From The Publisher and The President
In celebrating June as Caribbean-American Heritage Month, we are called to pause, reflect, and honor the powerful legacy of Caribbean-Americans in shaping the United States. In an era when immigrants—particularly immigrants of color—face renewed scrutiny and hostility, this moment reminds the nation of a truth deeply embedded in its fabric: the indispensable role Caribbean Americans have played in the development and freedom of this country.
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From the very dawn of American independence, the Caribbean-American presence has been prominent. The first casualty in the U.S. war of independence was Crispus Attucks, a Black immigrant from Barbados. His blood marked the beginning of a long and unfinished journey toward liberty and justice. One of the key architects of this nation’s founding, Alexander Hamilton—an immigrant from St. Kitts and Nevis—helped define the principles, economic foundations, and the federal structure that shaped the United States.
The massive Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the U.S. and opened up the western frontier, was only made possible through the efforts of Black Haitians whose battle for independence broke the back of French colonial ambitions in the Western Hemisphere. The courage, sacrifice, and vision of the Haitian revolutionaries reshaped global history and paved the way for American expansion.
In the city of Chicago, a Haitian immigrant named Jean Baptiste Point du Sable transformed a small trading post into a bustling commercial hub. His pioneering vision laid the foundations for one of America’s greatest cities and an engine of economic growth in the Midwest.
Caribbean-Americans have continuously stood at the vanguard of Black consciousness, liberation, and achievement. Marcus Garvey, the Jamaican visionary, called for Pan-African unity and self-determination. W.E.B. Du Bois, of Bahamian heritage, brought intellectual rigor to the civil rights struggle and helped birth the NAACP. Prince Hall, of Barbadian descent, brought Freemasonry to African Americans, establishing a framework for leadership and community organization.
Trailblazing Caribbean-American women have also etched their names into history. Shirley Chisholm, the daughter of Barbadian and Guyanese immigrants, became the first Black woman elected to Congress and ran a historic campaign for the U.S. presidency. Her audacity and integrity inspired generations.
From General Colin Powell, whose Jamaican roots shaped a life of discipline and honor in public service, to civil rights champions like Arabella Fields, to the barrier-breaking actors Sidney Poitier (Bahamas) and Cicely Tyson (Nevisian parentage), Caribbean-Americans have made unmatched contributions to the culture, conscience, and civic life of the nation.
And today, that legacy continues. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, daughter of a Jamaican father, is a living testament to the Caribbean spirit—bold, resilient, and visionary.
This June, as we mark Caribbean-American Heritage Month, we do more than celebrate. We proclaim a narrative that has been too long overlooked: Caribbean Americans have been builders, defenders, and dreamers of this nation from its inception to its present. Their contributions, born from struggle and perseverance, continue to shape a freer, more inclusive, and more just America.
Let us honor that legacy. Let us elevate those stories. And let us reaffirm the truth that Caribbean American history is American history.
