Celebrating Caribbean Heritage Month at TeamSnap

by Celia Balf

Celebrating Caribbean American Heritage Month is an opportunity to honor and recognize the rich cultural heritage, history, and contributions of Caribbean Americans. This annual celebration, observed in June, provides a platform to highlight the diverse traditions, vibrant cultures, and significant achievements of people with Caribbean roots. From the rhythmic beats of reggae and calypso music to the flavorful culinary delights and festivals, Caribbean Heritage Month invites everyone to explore and appreciate the profound impact Caribbean Americans have had on shaping the cultural mosaic of the United States. It is a time to celebrate the stories, resilience, and enduring legacies that continue to inspire and enrich communities across the nation. Here at TeamSnap we have many members of our community that are from Caribbean descent. This month, and every month we’d like to highlight their stories and learn a bit more about where they come from and how they continue their traditions today. 

 

Please meet Anderson David, who joins us from Grenada,  Gabrielle Farrell, a first-generation Jamaican, and Cindy Crichlow, hailing from Trinidad & Tobago.

          

 

To kick off the conversation, Kamryn Dodd gave all of the interviewees the stage to introduce themselves and their role at TeamSnap. The celebration soon began afterwards, as Kamryn asked the group how they plan to spend this year’s Caribbean Heritage Month. 

 

Can you introduce yourself?

 

Anderson: “I am Anderson David, I work on brand partnerships at TeamSnap For Brands, essentially driving advertising and sponsorship revenue for the organization. I’m here today to represent the country of Grenada, which is also known as the Spice Island given that  spices like nutmeg and cinnamon are amongst our chief exports.”

 

Gabby: “My name is Gabby. I’ve been at TeamSnap for a year and a half. And I am a Campaign Performance Specialist. Our team specifically works directly with youth sports leagues to bring them sponsorship opportunities. And I’m here today representing Jamaica, the” land or wood and water” and the home of reggae and I’m super excited to be here.”

 

Cindy: My name is Cindy Critchlow. Like Gabby, I’ve been with TeamSnap for about a year and a half. I am hailing from Trinidad and Tobago. We are known as the land of the Calypso, and carnival. The best carnival, just wanted to add that as well.”

 

How are you planning on celebrating Caribbean Heritage Month?

 

Anderson: “I had never been aware that June was designated as Caribbean Heritage Month to be honest with you, but it does make sense. I live in New York City, Brooklyn to be exact, and we have an annual Caribbean parade or West Indian Day Parade which typically takes place on Labor Day in September.  Leading up to that throughout the entire city there are parties that take place outdoors and in different venues with Caribbean artists from various islands. So I guess I would celebrate by getting  outside and experiencing the summer to the best of my ability, and then also doing some more research and learning as much as this has encouraged me to do.”

 

Gabby: “I’m from the Philly area and there’s a lot of events that happen here during this month.. Different restaurants have ‘Restaurant Week’ where different Caribbean restaurants in Philly will have different deals and events that you can come join in on. 

 

But for me, this month has always been more so a time of reflection. I’m always just in awe of Jamaica, it’s such a small country with such a large impact. So it’s always been amazing for me from you know, the sports to music, just the beauty of the island. There’s so much love and appreciation I have for my culture for Jamaica.”

 

Cindy: “This was the first time I heard of Caribbean Heritage Month. So this is actually new for me. I was really excited when I saw that it came up on our diversity calendar. Having grown up in Trinidad before migrating to the US in the early 2000s, my Caribbean background is a big part of who I am. I’m looking forward to learning more about this celebration.” To me every month is Caribbean Heritage Month, because in my home, we celebrate the food, the culture, the holidays etc. as part of our everyday living. Our ancestors were a part of that afro indo diaspora that migrated to the islands, and though we are not as large as Jamaica, Trinidadians are certainly everywhere globally.”

 

The conversation then shifted to hearing about notable athletes and creatives from their countries. There was so much pride in this discussion – something both Kamryn and I could feel from our screens. 

 

Anderson: “Probably the most well known athlete from Grenada who is of Grenadian descent but then also grew up in Grenada is Karani James. We also have the great Lewis Hamilton F1 racer who is of Grenadian descent. And I also just learned today, which is really weird that I know this, but Malcolm X, his mother, was born in Grenada.

