Who is Caribbean?

One of my biggest goals for Storytelling II is to follow the “for us, by us” motto. I wanted all of the resources used to account for our history to be by Caribbean people. To attain this goal, I decided to start with the basics. One of these basics included the book, Trinidad Noir.

The introduction by Earl Lovelace spoke to me. He asked a similar question to mine. When selecting our work, who qualifies as “our?” 

When dealing with the islands, there are so many definitions that can be applied to answer the question of who is Caribbean. I had to add some discernment to my gatekeeping. What stories am I planning to tell? Whose experience was affected by this? Why should they be included?

There are first-generation Caribbean - Americans who have heard stories from their parents, people who have lived in the islands all their lives as well as those who moved to the States or Europe at a young age. To me, all of these authors should be able to have a say in how our stories are told, as well as telling them themselves. They are a part of a big picture, one that shows the diversity, trials, tribulations, and successes of Caribbean people. 

Reading Earl Lovelace’s question, “Who is a Trinidadian,” in the introduction of Trinidad Noir and the stories that followed, added some clarity to my question and provided a better structure for Storytelling II. 

The book, which provides stories from the exiting colonialism to the facing independence to the modern day stage, provided perspectives from a variety of cultures and beliefs found in Trinidad and Tobago. The Valley of Cocoa by Michael Anthony into The Quiet Peasant by Hardold Sonny Ladoo show the economic and social effect of the transition from colonialism to independence and all that trindadian people had to face. La Divina Pastora by C.L.R James provides insight into the culture and focus of spirituality. The Bonnaire Silk Cotton Tree by Shani Mootoo, written in 2015, shows how we have carried certain parts of our culture with us and how it has changed. Man Man by V.S Naipaul, a quick read that I would suggest if you want a good laugh, does the same.

“For us, by us” is still the goal for Storytelling II. If Trinidad Noir taught me anything, it is that while selecting exclusive qualifying factors for what qualifies people as caribbean may be difficult, the voice still matters. As I comb through stories to select what I will be sharing this year, I find joy in the intention of searching for stories that are by the people who experienced it. Reading a story and hearing it in my voice, my accent, is something that brings me great joy. And that is what I hope Storytelling II will sound like for you all. Not only will it sound like something you recognize but, it will bring upon emotions that remind you of home. 

What does being Caribbean mean to you?

I’ve included some of the books I am currently reading for Storytelling II:

A Brief Conversation and Other Stories by Earl Lovelace 

Folklore and Legends of Trinidad and Tobago Gerrard Besson

A History of Barbados: From Ameridian Settlement to Nation- State by Hilary Beckles

History of the People of Trinidad and Tobago by Eric Williams

Rapso Explosion by Brother Resistance