Caribbean Representatives Discuss The Enduring Impact of the Islands on the United States.

To kick off Caribbean-American Heritage Month, Island SPACE hosted The Island Imprint: The indelible impact of the Caribbean Diaspora on America. On Sunday, June 4th, the museum opened its doors to welcome a distinguished panel to discuss the impact of the Caribbean community in America. These panelists included Judge Norman Hemming of Jamaica, Tamarac Commissioner Morey Wright of the British Virgin Islands, Deputy Consul General Dianne Perrote of Grenada, Consul General Rudy Grant of Barbados, Consul General Darrel Montrope of St. Lucia, and Dr. Carole Boyce Davies of Trinidad and Tobago.

After guests gathered their refreshments and took their seats, the panel discussion began with Island SPACE co-founder and president, Calibe Thompson, acting as mediator.  Thompson began by giving a brief history of how and why various Caribbean communities came to South Florida and the rest of the U.S. Caribbean peoples, as displayed in the Island SPACE archives, came to the US post-emancipation primarily because of politics, economics or natural disasters. This was the story of the first Caribbean-Americans.

After going over the how and why the Caribbean diaspora found itself in the United States, the panelist each got the chance to comment on some of the more well-known impressions made by their country. Afterwards, delving into more detailed, lesser known impacts made by the Caribbean diaspora.

With each of the panelists speaking of the strong impressions, either financial, cultural, spiritual, or sociopolitical, their culture has left on South Florida. This also included how each diaspora was received by America and the broader Caribbean Diaspora. Each panelist was able to discuss topics such as assimilation into U.S. culture, versus maintaining connections to home roots.

The discussion then shifted from the past, to the present, towards the future. Panelists described ways they can support their diaspora, and how they envision the next generation of Caribbean and their significant impact. The guest panelists spoke of how each of their diaspora stay together through community and coming together through various organizations throughout South Florida and the Caribbean.

The floor was then open to audience members to ask their own questions to the panelists. Guests of the museums were able to gain more insight into the discussion by being able to speak directly to the panelists. Guests and panelists were then treated to a tour by Calibe Thompson, Island SPACE co-founder.

See how the conversation evolves in future discussions at Island SPACE Caribbean Museum. 

If you missed this event, you can still watch the panel here:

About the Museum

Island SPACE is supported in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, Florida Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, Florida Power & Light Company, Grace Foods, Broward Mall, the Broward County Cultural Division and the following Funds at the Community Foundation of Broward: Mary N. Porter Community Impact Fund, Jack Belt Memorial Fund, Ginny and Tom Miller Fund, Stearns Weaver Miller Fund for the Arts, Harold D. Franks Fund.

General museum entry is $10 per adult and $5 per child. The facility is open Thursdays through Saturdays from 11:00a.m. through 7:00p.m. and Sundays from 11:00a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Donations, sponsorships, memberships and volunteer commitments are encouraged. Visit islandspacefl.org to learn about this unique experience and other activities and exhibitions at Island SPACE Caribbean Museum.