Before the music and dancing began at the recent Charleston Carifest Caribbean Festival at Brittlebank Park, the event’s organizer Lorna Shelton Beck received an honor on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Shelton Beck was among 18 recipients of an inaugural volunteer service award from the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS) who were invited last month to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris. The winners, however, met with second gentlemen Douglas Emhoff after the vice president was called away to another event.
After the White House meeting, Shelton Beck and the other honorees visited with members of Congress to discuss issues affecting Caribbean nations.
Then she returned to Charleston for Carifest that featured four events over three days, beginning June 29.
Dr. Claire A. Nelson, who founded the Washington-D.C.-based ICS 30 years ago, said the volunteer service award recognizes Shelton Beck for organizing Carifest and promoting Caribbean American Heritage Month.
“She has been a stalwart,” Nelson said. “Without her South Carolina would not be on the map as far as [Caribbean American Heritage Month] is concerned.”
Shelton Beck said, “I am extremely happy and rather pleased. The award affirms my resolve to promote Caribbean American Heritage Month and that people recognize my efforts.”
Most of the honorees like Shelton Beck have consistently staged annual Caribbean celebrations in June since President George W. Bush established the month-long observance in 2006, Nelson said.
Since then, Carifest annually highlights a Caribbean nation. This year’s event featured the Bahamas.
Shelton Beck said she hoped more Charleston area residents of Caribbean descent from non-English speaking Caribbean nations will attend future Carifests.
“We are working to engage them and to recognize that Caribbean Heritage Month involves all of the Caribbean islands whether it is Dutch, English, Spanish or French speaking,” said Shelton Beck, who was born in Jamaica.
Nelson said Shelton Beck not only does the carnival but she also presents educational seminars about Caribbean culture.
“That takes a special kind of emotional and social genius to … to demonstrate that level of sacrifice,” said Nelson, who created this “president’s award” given to people of Caribbean descent.
“My vision is for the month of June to be not just a cultural space but also a space where we can educate Americans about the Caribbean and our contributions to American society,” Nelson said. “We don’t want people to think that all the Caribbean does is carnival, dance and parade half-naked through the streets.”
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