Michael Blake, associate director, White House Office of Public Engagement, will be the special guest speaker at the anniversary of the 16 Caribbean American Heritage Awards (CARAH) Gala on Friday (November 13) at the Marriott Renaissance Hotel in Washington DC

Caribbean American Heritage (CARAH) Awards will celebrate 16 years on Friday, November 13th at the Marriott Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC, to celebrate and highlight the people from the Caribbean and the profits they have made in the United States. Annual gala, which is the main event of the Institute of Caribbean Studies (ICS), celebrating the contributions, heritage and future of the Caribbean heritage.

ICS span Honorees range from the health sector, education for development including housing and Earl Graves, CEO and publisher of Black Enterprise is the heritage of Barbados, and actress Cicely Tyson, who is Nevisian heritage. Gala also honored the Friends of the Caribbean such as former congressman Kweisi Mfume, and Congresswoman Barbara Lee.

This year, ICS will be using GALA as an opportunity to kick into high gear with the Count Us Caribbean Campaign, the ICS Founder and President Dr. Claire Nelson lead as Chairman of the National Caribbean American Complete Count Committee.

Arnold Jackson, Associate Director for the decennial census, will be present and give specific comments on the 2010 Census, the American public partnerships to encourage the Caribbean `s continue to assist in promoting participation in the 2010 Census their communities. `The 2010 census is the responsibility of the Constitution and is essential for growth and community building. We do not share your answers with anyone, including federal agencies and other law enforcement agencies – all information kept confidential, `Arnold Jackson said. `An accurate census affect how more than $ 400 billion dollars of federal funds spent annually on local communities, which translated into more jobs, improved human services and local economic health.`

In an effort to maximize the number of participants, Census concentrate on hard-to-count of the audience and has reached out to a few key people in various communities to help spread the word about the importance of the Census.
Dr. Claire Nelson, a Jamaican, was elected as a Partner of National Profiles Census and are developing outreach strategies to target the Caribbean community.

`The Caribbean population in the United States should be represented in full to continue economic and political progress in our society,` said Nelson. `We have to communicate to all Americans that the Caribbean participation in the United States Census does not affect our society, but instead would allow them to grow and be strengthened. Are you an immigrant or native born, whether documented or not; whether Barbados, Haiti, Jamaica, whether African-Asian origin, is very important to us and our children that we stand up and be counted. `

Annual Caribbean American Heritage Awards 16 Gala will be held at Hotel Marriott Renaissance Ninth Street, NW in Washington, DC reception begins at 6:30 pm, followed by dinner at 7:30 pm For ticket information, log on to www.caribbeanheritageawards. com