A Celebration of Us

February 2021 Letter from the Editor

Hey hyphens!

Wha’appnin? We are one and a half months into 2021 and I must say, I am throughly enjoying myself. Aside from a few hiccups (global pandemic, insurrection in our nation’s capital, #gorillagluelady) we are kicking off the new year on the good foot. And now that it’s February, it is officially Black People Time! aka Black History Month and Reggae Month.

For us here at RACA that means highlighting the history and accomplishments of Black Americans and Caribbean-Americans. Be sure to watch this space as we bring you interviews, essays and images of we people dem. In the meantime be sure to check out the Association for the Study of African-American Life and History virtual BHM festival. The ASAALH was founded as the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History by Carter G. Woodson, the father of Negro History Week which became Black History Month. They are hosting a number of free panels and workshops around the this years BHM theme The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity.

But leh we not forget it’s also Reggae Month. In 2008, in an effort to“highlight the impact of the musical genre on the country’s social, cultural and economic development”, the Jamaican government declared that every February henceforth would be known as Reggae month. Recognizing the impact of Covid-19 on our ability to gather IRL, this year’s theme is Come Ketch Di Riddim Virtually. The JA Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport has partnered with the Ministry of Tourism to produce a series of online events where you can learn about, discuss and of course party to the iconic music that help put Jamaica on the map.

As a representative of the 90’s babies crew, I will mos def be celebrating the month with a look back at that ground-breaking era in reggae music as well as exploring the lives of some of the giants of the genre. So stay tuned to the space for more Black History and Reggae Month goodness with that special RACA spin.

When you miss me, I gone!