CARIBBEAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

Honoring Our Journey, Shaping Our Future



In June 2005, the House of Representatives unanimously adopted H. Con. Res. 71, sponsored by Congresswoman Barbara Lee, recognizing the significance of Caribbean people and their descendants in the history and culture of the United States. On February 14, 2006, the resolution similarly passed the Senate, culminating a two-year, bipartisan and bicameral effort. The Proclamation was issued by President George W. Bush on June 6, 2006.

OUR HISTORY

A Proclamation on National Caribbean American Heritage Month
June 2023

May 31, 2023

During Caribbean-American Heritage Month, we celebrate the achievements and dreams of the millions of people of Caribbean origin now living in the United States while honoring the shared history of joy and perseverance that has united and enriched life across our region for centuries.
There is no single Caribbean American identity. The mix of cultures, languages, and religions alive across the United States and the islands reflects the diversity of spirit that defines the American story. Meanwhile, our countries are bound by common values and a shared history — overcoming the yoke of colonialism, confronting the original sin of slavery, and charting new opportunities
across borders and generations.
Since our founding, Caribbean Americans from Alexander Hamilton to Colin Powell have contributed to the United States in the most profound ways. Today, pathbreakers like Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor continue advancing our work toward a more perfect Union. I am especially proud of the extraordinary leaders of Caribbean heritage now serving in my Administration ‑- from Vice President Kamala Harris to Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. And I take equal pride in the generations of Caribbean Americans who literally built this country — bringing tremendous hope and energy to bear as small business owners, teachers, health care workers, military service members, union organizers, community leaders, and so much more.
For too long, too many have faced systemic barriers to success. As President, I have issued two separate Executive Orders to change that, pushing to advance racial justice across every policy that my Administration pursues. As we have passed historic laws to rebuild our Nation’s infrastructure, lower prescription drug costs, create a clean energy economy, and transform American manufacturing to once again lead the world, we have done so with an eye for equity, rebuilding our economy from the middle out and bottom up. As a result, we have created 12.7 million jobs — bringing Black and Latino unemployment to record lows — and we have helped millions to start and grow their own businesses. At the same time, we are using all the tools we have to make our Nation’s broken immigration system as orderly, safe, and humane as possible, sending support to the border while expanding lawful pathways for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans — among others — to come to the United States without taking the dangerous journey to our southern border. What we really need is for the Congress to finally pass comprehensive immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, farm and essential workers, and temporary status holders, many of whom are from the Caribbean. I will not quit pressing the Congress to act.
Beyond our borders, we are working with our Caribbean partners to expand opportunity and keep the region safe so more of our neighbors can build lives at home. We partnered with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in November 2022 to launch the Crime Gun Intelligence Unit and disrupt firearms trafficking in the region. We are also working to improve access to development financing and advance clean energy projects across the Caribbean through the United States-Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis 2030.
A central promise of this country is the idea that everyone is created equal and deserves to be treated equally throughout their lives. It is a cornerstone of our common heritage in this hemisphere, even as we keep striving to finally make that vision real. Caribbean-American Heritage Month is a chance to celebrate the rich diversity that covenant has brought us and to renew its promise for future generations of Caribbean Americans and for us all.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2023 as National Caribbean-American Heritage Month. I encourage all Americans to join in celebrating the history, culture, and achievements of Caribbean Americans with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-seventh.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

WELCOME

Month of Activities

IGNITE CARIBBEAN

JUNE 23rd

30 Under 30 Awards and Pitch

Virtual Access

Join Us

Caribbean Reads

Book List & Events

Featuring 30 Books written by Caribbean Authors

Tuesdays!  June 6, 13, 20 & 27 – 7 PM EDT

About the EventsRegister Here to Attend

Please view the book list below:

Book List

Caribbean Reels (Films)

JUNE 8-14
VISIT AFI SILVER WEBSITE

LEGISLATIVE WEEK AGENDA

Juneteenth

JUNE 19

John B. Russwurm shaped the future of America, 3rd African American to graduate from an American college- Bowdoin College in 1826. John was of Jamaican heritage; he started the first black newspaper … Let’s REVISIT and MOVE IT FORWARD.

