In closing out Caribbean American Heritage Month, we were honored to host Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett, representing the US Virgin Islands at-large, for a conversation about US-Caribbean relations on June 27, 2024. Congresswoman Plaskett (US-VI) is the first member of a United States territory to be named a Ranking Member of a Select Committee, the first to be a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and one of the founders of the Congressional Caucus on Black Innovation. She is also the Co-Chair of the House Congressional Caribbean Caucus, a group within the US House of Representatives that focuses on issues pertinent to the Caribbean region and its diaspora.

Introduced by Perry Center Director Dr. Paul Angelo, Congresswoman Plaskett joined participants of the Perry Center’s 2024 Strategic Implications of Human Rights and Rule of Law (HR/ROL) course and alums from 30 countries. She discussed the pressing issue of Haiti, the broader Caribbean, regional security cooperation and partnerships, economic and food security, and cultural sites in Washington, DC. Forum moderator and HR/ROL Deputy Course Director Dr. William Godnick then welcomed Major (ret.) George Benson, President of the Perry Center’s Jamaica Alumni Chapter, for follow-on commentary and reflections on security and defense in the Caribbean.

We thank both Congresswoman Plaskett and Major (ret.) George Benson of Jamaica for sharing their insight on US-Caribbean relations in the context of Caribbean Heritage Month. We also thank HR/ROL Course Director Dr. Arturo Sotomayor for coordinating the forum.