Whereas, People of Caribbean heritage are found in every State of the Union; and,

Whereas,Emigration from the Caribbean region to the American colonies began as early as 1619 with the arrival of indentured workers in Jamestown, Virginia; and,

Whereas, Much like the United States, the countries of the Caribbean faced the obstacles of slavery and colonialism and struggled for independence; and,

Whereas, Alexander Hamilton, a founding father of the United States and the first Secretary of the Treasury, was born in the Caribbean; as were Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the pioneer settler of Chicago, Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American Congresswoman and first African-American woman candidate for President, and Celia Cruz, the world renowned queen of Salsa music; and,

Whereas, The many other influential Caribbean-Americans in the history of the United States also include Colin Powell, the first African-American Secretary of State, Marion Jones, an Olympic gold medalist, Robert Clemente, the first Latino inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and Al Roker, a meteorologist and television personality; and,

Whereas,Caribbean-Americans have contributed greatly to education, fine arts, business, literature, journalism, sports, fashion, politics, government, the military, music, science, technology, and other areas; and,

Whereas, Caribbean-Americans share their culture through carnivals, festivals, music, dance, film, and literature that enrich the cultural landscape of the United States; now therefore be it,

Resolved, That I, Jennifer M. Granholm, Governor of the State of Michigan, do hereby proclaim June 2006, as Caribbean-American Heritage Month in Michigan.