Huntington Station, NY – The Caribbean American Poetry Association will observe Caribbean American Heritage Month and Juneteenth with a Tribute to Jupiter Hammon (1711–before 1806), the first published Black poet in the United States. This celebration, in partnership with Preservation Long Island, will bring together poets, musicians, playwrights, and actors for a spectacular commemoration from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 19, 2025 at Joseph Lloyd Manor, the former plantation house, where Hammon was enslaved on Long Island, now a museum stewarded by PLI. Joseph Lloyd Manor is located at 1 Lloyd Lane, Lloyd Harbor, New York.
Hammon’s connection to the Caribbean is significant to note. “Jupiter Hammon’s grandparents were enslaved on a plantation in Barbados owned by the Sylvester family, who eventually brought them to Long Island,” according to Dr. Andrew Tharler, Preservation Long Island’s Education and Engagement Director. “Preservation Long Island is excited to celebrate Juneteenth at Joseph Lloyd Manor and honor the legacy of Jupiter Hammon. He wrote powerfully about liberty, justice, and perseverance, and we hope this event will bring more attention to his inspirational words.”
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“We invite everyone to join us as we celebrate the vibrant culture of the Caribbean during National Caribbean American Heritage Month. We are also excited about the opportunity to commemorate the day when all enslaved people in the United States were freed.” said Dr. Beryl R. Williams, CAPA’s president and founder. “We look forward to welcoming students, poets, and members of the community to this wonderful event.”
The celebration will begin with live music and self-guided tours of the manor, followed by a responsive reading of one of Hammon’s works, and performances by the following featured poets:
Keisha-Gaye Anderson, a talented Jamaican-born poet, writer, visual artist, and media strategist based in Brooklyn, NY. Keisha-Gaye is the author of Gathering the Waters, Everything Is Necessary, and A Spell for Living, which received the Editors’ Choice recognition for Agape’s Numinous Orisons, Luminous Origins Literary Award. Her art has been exhibited at the Billie Holiday Theater, Carter Burden Gallery, Five Myles Gallery, Weeksville Heritage Center, and elsewhere. She holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from The City College, CUNY.
Yasmin Morais, a prolific writer and Jamaica-born poet who has lived and worked in Canada and the United States, is the author of From Cane Field to the Sea and Questions in Jamaican Patois. Yasmin blogs at Poets of the Caribbean. She earned an MSc (Government) from the University of the West Indies (Mona), the LLB (Hons.) from the University of London, and an MLIS from the University of Toronto. She is currently the Foreign, Comparative, & International Collection Development Librarian at Harvard Law School.
Lindamichelle Baron, EdD, an African-American poetic artist with lineage from Jamaica and Dominica, isbest known in the world of education for her poetry collections and idea books: The Sun Is On, Rhythm & Dues and For the Love of Life. She is the inaugural Poet Laureate for the Town of Hempstead, and also holds the distinction of being named Village Griot by the Village of Hempstead in Long Island. Dr. Baron’s poetry has been included in numerous poetry anthologies for children and young adults. She received her doctorate from Columbia University’s Teachers College. She is an associate professor in the Department of Teacher Education at York College, CUNY, where she has also served as chairperson.
The celebration will include a Student Poetry Open Mic led by Sarah Goodman, Suffolk County Teen Poet Laureate who is a gifted sophomore at Commack High School, and Katherine Galbraith-Chan, the first Nassau County Teen Poet Laureate, who is a member of the Class of 2026 at The Wheatley School in Old Westbury. Reggae artist Khalilah Rose and Guitarist Jhonny Victor will provide live musical entertainment, while guests will enjoy the creative mini hip-hopera, Every Family Got Beef, by award-winning playwright and poet Marsha M. Nelson. Award-winning Guayanese poet James C. Richmond will offer a poetic benediction and tribute to Jupiter Hammon to close the program; followed by A Taste of the Caribbean Table — refreshments and samples of Caribbean dishes provided by local eateries and markets.
Visit the event webpage for additional details. The event is free; however, guests are required to RSVP since space is limited. For more information about the event, contact the Caribbean American Poetry Association at caribbeanamericanpoetry@gmail.com and/or Preservation Long Island at info@preservationlongisland.org.
Support
The Juneteenth Poetic Tribute to Jupiter Hammon is funded in part by Poets & Writers with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
