Started by a handful of neighbors in 1997. Today, a regional voice for the Caribbean diaspora across Connecticut, with partners on the ground from Kingston to Hartford.
What does it mean to belong in two places at once? In 1997, a small group of Jamaican Americans in New Haven asked themselves that question and decided the answer required action. They formed JAC as a 501(c)(3) with three commitments: support the next generation through education, serve the community where we live, and never lose sight of where we came from.
Twenty-eight years later, those commitments have only deepened. We've shipped barrels to Jamaica, Haiti, and Dominica after natural disasters. We've awarded over $340,000 in scholarships to first-generation college students. We've hosted immigration forums, fed the homeless, and stood alongside the Registrar General of Jamaica on U.S. soil.
The work continues. Today JAC is a regional partner to municipalities, schools, and faith communities across the state, and a trusted bridge to organizations on the ground in the Caribbean. Our model is simple: stay rooted in community, move quickly when called, and keep the next generation at the center of everything we do.
Three commitments shape every decision we make: who we serve, how we serve them, and the standard we hold ourselves to. They have not changed since 1997.
The diaspora carries something irreplaceable. Our work celebrates Jamaican and Caribbean heritage as a living tradition, not a museum piece, and passes it forward to the next generation.
Talk is cheap. After hurricanes, after policy changes, after community losses, we show up with resources, partners, and a plan. The receipts are in our work.
Every dollar awarded, every barrel shipped, every forum hosted is an investment in continuity. We measure our success in students graduated, families helped, and traditions preserved.
Selected moments from JAC's history. The work is much bigger than this list suggests, but these are the milestones that shaped who we are today.
A volunteer board, a working president, and an extended network of committee leads who give their time, expertise, and care to keep JAC moving forward.
To our members, our donors, and the families we serve: thank you. Twenty-eight years in, we are not done. The next generation deserves the same care our founders gave us, and we intend to deliver.
Membership is open to everyone who shares our values, regardless of background. Donations support every program we run.