The Caribbean is a rich and complex world with dozens of islands, hundreds of languages, and five centuries of colonial impact. Caribbean American Heritage Month is a celebration of what survived across the Middle Passage in the hearts and revolutions of enslaved people.
It’s also Black Music Month, poetic timing since the genius of the African diaspora and Caribbean expression are inseparable in their influence on American music. To trace either is to arrive at the same place: people who were taught their culture had no value, survived to give the world some of its most enduring art