NEW YORK, NY March 21, 2007: This June, some 25 million Caribbean consumers across the US, from Colin Powell to Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs, will be celebrated during the second annual Caribbean American Heritage Month (CAHM).
In honor of CAHM, The Caribbean Heritage Month Foundation, known as the most aggressive lobbying group for the passage of the bill into law, Uplift Caribbean® and media partner, The Caribbean World News Network, are teaming up to present a national PSA campaign entitled: ‘My Caribbean Story.’
The stories of Caribbean greats will be told in PSA’s on television, online and on radio by celebrities, officials and recognized scholars living in America. Each PSA will start off with the words: "In the name of Caribbean Heritage Month, I pay tribute to (name of living celebrity or legendary hero). " PSA recordings will pull from a list of over 50 Caribbean greats to include Colin Powell, Marcus Garvey, Celia Cruz, Roberto Clemente, Shirley Chisolm, Harry Belafonte, Maya Angelou, Kim Fields, Najee, Susan Taylor, Grand Master Flash, Rick Foxx, Patrick Ewing, Marion Jones, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, Mos Def, Garcelle Beauvaix, Nia Long, and many more on the extensive list of Caribbean greats.
Additionally, an open casting will be held for all Caribbean Nationals to enter the ‘My Caribbean Story’ contest for a chance to tell their story in 30 seconds at the studios of Diamante Pictures located near Herald Square in midtown on W 31st Street in Manhattan.
Television & radio personalities, producers, & corporate executives will be brought in to judge the PSA’s. The winning PSA will be included in the national ‘My Caribbean Story’ campaign. The Caribbean Heritage Month PSA video and audio tape will be available for free broadcast on any interested Caribbean media platforms across the United States and internationally.
ABOUT CARIBBEAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
The first National Caribbean Heritage Month came into being last year, following the introduction of a bill by Congresswoman Barbara Lee. It was approved by the US Congress in 2005 and the US Senate on February 14, 2006. A proclamation was signed by the President of the United States last June officially declaring the month of June as Caribbean Heritage Month.
THE CARIBBEAN AMERICAN CONSUMER
* Caribbean Americans now outnumber and are growing faster than African Americans.
* Caribbean Nationals Are Credited With Contributing Over $5 Billion In Remittances To Economies In The Caribbean Region Each Year, According To A Recent Inter-American Development Bank Study.
* Caribbean nationals are enthusiastically becoming a sizable portion of America’s Middle-Class voting population according to the Black Diversity Study, Aug. 2003. They are highly educated, earn more money, are buying homes and moving to the suburbs with the lowest unemployment rates when compared to U.S- born blacks.
* Over 60 percent of the Caribbean born had a high school or higher degree.
* In 2000, 45.7 percent of Caribbean-born householders owned their homes, compared with 49.8 percent of all foreign-born householders.
* The Caribbean born were more likely to be citizens than the foreign-born population in general. More than 49.7 percent of the Caribbean born was naturalized US citizens, compared with about 40 percent (12.5 million) of the total foreign-born population.
* Caribbean customers respond 72 percent higher to ads with Caribbean creative than those without according to an AT&T Study.
