With more than 4.5 million persons from the Caribbean living in America as of 2019, it’s no wonder Former President George Bush signed into law the. National Caribbean American Heritage Month, celebrated in June of each year.

In 1999 the Institute of Caribbean Studies placed a petition on the desk of then-President Bill Clinton to be approved. Seven years later, George Bush signed it in 2006 to recognize to contributions of Caribbean Americans. Each subsequent president has issued a proclamation on National Caribbean American Month for all 30 days of June annually, honoring the people of the Caribbean living and working in the United States.

One cannot deny the contributions of Marcus Mosiah Garvey, W.E.B DuBois, Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, James W. Johnson, Cicely Tyson, General Colin Powell, Vice President Kamala Harris, and the many others who have contributed to the growth of this great nation. Their contributions were not central only to the Caribbean people but to the entire populace and generations beyond their existence.

On behalf of the more than 2500 members of the Jamaica Diaspora Taskforce Action Network (JDTAN), I wish all the Caribbean Diaspora in the United States a bountiful June filled with interventions to empower and enhance each other and the friends and families in their homelands.

I encourage our Caribbean brothers and sisters to embrace and stand firm on our culture, enlighten their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generations, and keep them abreast of the unique culture and heritage of our homeland; only then can we carry on the legacy and our history. Stand firm, stay focused, and Walk Good!