The significance of commemorating heritage months can be felt on multiple levels. One way, alluded to by Pauline Ford, Program Coordinator for the UAB Department of Radiology’s Neuroradiology Fellowship program, stated that Caribbean people “have an indomitable spirit—a perspective that I think can benefit everyone.”

SOM Office for Diversity and Inclusion agrees with Ford, and since June is Caribbean American Heritage Month, we will spotlight the heritage and culture of Caribbean-Americans in the context of the U.S., Birmingham, and at UAB.

This article is the first in a series where we discuss the history and significance of Caribbean-Americans in the makeup of the United States. Then, each of the SOM newsletters throughout June will include a featured article to help you learn something new.

While there are over 7000 islands that make up the Caribbean, CARICOM—an organization that advocates, promotes, and supports its member “states”—has 15 full and five associate members. The countries represented by CARICOM include: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Associate members of CARICOM are Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, and Turks and Caicos Islands.

If you’ve visited one of these countries on vacation, you’ve experienced Caribbean culture.

Have you’ve enjoyed the music of Rihanna, Beyoncé, Bob Marley, Lenny Kravitz, and countless others? What about T.V. shows? Stars from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air—Ashley Banks, Carlton Banks, and Hillary Banks—are all children of at least one Trinidadian parent.

If pop culture isn’t your thing, maybe you would be interested in learning that Alexander Hamilton, the First Secretary of the Treasury, and Colin Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State, are of Caribbean descent.

Regardless of your connection, the impact made by Caribbean-Americans deserves attention. A previous study done by the US Migration Policy Institute says that roughly 10% (44.5 million) of the nation’s immigrants are from the Caribbean. While Caribbean American Heritage Month became official in 2006, when President George H.W. Bush issued a proclamation, the Institute of Caribbean Studies in Washington D.C. has been hard at work since the 90s to promote Caribbean-American heritage in mainstream culture.

At UAB, the influence of Caribbean-American heritage can be seen throughout the University. Some examples of those who contribute and enrich this culture at UAB include the Dean of the School of Business, Dr. Eric Jack, Dr. Allyson Hall, Director of Graduate Programs in Healthcare Quality & Safety, and Dr. Pauline Jolly, Professor Emerita in the UAB School of Public Health.

Be sure to check back next week, when we will share how Pauline Ford created a community of Caribbean Americans all over central Alabama.