“Out of many, one people”: Afro-Caribbean experiences & identity formation in the Black Lives Matter era

Can Black people agree that their lives all matter? How do Afro-Caribbean immigrants feel about Black Lives Matter? Can tragedy faced by people that look like you act as a uniting force? Or does cultural difference undermine racial solidarity in this case? Black people in the United States are not a monolith. There are many different groups and ethnicities under the overarching umbrella of Blackness. This study provides another perspective of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement from those who are affected but are often not included in the conversation. This study builds on theories that explain how social movements can affect identity and vice versa. To address these questions, I conducted 16 in-depth qualitative interviews with Afro-Caribbean people. I found that they do understand themselves as part of the Black community, especially in the Black Lives Matter Era, and the variety of understandings they hold play a large role.