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Introducing CDEM: A New Way to Understand Caribbean Identity

Published about 2 months ago • 1 min read

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Hey Reader

As you know this year marks 10 years of Carry On Friends, and I’m proud to official introduce to the world the Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM).

CDEM is a simple, powerful way to explore how our Caribbean identity forms, evolves, and expresses itself across generations and geographies.

Here’s a snapshot of the six core lenses:

  1. Where You Start Shapes the Journey
  2. Where You Live + What You Seek = How You Connect
  3. Cultural Anchors Keep Us Rooted
  4. Your Identity Will Shift—That’s the Point
  5. Cultural Identity Influences How We Show Up at Work
  6. You’re Not Either/Or—You’re Both/And

As I’ve reflected more deeply on our stories, I’ve added two new sub-lenses that recognize:

  • The impact of when you migrated or were born (and what was happening at that time)
  • The spectrum of how visibly or cautiously we express our culture in different spaces

In this week’s episode, I break it all down and share the personal stories behind each lens—and why it matters right now.

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🎧 Listen to the episode ​

Which part of the model resonates with you most? Reply and let me know.

As always thank you for reading and supporting Carry On Friends. Until next time...

Walk good,
Kerry-Ann
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Carry On Friends + Breadfruit Media

1977 Ralph Avenue, Suite 433, Brooklyn, NY 11236
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