Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) celebrates Caribbean American Heritage Month 2024 by honoring and highlighting the diverse culture, heritage, achievements, and contributions of the Caribbean American Diaspora Community throughout history. Worcester, Massachusetts has the third largest Caribbean American population. We encourage our community to study, observe, and celebrate today and every day in support and recognition of the history and culture of this community.
“Caribbean Americans have added to our history, culture, and communities in countless ways. The unique relationship between the United States and the Caribbean has enriched both regions, and this month is a wonderful time to celebrate our shared past and future.”
STEM Scholar Highlights:
- Dr. Cindy M. Duke (Johns Hopkins and Yale-trained Physician Scientist and Virologist)
- Ayanna Samuels (Aerospace Engineer)
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Dr. Jerelle Joseph (Scientist)
Read, Watch, Listen and Learn
- Explore The Caribbean Musuem Center for the Arts (CMCARTS)
- Explore Island Space: America’s Only Caribbean Heritage Museum
- Explore and learn about WPI’s Latin and Caribbean studies
- Explore the Digital Library of the Caribbean
- Explore Caribbean recipes
- Explore Cookbooks of the Caribbean
- Explore the Sounds of Caribbean Rhythms, Roots, and Resistance
- Explore Books by Haitian & Haitian American Authors
- Read about the history of the Caribbean
- Explore and read Jamaican voices in novels, poetry, stories & memoir
- Read stories of Caribbean community
- Read Caribbean Studies, a peer reviewed multidisciplinary journal
- Watch documentaries about Caribbean stories
- Watch Caribbean folklore
- Listen to the Carry on Friends, The Caribbean American podcast
- Listen to the Caribbean Science Fiction Network podcast
- Listen to the Nerds with Accents podcast
Take Action
- Support WPI's Caribbean and Hispanic Student Association (CHA).
- Participate in the annual Worcester Caribbean American Carnival at Noon on August 25, 2024, in Institute Park, 126 Salisbury St., Worcester. Showcasing the rich diverse Caribbean American community of arts and craft, Caribbean food, and music.
- Support the Caribbean Science Foundation
- Register to Vote -OR- Check Your Voter Registration
- Everything you need to vote. Vote.org
- Become a Poll Worker
The Institute of Caribbean Studies effort to establish National Caribbean American Heritage Month began in 1999 with an outreach to President Bill Clinton asking for recognition. This resulted in the first White House Caribbean American community briefing. In 2001, the ICS was joined by the Trans Africa Forum and the Caribbean Staff Association of the World Bank to organize events in June, promoting the month of June as National Caribbean Heritage Month and the moment slowly began to build. The bill was introduced and reintroduced and passed in the House in June of 2005, and the Senate in February 2006. A proclamation making the resolution official was signed by President Georg Bush on June 5, 2006.
Learn more: https://nationaltoday.com/caribbean-american-heritage-month/
The Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education (ODIME) promotes and oversees all student facing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) learning experiences, programs, services, trainings, and initiatives for WPI.