Caribbean community celebrates its heritage
legacy of our ancestors
and the role that Caribbean
Americans continue
to serve in maintaining
the strength and prosperity
of America,” said
the representative for the
40th Council District in
Brooklyn. “Caribbean
Americans are our doctors,
nurses, bus drivers,
teachers, business owners,
elected officials, and
so many other professions
that keep our society
and economy moving
forward.
“This year, in the wake
of COVID-19, we owe so
much to our Caribbean
American first responders
and essential workers,
who put their health
and safety at risk in order
to save lives,” Dr. Eugene
added. “Let us come
together in appreciation
and respect for Caribbean
American heritage and
its continued influence
on making our society
stronger and more beneficial
for future generations.”
A s s emb l y woma n
Diana Richardson, the
daughter of Aruban and
St. Martin immigrants,
noted that National Caribbean
American Heritage
Month “acknowledges
the presence and
contributions made by
ordinary and exemplary
Caribbean peoples to the
history and culture of the
United States, which now
spans over a century.
“For us, it is an opportunity
to celebrate our
faith journeys from our
Caribbean islands and the
deep collective pride we
share in the challenges
we have overcome, communities
we have created
and the promising
futures for our children
on these shores,” added
Richardson, who represents
the 43rd Assembly
District in Brooklyn.
“We are from Cuba,
Puerto Rico, Jamaica,
Haiti, Dominican Republic,
Barbados, Bahamas,
St. Marteen, Dominica,
Trinidad & Tobago, Antigua
& Barbuda, St. Kitts
Caribbean L 14 ife, JUNE 25-JULY 1, 2021
& Nevis, St. Lucia, Turks
& Caicos, Aruba, Grenada,
Anguilla, Bermuda,
Guadeloupe, Martinique,
St. Vincent & The Grenadines,
Cayman Islands,
Curacao, Montserrat,
St. Barts, Saba, US Virgin
Islands, British Virgin
Islands, Bonaire,” she
continued. “And we can’t
forget our people in Guyana,
Suriname, Panama,
Costa Rica and the Garifunas
from St. Vincent,
who were taken to Honduras,
Nicaragua, Belize.
“We are a proud people
whose music, food
and dance are celebrated
around the world,” Richardson
said. “Our Little
Caribbean in Central
Brooklyn has been a part
of that continuum. Our
public intellectuals have
inspired movements. Our
poets raised our sights to
the stars. We are a people
who support each other
through natural disasters.
A people with strong
diasporic ties that have
sustained at home and
abroad. Let us celebrate
our accomplishments. In
doing so, we honor the
best in our people, and
the hopes and promise of
our ancestors.”
Caribbean American
Congresswoman, Yvette
D. Clarke, the daughter
of Jamaican immigrants,
told Caribbean Life on
Monday: “This month,
we honor, celebrate, and
commemorate the boundless
contributions of Caribbean
Americans to our
nation.
“From grassroots
activists, the first Black
woman to run for president,
thought leaders, diplomats,
business moguls
and Michelin Star Chefs,
Caribbean Americans
are an integral part of
our nation’s legacy and
future,” said the representative
for the 9th
Congressional District in
Brooklyn. “I am proud to
be a woman of Jamaican
descent representing my
home, my community and
my people.
“Let this month be a
beacon for celebrating
diversity, the preservation
of legacy, and the proliferation
of unity,” Clarke
added. “From Jamaica to
Barbados and everyone inbetween:
‘Bless Up.’”
Stating that America’s
diversity is and always has
been the defining strength
of the nation, United States
President Joseph “Joe”
Biden proclaimed June
National Caribbean-American
Heritage Month.
“In every generation,
our society, spirit and
shared ambitions have
been refreshed by wave
after wave of immigrants
seeking out their American
dream,” said Biden
in a White House Proclamation.
“Throughout our
history, Caribbean Americans
have brought vibrant
cultures, languages, traditions
and values that
strengthen our country
and add new chapters to
our common story.
Congressional Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-NY, speaking
at a news conference, in New York. Associated
Press / Bebeto Matthews, File
Continued from Page 12
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