Join Us

Domestic Policy

JUNE 20

• Elected officials to discuss education, health, security and crime in local US cities
• other topics include- immigration, census, NGOs and community economic development

Join Us

Regional Policy Agenda

JUNE 21st AND 22nd

The opportunities for Diaspora and US thought-leaders to discuss foreign policy challenges and related issues facing the Caribbean and opportunities to address them.

IN-PERSON – Pre-Registration Required, Space is Limited

Register Here

SMALL BUSINESS & CULTURE WEEK

June 26-30

BUSINESS

JUNE 26
Finance & Technolgy
JUNE 27
MSME DAY
JUNE 28
Energy Investing

                CULTURE

JUNE 29

Tobago Cultrual Amabasadors

JOIN US
JUNE 30
JOIN US

Happenings Around the Country

[Click top right corner of image to view in Slider]
DC Film Festival - June 8-14
7th Annual Caribbean Film Screening - Bazodee - June 13
Heritage Month - June 13
Flyer - Hon Dr. Ralph Gonsalves - June 15
BrocktonFlagRaisingFlyer2023 - June 16
Limbo Like This - June 16
RANDOLPH Flyer - NEW - June 17
WORCESTER Flyer - NEW - June 18
Caribbean Open Mic - The Fire - June 19
RHODE ISLAND - NewFinal - June 24
NCAHM Caribbean Heritage Day 2023
Bahamas Take Over Fact Sheet June 29
DC Film Festival - June 8-14 7th Annual Caribbean Film Screening - Bazodee - June 13 Heritage Month - June 13 Flyer - Hon Dr. Ralph Gonsalves - June 15 BrocktonFlagRaisingFlyer2023 - June 16 Limbo Like This - June 16 RANDOLPH Flyer - NEW - June 17 WORCESTER Flyer - NEW - June 18 Caribbean Open Mic - The Fire - June 19 RHODE ISLAND - NewFinal - June 24 NCAHM Caribbean Heritage Day 2023 Bahamas Take Over Fact Sheet June 29

CELEBRATIONS

Participate in activities around the United States

NW-WEST REGION

CALIFORNIA 
NEVADA
OREGON
WASHINGTON

EVENTS

MID-WEST REGION

ILLINOIS 
MICHIGAN 
MISSOURI

EVENTS

NEW ENGLAND REGION

MASSACHUSETTS
 NEW HAMPSHIRE
RHODE ISLAND

EVENTS

NORTH EAST REGION

CONNECTICUT
 NEW JERSEY
NEW YORK
PENNSYLVANIA

EVENTS

MID-ATLANTIC REGION

DMV
WASHINGTON, DC

EVENTS

SOUTH WEST REGION

ARIZONA
COLORADO
NEW MEXICO

EVENTS

FLORIDA REGION

ORLANDO
PALM BEACH
SOUTH FLORIDA
TAMPA

EVENTS

Our Vision

The vision of  National Caribbean American Heritage Month (NCAHM) Program is to promote the recognition of the contributions of Caribbean immigrants to the United States of America from founding father Alexander Hamilton to US Secretary of State General Colin Powell and Hon. Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to run as candidate for the President of the United States of America.

Through the establishment of a network of Caribbean American Heritage Councils/Organizations around the country, Americans of all backgrounds and nationalities will join in the commemoration of June as National Caribbean American Heritage Month.

Our Mission

ICS is dedicated to building bridges between
Caribbean Americans and the US population at large and advocating for the wellbeing of the Caribbean American community.

The mission of the NCAHM Program is to create and disseminate knowledge about the contributions of Caribbean immigrants to America, and to be a crucible for a dialogue between Caribbean peoples and the American public.

Additionally, the NCAHM program is to ensure that Americans at large are advised of the many and great contributions of immigrants of Caribbean Heritage to the nation.

The overall mission of ICS is to serve as a catalyst to build an inclusive, prosperous, sustainable Caribbean society, and to provide our partners and stakeholders with solutions to the challenges they face, that will enable their survival, growth, and prosperity in the ever changing global marketplace, by providing world class analysis and action that supports their missions.

Main Partners

Working together for the Caribbean

Get In Touch

Institute of Caribbean Studies
Address:

1629 K Street NW
Suite 300
Washington DC 20006

Phone:

+1 (202) 638-0460

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