{"id":30812,"date":"2025-11-11T07:06:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T12:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carryonfriends.com\/?p=30812"},"modified":"2026-02-02T16:54:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T21:54:14","slug":"hurricane-melissa-stories-from-the-diaspora-and-the-cultural-anchors-that-hold-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/?p=30812","title":{"rendered":"Hurricane Melissa: Stories from the Diaspora and the Cultural Anchors That Hold Us"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div id=\"buzzsprout-player-18146897\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t <script src=\"https:\/\/www.buzzsprout.com\/685469\/18146897.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-18146897&amp;player=small\" type=\"text\/javascript\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hurricanes expose more than weakness in roads and roofs; they expose the invisible cords that bind us in the diaspora to home. When disaster strikes the place you still call home, distance doesn\u2019t protect you, it simply reshapes the pain. This episode captures that complicated truth in a deeply moving reflection on\u00a0Hurricane Melissa&#8217;s devastation of the Western part of Jamaica and the emotional aftershocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The question under the noise is simple and impossible: how do you carry on when home is breaking and you are not there to hold the pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:47px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After survival is confirmed, the center of gravity shifts to triage. \u201cWho do you help first?\u201d For many, the answer is family, then neighborhood, then nation. That\u2019s not selfishness; it\u2019s strategy. Diaspora giving works best when it starts with clear lines of responsibility, realistic budgets, and trusted channels on the ground. Veterans of past storms in the British Virgin Islands remind us that distance is not immunity; it is a different kind of agony. Weeks without word stamp fear into a father\u2019s voice and forge a blueprint: gather facts, stop rumors, and route aid through people who can deliver, not just people who can post. Smart logistics beat romantic gestures every time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:47px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Climate change guarantees repetition. Today Melissa, tomorrow another name. That reality demands a wider lens: relief, recovery, and then the long, often ignored phase of sustainable resilience building. Diaspora impact grows when it moves beyond care packages to capacity building. Sustainability looks like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carryonfriends.com\/caribbean-resilience-anthea-mclaughlin-on-transforming-disaster-relief-through-philanthropy\/\" title=\"Caribbean Resilience: Anthea McLaughlin on Transforming Disaster Relief Through Philanthropy\">year-round giving<\/a>, skill-sharing, governance support, and better preparedness plans. It looks like audits, alliances, and a bias toward transparency so every dollar touches a life and not a warehouse corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But energy must be stewarded. Burnout serves no one, and generosity without a budget becomes regret. The way forward is both tender and technical: hold your people close, verify before you share, fund what works, and measure what matters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:47px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"stay-connected\">Lens 3: Cultural Anchors Keep Us Rooted<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.carryonfriends.com\/caribbean-diaspora-experience-model\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model\">Lens 3 of the Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM):\u00a0Cultural Anchors<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 this episode traces how the diaspora turns to faith, music, proverbs, and national pride to steady themselves when everything else feels unmoored. Listeners share moments of helpless waiting, relief when family is safe, and the mix of gratitude and grief that comes when life abroad keeps moving while home rebuilds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From the sounds of Freddie McGregor and Beres Hammond to the grounding words of the Jamaican National Anthem and pledge, cultural anchors remind us that belonging is more than geography, it\u2019s memory, connection, and shared identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Recovery is long and collective work. \u201cGiving back\u201d isn\u2019t just about immediate relief, it\u2019s a year-round practice rooted in love, community, and responsibility to one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:47px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Episodes mentioned:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/audio.carryonfriends.com\/685469\/episodes\/16291049-rethinking-caribbean-disaster-relief-a-call-to-action\">Rethinking Caribbean Disaster Relief: A Call to Action<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/audio.carryonfriends.com\/685469\/episodes\/16964495-support-the-caribbean-year-round-giving-before-during-after-disaster-strikes\">Support the Caribbean Year-Round: Giving Before, During &amp; After Disaster Strikes<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/audio.carryonfriends.com\/685469\/episodes\/17337561-from-carriacou-to-brooklyn-building-sustainable-futures-cultural-legacy\">From Carriacou to Brooklyn: Building Sustainable Futures &amp; Cultural Legacy.\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:47px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"stay-connected\">The Six Lenses of CDEM<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A few months ago I introduced the&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.carryonfriends.com\/caribbean-diaspora-experience-model\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model\">Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model\u2122 (CDEM)<\/a><\/strong>, a new way to understand how our Caribbean identity forms, evolves, and expresses itself in the diaspora. Created through real-life experiences, this model provides the language many have been missing to describe their complex cultural journeys. At the heart of CDEM are six interconnected lenses that help individuals understand their relationship with Caribbean culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here&#8217;s a brief overview:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.carryonfriends.com\/lens-1-of-the-caribbean-diaspora-experience-model-cdem-caribbean-diaspora-identity-starting-points\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Lens 1 of the Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM) \u2013 Caribbean Diaspora Identity Starting Points\">Where You Start Shapes the Journey<\/a><\/strong>:&nbsp;Whether you migrated as an adult or were born in the diaspora, your connection to Caribbean culture starts somewhere. That starting point matters.