Caribbean Matters: CARICOM Day and July 4. Meet the founding fathers

In the United States, July Fourth is a federal holiday marking the nation’s independence from England in 1776, even though that “independence” didn’t mean Black folks here were free. Consider how Frederick Douglass felt about the holiday.

This date has a different, much more recent significance in the Caribbean. July 4, 1973, marks the founding of CARICOM—the Caribbean Community and Common Market—with the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas in Trinidad and Tobago. The signatories are heralded in the region as “the founding fathers,” though they bear little or no resemblance to our own from close to 250 years ago.

CARICOM frequently features in this series, but not the story of its founders. July 4, also known as CARICOM Day, is a great time for an introduction. This year, CARICOM Day was celebrated on July 1.

“Caribbean Matters” is a weekly series from Daily Kos. If you are unfamiliar with the region, check out Caribbean Matters: Getting to know the countries of the Caribbean.

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