Contributions of Jamaican Americans to Preserving Maryland’s African American History!
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Jamaican Nationals Association of the Washington DC Metropolitan Area (JNA)
Dr. Elaine V. Knight: info@jnaofdc.org
Montgomery County Executive’s Caribbean American Advisory Group (CAAG)
Mrs. Venice Mundle-Harvey: venicetreas1@gmail.com
Jamaican Association of Maryland (JAM)
Mr. Rick Nugent: nugentjam@aol.com
According to the Institute for Immigration Research at George Mason University, more than 29,000 Jamaican immigrants reside in the Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD metropolitan areas with most residing in Maryland[1]. It is also estimated that more than twice that number of persons born in the United states of Jamaican heritage reside in these two metropolitan areas.
This Black History Month Program is an opportunity to learn about Maryland’s African American history from Dr. Winston Anderson, who is of Jamaican heritage. In 1988, Dr. Anderson with his brother founded the landmark Sandy Spring Slave Museum and African Art
Gallery, thereby helping to preserve one of the oldest freed black communities in our area.
Dr. Anderson saw that the history of the black community in Sandy Spring was unrecognized and decided to create a museum that would preserve its history and allow future generations to learn about its past. Through the Museum, he also highlights the connection between
slavery in the Caribbean and in the United States.
Dr. Anderson grew up in Kingston, Jamaica and moved to the U.S. at the age of 17 years. After arriving, he attended Howard University and received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Zoology. When he left Howard, he attended Brown University to receive his doctorate in
biomedical sciences.
This free program takes place on Sunday, February 23, 2020 from 4-6pm, at the Silver Spring Civic Center Building, 1 Veterans Place, (Corner Fenton Street and Ellsworth Drive) Silver Spring, MD 20910.
This Program is in partnership with the Jamaican Association of Maryland and the Montgomery County Executive’s Caribbean American Advisory Group. Attendees should register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-history-month-jamaican-americans-preservingafrican-american-history-tickets-90947545557
Reflecting on the historical ties that bind people of the African Diaspora, Dr. Elaine Knight, President of JNA, stated “Black History Month is an opportunity for the significant number of persons of Jamaican heritage in the DMV to learn more about the region’s African American history and to also learn more about the contribution of Jamaican Americans.”
[1]According to the Institute for Immigration Research at George Mason University: There are approximately 83,400 Caribbean immigrants living in the Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD metropolitan area. The largest estimated numbers are from Jamaica (29,034), followed by Trinidad and Tobago (16,154), the Dominican Republic (13,814), Haiti (8,114), and Cuba (6,599).
The largest numbers of Caribbean immigrants are found in Prince George’s County, MD (22,965), Montgomery County, MD (16,797) and the District of Columbia (8,415). Sixty-four percent of them are naturalized U.S. citizens, compared to 49 percent for all other foreign-born individuals. Cubans are more likely than all other immigrants from the Caribbean to be naturalized citizens; 77 percent of them are naturalized.
CENSUS 2020
YOU MATTER, GET COUNTED, PARTICIPATE IN THE 2020 CENSUS
CENSUS 2020 – Information and How to get involved
• It is mandated by Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution and takes place every 10 years. The next census will take place April 1, 2020. Under the U.S. Constitution, the census is taken every 10 years, with the goal of determining the country’s population and where everyone lives. • Census data helps fund our schools, infrastructure, transportation, health care and more. A complete count means the county receives the funding it
deserves.