by Mell P
On February 19, the halls of the American Museum of Natural History won’t just echo with the footsteps of school groups and tourists gazing up at dinosaurs. They’ll pulse with soca, storytelling, climate calls to action, and the unmistakable rhythm of Carnival.
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In collaboration with I Am CaribBeing and the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI), the Museum is hosting a high-energy celebration of Caribbean culture. The evening will feature a pop-up marketplace spotlighting local makers, after-hours access to explore the galleries, the immersive Invisible Worlds experience, live DJs, food favorites, and climate-centered conversations woven throughout.
But for Jacqueline (Jackie) Handy, Director of Public Programs, one of the key architects behind the event, this is more than a party.
“It’s always hard with an institution that’s had this tenure to say it’s a first,” she told Carib News. “But from the folks who’ve been working at the museum for 10, 20, up to 30 years, they’ve said this has been a first in their time.”
That distinction carries weight.
“I take that responsibility not lightly, to make sure that we’re doing it right,” she said. And the early signs are promising. Staff across departments, people who “get pitched all sorts of programs”, have responded with genuine excitement. “Folks who come from all walks of life are saying, ‘This is actually a piece of myself in this.’”
Where Science Meets Soca
At first glance, Carnival and a natural history museum might seem like unlikely partners. But Jackie sees the alignment clearly.
“The museum at large has been trying to be a bridge,” she explained, “blending both science and culture and showing the ecosystem that all of these things exist within.”
Past programs like From Kilns to Kimchi and Grains of Change created cultural worlds around objects in the Museum’s collection. Carnival follows that same formula, starting with a seed.
This time, the seed is climate change.
“We’ve got Trinidad, we’ve got Barbados kind of at the center. We’ve got a really big feature from Jamaican artist Annaixe, that’s going to be an installation of a mask costume that’s inspired by her story. Can we take this seed, how extreme weather is impacting islands around the world, but really focusing on islands in the Caribbean, and tie that back to the island that we all share, which is Manhattan?” Jackie asked.
The connection is urgent. Black and Brown communities across the Caribbean and in New York are often on the front lines of climate change, facing rising sea levels, hurricanes, flooding, and environmental inequities. Rather than approach that reality with despair, the event leans into resistance and joy.
“Can we celebrate Black Climate Week through joy,” she said, “by talking about stories of resistance from both our history and modern day?”
If you come for the music, that’s welcome. If you come for the food, even better. But Handy hopes you leave with something more.
“If it’s not the science, that’s totally okay. We hope you come for the culture, and you leave with the science. With the knowledge.”
Many Entry Points, One Celebration
The programming is layered by design. There’s something to pull everyone in.
You might arrive for a lecture from Pepukaye Bardouille, director of the Bridgetown Initiative and special adviser on climate resilience in the Barbados Prime Minister’s Office. Or maybe you’re following the sounds of DJ Young Chow as he takes over the Hall of Ocean Life. Maybe your motivation is simpler: a legendary currant roll from Allan’s Bakery, or the roti from Trinciti Roti Shop that some New Yorkers swear is worth the drive to Queens.
That multiplicity is intentional and Carnival becomes a doorway.
“It’s a part of our job to try to find ways to engage New Yorkers who wouldn’t think a natural history museum is for them,” Handy said.
During the day, CCCADI will lead a Susu workshop on the history of Carnival, timed to coincide with the New York City school break. Pepukaye Bardouille will offer a deeper lecture on climate resilience. Caribbeans for Climate will guide visitors into conversations before the evening party transforms the space.
Museum Science will also be on full display, featuring collections from across the Caribbean. “It’s our house,” she said. The culture doesn’t replace the science; it lives alongside it.
Expanding the Footprint and the Future
This year’s celebration centers Trinidad and Barbados, with a powerful installation by Jamaican artist Annaixe, an elaborate mask costume inspired by resilience in the face of hurricanes and extreme weather. Her work will stand front and center in the Museum’s new building, embodying the spirit of survival and creativity.
Handy hopes Carnival becomes a recurring part of the Museum’s public programming, evolving each year to spotlight different islands and communities. “What does it look like to keep refreshing what this program looks like,” she wondered, “and make sure that communities across New York see themselves reflected in the work?”
The stakes are real. In an era of tightening arts budgets, culturally specific programming can feel vulnerable. But Handy credits the Museum’s leadership, under President Sean Decatur, for prioritizing outreach that connects deeply with New Yorkers.
“With Carnival, what’s been really exciting is that we’ve expanded our footprint to be kind of the largest span of buildings across the museum for a cultural festival for adults,” she said. “This is proof that New Yorkers will come. People will show up. They want this programming.”
Authenticity has been key. Handy emphasized that none of this would be possible without collaborators rooted in the communities being centered. The guidance from CCCADI and I Am CaribBeing ensures that the celebration feels real, not performative.
“I spent many evenings in a Trinidadian living room,” Jackie shared with a smile. “So there’s a lot of pressure from my side… to make sure that this is done well.”
On January 19, that living-room warmth expands into one of the city’s most iconic institutions, bridging islands, boroughs, science, sound, and story.
Whether you come for the roti or the music, or just come for the Lightning Lectures with Caribbeans for Climate, just don’t be surprised if you leave with more than you expected.
For more information for Carnival at the Museum on February 19, see the AMNH website.