 

 

Gabby: “Usain Bolt, fastest man to ever live. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Veronica Campbell, Brown Asafa Powell, Johan Blake, I could go on and on and on with the track stars that come out of Jamaica. Musically, you know, Jamaica is really known for reggae music, it’s the home of reggae, Bob Marley, I don’t think there’s a person on this earth who doesn’t know who Bob Marley is and his impact.”

 

Cindy: “Dwayne Bravo (cricketer),  Ato Bolden (4-time Olympic medalist), Hasley Crawford (Olympic medalist), and Shaka Hislop (goalkeeper now ESPN sports analyst). If you guys watch Premier League Soccer, you would have heard of Dwight York. He was recently featured in the David Beckham document, to make Beckham look good because Beckham wasn’t known for  scoring goals. His main strategy was to assist Dwight York!”

 

The group swapped childhood stories, laughs, and memories as well as their favorite dishes. 

 

Anderson: “I migrated to the US when I was three years old. I was born in a tiny house, which is so interesting to see. “So my earliest memories were just kind of running around the yard chasing lizards, barefoot with my aunts chasing behind me. And I was like one of the first children kind of born in that household.” Now your parents will tell you the stories, all the things that they had to do growing up and things like that. So I got to experience a little of that firsthand, but it’s a very faint memory.”

 

 

How would you say that just defined your upbringing, especially as a father now?

 

Anderson: “It is sort of surprising that I’m here in this industry, right. Every time I go back, you get a sense of really being off the grid, like completely off the grid… there are blackouts – for hours or each day. There are some people who still live with no kitchens and running water and things like that. So that’s something that I don’t take for granted at all. Also being in the media, and forging a different path. Because I think the other side of it is typically when folks get here, if certain things that they believe in, right, the city job, it’s being either a doctor or a lawyer, or maybe maybe an engineer, but the idea of going into media and advertising is a completely unknown thing.”

 

Gabby, you are first generation Jamaican correct? So tell us about that. And, you know, how has that shaped you as a person you are today? 

 

Gabby: “My parents have always really emphasized the idea of passion and hard work. And they’ve always been very hard working people even at a young age.. They’re both the eldest in their families. My mom is one of seven, my dad’s one of five. They both immigrated here from Jamaica and that comes with its own set of personal challenges. My dad came here to play college soccer  and to study in the States. My mom came here on a Fulbright scholarship to study and since then, she’s gone on to obtain several Masters and her PhD. So I think for me, I’m one of three –  I have two older sisters, and they’ve always just really wanted us to do our best and really love what we do.  I know that might sound a little cliche, but from their perspective it comes from a different place, you know, it comes from a place of really understanding the challenges and opportunities this country brings.”

 

I know you touched on it, but you were in Trinidad & Tobago until you were 30, so, please  just tell us about that. And you know how that has molded you as a woman you are in your career now in America?

 

Cindy: “I had a different career planned out for myself. I was in banking, which was my father’s profession. So I spent most of my time doing that. Then I switched to teaching when I had my first child.”

 

“Going through Caribbean education one cannot help but notice the strong  influence of the British. We have a very robust educational structure that commands students at a very early age to build study habits which can be seen through the very high literacy rate exceeding 98%. From an early age; you have to sit this thing called the Common Entrance, or SEA exams, where it determines practically what job you get for the rest of your life at age 11, or 12.  It is a very strong caste system that still exists even today. This exam is set at the end of what we call primary school or elementary school. And the high school that you go to determines the networks that you’re in.”

 

Let’s talk about our favorite dishes!

 

Gabby: “I eat Jamaican food very often. It’s a part of my regular diet. Breadfruit ackee and saltfish and dumplings is a popular breakfast dish. Jerk chicken is also a staple in Jamaica. It’s everywhere you go. Curry Chicken, we have beef patties. Mangoes! Mangoes galore.”

 

 

Anderson: “Our national dish is called an Oil Down, it’s a combination of chicken and then also pork with vegetables, and like coconut milk and seasoning. So it’s very rich and I doubt it’s healthy of any kind!”

 

Cindy: My favorite Trinidadian dish is called Pelau. We have many foods that are influenced by the diverse and cosmopolitan cultures that live in Trinidad. Our foods are influenced by the Spanish cultures, (eg pastelles) Haitian, Indian (roti, doubles etc) and African cultural influences. The tropical fruits such as pomeracs, pommecythere or golden apples. Many varieties of plums and other exotic fruits.”