabs, Indians, and Black American (all hailin from different part of the world), but we all recognize that we are all black (not to say that all people in those nationalities are, but my people are descendants of Africans) We all celebrate cultural aspects of heritage but thaht is just the way I was raised. All of us, especially those of us who are living in the US recognize that Black History Month, while it might not completely reflect it yet, is somethin gthat should include our culture (s) and accomplishments and it should also be a time to learn about the contributionsof other blacks around the world.

Im not opposed to Caribben History Month, but if that comes into effect then Black Histoy Month should be changed to focus in on one of the other black nationalities, more than likely American. This I thin kwould have most peole believin gthat there are two types of blacks American and Caribbean, but whappen to Afro-Latinos, Africans, or the millions of us that live in Eurasia?

it would be interesting.. to see cuz we got black west indians, asian west indians, east indian west indians, indian west indians, de spanish west indians, if dey can pull it off i would support it, but rather be a month it should merely be an awareness week

cuz i don;t believe in separating black history from american history.. every body should kno who is fredrick douglas whether they black or white

Does anyone think that this will pass? There was so much resistance to Black History Month, then resistance to Martin Luther King day, aren't there a few states in the union that still don't celelbrat the holiday? then folks didnt want a Malcom X stamp. I really cant see this getting the support it will need to pass.

If it does, I think that it will be a great way for us to bring our culture to the masses of people in this country, who think that the caribbean is made up of Jamaica and that we all look the same and speak the same language.

As Oneshot pointed out, the Caribbean is not only made up of people of African decent, so to focus on Caribbean History Month taking away from BHM makes no sense. Because I am sure there are people of all races from the Caribbean who have made contributions to this country. I just personally think having this awareness will cause people to have a greater knowledge of the Caribbean. For me this month will be more about focusing on a CULTURE more than on a race on people.

i could not have said it any better, but trully though i would love black americans (during history month) to give caribbean activists more respect for example marcus garvey he pioneered the whole black dollar enterprise..

Marcus Garvey gets a lot of recognition during Black History Month. In February of this year, I went to the Shomburg Museum in Harlem and there was an exhibition and documentary on the life of Marcus Mossiah Garvey.

Moreover, there were exhibitions on the great Harlem Renaissance poet Claude McKay from Jamaica, Hugh Mulzac from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Stokely Carmichael, who eventually changed his name to Kwame Toure, from Trinidad and Tobago.

PS: Over the years, during Black History Month, I have seen many documentaries on PBS on these same individuals.