Jump & wave! Jump up & wave! National Caribbean American Heritage Month (aka June) is upon us and to celebrate RACA is hosting our 2nd annual CAHM blog carnival! Where me e-masqueraders deh?
For all who don’t know what I’m talking about, let me break it down for you one time:
What is a blog carnival?
It begins with a blogger who hosts the carnival (that would be me). I choose a topic for the carnival then put out a call for submissions (that would be this post) to other bloggers, vloggers & content creators asking them to participate.
Participating bloggers publish a post related to the blog carnival topic on their own blogs then send the link to that post to the blog carnival host. On the date of the blog carnival, the host publishes a post on his or her own blog that includes links to the participants’ submitted posts. Got it?
What if you don’t have a blog?
It alright. Just submit your post, as per the submission instructions at the end of this post, and we will publish it as a guest post on our final blog carnival page.
What’s the theme of this years carnival?
2014-2015 has proven to be a year of growth in the Caribbean-American community. From political upheavals in the region to the rise of the Caribbean film industry to the opening up Cuba, there have been many changes that have resonated throughout the diaspora. To honor this growth, this year’s theme will be EVOLUTION. Your submissions should in some way approach, address or examine your chosen subject through this lens.
So whether you are Caribbean-born now living in the States or American-born of Caribbean ancestry, or from somewhere else entirely and just gave something to say about the evolution of the Caribbean-American experience, we want to hear from you!
What are the rules?
There will be 4 sections of the carnival that you can participate in. First up is:
For this section we are seeking posts that are about the pure fun, uninhibited good times and the sheer bacchanal that punctuates the Caribbean-American experience. Examples of Jouvert posts could include humor pieces, erotica, nostalgia posts, etc.
Next up is:
For this section we are seeking posts that explore the music, dance, art & fashion of the Caribbean-American community. Examples of posts in this section could include music playlists of the years top soca songs, a breakdown of the best fete fashions, or a film review.
Our third section will be:
No beads and bikini mas here. I’m all for feathers and fun, but RACA’s mas will be a traditional one. Historically, carnival mas started when slaves, banned from attending the fancy masquerade balls of their owners, began mimicking and mocking them during their own celebrations instead. From this sprang several traditional mas characters, each of whom had a cultural, historical or political For this section we are seeking posts that explore the cultural, historical and political evolution of the Caribbean-American community. Examples of such posts may include immigration, Caribbean cultural traditions or political movements in the community.
And last but not least we have:
Carnival is a family affair! So leh we not forget we chirren, right? For this section we are seeking posts for, by and about the Caribbean-American family as a unit or our children in particular. Examples of appropriate posts could be how you keep your kids connected to Caribbean culture, what it’s like to attend school in the Caribbean or kid friendly Caribbean-American meals.
How do you submit your post?
1. Write an original post, or submit a previously published post, that fits the theme/sections indicated above. You can submit traditional blog posts, vlogs, playlists, recipes, poems, photo essays, etc. We are accepting submissions from now through the end of June.
2. Be sure to include this copy at the end of your post: This post was published as part of Rewind and Come Again’s 2015 June Blog Carnival celebrating National Caribbean-American Heritage Month. This text should link to the final blog carnival page (http://racadev.rewindandcomeagain.com/2015-caribbean-american-blog-carnival)
3. Share your post with us via Facebook, Twitter, (be sure to use the hashtag #RacaCAHM) email at info@rewindandcomeagain.com, or in the comments below.
4. Visit our 2015 Caribbean-American Blog Carnival page daily to check out new submissions. Submissions will be posted as they come in throughout the month of June.
I can’t wait to see what you guys come up with! I expect you all, in true Caribbean-American fashion, to show up and out for this e-mas. So follow the digital big truck as we chip down de internet road! Now a lil small chune fe get you in the mood:
