Leaders of a new Dorchester-based organization hopes to unite Caribbean-connected communities that have existed on islands – literally and figuratively – with a focus on keeping its constituencies engaged year-round in political and civic advocacy.

Leaders of the Boston Caribbean American Association (BCAA) announced the group’s formation at an event held in what is now an empty storefront on Dorchester Avenue near St. Mark’s Church – which they used only for the event and which is not the organization’s home. Robert Wint, the president of BCAA, was joined by about a dozen other members all hailing from or with strong ties to Dorchester. He said they have been meeting to discuss the idea since 2020.

“For the Caribbean community, we’re always trending in the spring and summer, in the warm months,” said Wint. “When Carnival is here or Caribbean Heritage Month (in June) we’re a hot topic and everyone wants to know about us. Then it comes around and it passes and then they put us away. That’s not going to happen anymore. We’re going to be here year-round to engage culturally and politically and civically.”

Other members and officers include Kwame Elias (communications), Cassandra Mayhew (secretary), Michelle Plummer, Syvlan Cedeno, Samuel Cedeno, and promoters Markell Graham (Clean Crew Entertainment), and Gary Kerr (Scoops Way Promotions).

Elias said there are major projects in the community – like the Blue Hill Avenue changes and the White Stadium soccer proposal – they would like to address, alongside noting they want to have Town Hall forums during election season to address the Caribbean community’s concerns.

“We are the biggest population group and have grown in number since 1980, but we seem to always be number three when it comes to upward mobility and opportunities,” said Elias. “Many of us came here and stayed and we’re raising children in these communities. I’ve seen the arc of advancement, but that arc hasn’t risen high enough, and we’d like to change that.”

He added later in the formal speaking program: “We’re not in competition with anyone else, but where there is an opportunity that can help our community, we will be the vehicle that brings the message to the community with our political officials.”

Wint cited city demographic stats that show Caribbean Americans make up nearly 9 percent of Boston’s population, including Spanish-speaking people from Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico and French-and-Kreyol-speaking Haitians. While those groups have been invited to the table, BCAA officials said they are already better organized as a community and those from the diaspora of Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, Monserrat, and other islands have been less organized and unified.

Historically, while there are great similarities between all Caribbean communities, those like Jamaica and Barbados and others share the British, English-speaking colonial past that formed a unique culture and a different migration pathway to the United States.

Gary Kerr, owner of Scoops Way, is a well-known promoter in the community, but also a welder and Local 7 Ironworkers member for 27 years. He and Graham – another well-known promoter – are concerned about difficulties in bringing that unique heritage to Boston as it’s become hard to secure performance spaces. Both have kids and worry about the future of Dorchester and Mattapan for their children.

BCAA founding members Cassandra Mayhew and Michelle Plummer. Seth Daniel photo

“We first came together during the pandemic to do something for the community and try to find places to have proper events the right way with permits and police presence and security and all things the right way,” Kerr said. “It’s a fight now to bring our culture to our people. We don’t want to use people’s backyards and we don’t want shootings; we want things done the right way to showcase our culture.”

Kerr, who came from Trinidad in 1993, said he is taking a big step on May 26 to host Trinidad’s top performers, Kes the Band, on City Hall Plaza – a “legit” permitted event they hope will kick off a series of summer events and civic engagements under the BCAA umbrella.

Graham, who came from Jamaica as a youth, grew up in Dorchester and lives in Mattapan with his family. He said the BCAA group formed on the frustrations of promoters like he and Kerr. They noticed that as venues like Three C’s, Cavalier, and Conway Cricket Club have closed, their culture, music, and prominence have also faded – something they don’t want their Boston-born children to miss.

Because promoters have such a large reach and popularity in the Caribbean community, many joined BCAA to help broaden the organization to being about more than just events.

Thursday night’s kick-off was the coming out of the new, evolved organization one year in the making. Already, Councillor Brian Worrell has backed the group, and said he was particularly excited given his Jamaican and Badian background.

“I’m inspired by what I’m seeing going on here and it warms my heart,” he said during the event. “I grew up in the Caribbean culture, so this organization is very important to me…What I often don’t see at City Hall or the State House is the Caribbean community showing up about the budget, White Stadium, education, or housing. This is the role I’m hearing that this organization wants to play…It’s music to my ears.”

Wint said the priority list includes quality of life issues, more opportunities for Caribbean restaurants to operate with liquor licenses, and increased political attention focused their way. He said they are interested in things like White Stadium, and Council elections. However, he acknowledged that many in the Caribbean community come out for national elections, but don’t pay enough attention to local and state elections.

That, he said, will also change.

“Since 1980 we’ve seen our numbers grow as a people, but while we’ve come far, our impact could be a lot more and I’m hoping this group can change that,” he said over the microphone. “We can’t compete with each other…All of our stories are singular, but our destinies are shared…We must, must embrace unity. Individually we might face challenge, but collectively no one can break us.”

Some of the follow up events planned for Caribbean Heritage Month and beyond by BCAA include:

•’Salute’ by Scoops Way Promotions on City Hall Plaza, May 26, with Kes the Band (Trinidad).
•June Block Party by BCAA in Dorchester, (TBD).
•Caribbean Comedy Show in the Seaport, (TBD)
•Clean Crew Productions Breakfast event, June 16 (Rhode Island)
•Family Picnic in the Park – Dorchester (TBD)
•Caribbean Heritage Breakfast – July 1 at the State House.
•BCAA Civic Town Hall – this fall (TBD).