City Council recognizes Caribbean-American Heritage Month

Since 2006, June has been recognized nationally as Caribbean-American Heritage Month. Caribbean-American Heritage Month offers an opportunity to honor, recognize, and uplift the rich and diverse history, traditions, and culture of Caribbean people in the United States.



Immigrants from the Caribbean make up the largest share of Boston’s immigrant population, and represent the diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds that are also reflected throughout Boston, Massachusetts, and the United States.



Many influential Caribbean-Americans have contributed to and played an important role in United States history and culture including participation in the civil rights movement and other social/political movements, arts, fashion, science, literature, technology, and more.



Some of the influential Carribean-Americans that are celebrated include Audre Lorde, an influential feminist, writer, and civil rights activist; Jean-Michel Basquiat, a renowned painter and social commentator; Harry Belafonte, a musician, actor, and activist; Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American Congresswoman and African-American woman candidate for President; Roberto Clemente, the first Latino inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame; and Malcolm X, a human rights activist and key figure in the civil rights movement.



To this day, Boston’s Caribbean-American communities continue to be an essential part of Boston’s workforce, economy, arts and culture, democracy, and more.



This week, the Council honored its Caribbean-American residents and communities by adopting a resolution recognizing June as Caribbean-American Heritage Month and affirmed that the contributions of Caribbean-Americans are a significant part of the history, progress, and heritage of the United States.



The Council recognizes and commends local organizations such as the Authentic Caribbean Foundation, Association of Haitian Women, Haitian-Americans United, SEIU 509, and others for their support to Caribbean-American residents of the City of Boston.