Vanderbilt University’s Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies (CLACX) invites students, faculty, and the greater Nashville community to join in the celebration of the first-ever Caribbean Week from March 24 to March 29, 2025. This landmark event promises a dynamic series of discussions, cultural activities, and community-building opportunities highlighting the rich heritage, history, and contemporary issues of the Caribbean and its diaspora.

Caribbean Week is designed to foster thoughtful engagement on topics of culture, politics, and identity, with a special focus on the African Diaspora in the Caribbean. It will also provide an opportunity to highlight the importance of Caribbean Studies in the global and academic contexts, including the upcoming launch of the Caribbean Studies minor, a CLACX program expected to begin in the next semesters. We hope this initiative will strengthen ties across Vanderbilt and the broader Nashville community while creating a meaningful space for dialogue and connection. We are excited to collaborate with campus and community partners to make this event impactful and inspiring on academic, cross-institutional, and community engagement levels.

Preliminary Schedule Highlights

The week features a wide range of engaging events, including:

• Afro-Caribbean Biographies Panels (Monday, March 24, and Tuesday, March 25): Renowned scholars Marlene Daut (Yale), Julia Gaffield (William & Mary), Robin Mitchell (SUNY Buffalo), and Chelsea Stieber (Tulane) will present research and reflections on the lives and contributions of Afro-Caribbean figures.