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.carryonfriends.com\/lens-2-of-the-caribbean-diaspora-experience-model-cdem-where-you-live-what-you-seek\/\" title=\"Lens 2 of the Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM) \u2013 Where You Live, What You Seek\">Where You Live + What You Seek = How You Connect<\/a><\/strong>:\u00a0Living in Brooklyn versus Milwaukee isn\u2019t just geography, it\u2019s a different experience of Caribbean culture. Where you live + your intention shapes your connection.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cultural Anchors Keep Us Rooted<\/strong>:&nbsp;Food, music, language, celebrations, spirituality, and family. These are the touch points that carry memory and transmit knowledge.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Your Identity Will Shift, That\u2019s the Point:<\/strong>&nbsp;As we age, our relationship with culture evolves. It\u2019s not loss, it\u2019s recalibration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cultural Identity Influences How We Show Up at Work<\/strong>:&nbsp;Our work ethic, ambition, and how we navigate professional spaces are all shaped by cultural values.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>You\u2019re Not Either\/Or, You\u2019re Both\/And<\/strong>:&nbsp;Being fully Caribbean and fully American\/Canadian\/British at the same time is not a contradiction, it\u2019s our strength.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:47px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"stay-connected\">Stay Connected<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Connect with @carryonfriends \u2013&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/carryonfriends\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Instagram<\/strong><\/a><strong>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carryonfriends\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Facebook<\/a><\/strong> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/carryonfriends\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong>YouTube<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Enjoyed the show?&nbsp; Please remember to&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/1HnDcMv\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><em>leave a rating and review in Apple Podcasts<\/em><\/a><em>.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>A&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.breadfruit.media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Breadfruit Media<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;Production:&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/breadfruitmedia\">Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hurricanes expose more than weakness in roads and roofs; they expose the invisible cords that bind us in the diaspora to home. When disaster strikes the place you still call home, distance doesn\u2019t protect you, it simply reshapes the pain. This episode captures that complicated truth in a deeply moving reflection on\u00a0Hurricane Melissa&#8217;s devastation of&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2011,"featured_media":30817,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[207,297,298],"tags":[323],"class_list":["post-30812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cofpodcast","category-culture","category-personal-stories","tag-cdem"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Hurricane Melissa: Stories from the Diaspora and the Cultural Anchors That Hold Us - Carry On Friends<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Andrew Clarke founder and executive director of Braata Productions continues to push boundaries for Caribbean Cultural representation.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hurricane Melissa: Stories from the Diaspora and the Cultural Anchors That Hold Us - Carry On Friends\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Andrew Clarke founder and executive director of Braata Productions continues to push boundaries for Caribbean Cultural representation.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/?p=30812\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Carry On Friends\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carryonfriends\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-11T12:06:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-02-02T21:54:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Caribbean-Diaspora-Disaster-and-the-Cultural-Anchors-That-Keep-Us-Rooted-Hurrican-Melissa-and-Outline-of-map-of-Jamaica.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kerry-Ann\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@carryonkerry\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@carryonfriends\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kerry-Ann\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/?p=30812#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/?p=30812\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kerry-Ann\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/#\/schema\/person\/c5af8021ebc3b587c8cd368b913f92f6\"},\"headline\":\"Hurricane Melissa: Stories from the Diaspora and the Cultural Anchors That Hold Us\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-11T12:06:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-02-02T21:54:14+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/?p=30812\"},\"wordCount\":782,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/?p=30812#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/carryonfriends.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Caribbean-Diaspora-Disaster-and-the-Cultural-Anchors-That-Keep-Us-Rooted-Hurrican-Melissa-and-Outline-of-map-of-Jamaica.png\",\"keywords\":[\"CDEM\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Carry On Friends Podcast\",\"Culture &amp; 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