For the ones raised Caribbean
Caribbean is not an accent.
For those of us who sound like London, Toronto, New York and Los Angeles, and were raised by the islands all the same.
The inheritance
They arrived with a suitcase, an address on folded paper, and a plan with our names in it.
They came from Kingston and Port of Spain. From Port-au-Prince and Santo Domingo, Bridgetown and Willemstad. They took the night shift so we could have the day. They sent barrels home and money home, and kept a small piece of home in every room we grew up in.
We were born in Brixton and Scarborough, Flatbush and Inglewood. We learned to speak like the place we were born. And somewhere along the way, someone told us we were not really Caribbean, because we did not sound it.
They were listening for the wrong thing.
What the accent never carried
None of it lives in the voice. All of it lives in us.
- The Sunday table, and who sits where.
- The proverb before the lesson.
- The names of our elders, said out loud.
- The way we feed whoever arrives unannounced.
- The sacrifice that paid for our education.
- The stories. Anancy, and every one after him.
The region speaks in many tongues. There was never one Caribbean sound to lose. Caribbean is not an accent. It is an inheritance.
Edition I · The object
Caribbean is not an accent.
Pre-order. Numbered in order of purchase. Ships by December 10. No restock.
- Garment
- Heavyweight fleece hoodie, cream
- Raised black type on the front
- Edition
- 300 pieces, hand-numbered on the interior label
- Ships
- By December 10, to the US, UK and Canada
- Restock
- None
How Edition I works
- INumbers are assigned in order of purchase. 001 goes to the first.
- IIThe edition closes November 20, at the number claimed. Never more than 300.
- IIIEach piece is printed to order and numbered by hand.
- IVIt ships by December 10. Your confirmation carries your number.