American Wines Matter (AWM)
American Wines Matter (AWM) was established in September 2018 after discussions about Carnival with a mentor. The purpose of the Instagram page was to function as a frame of reference. In other words, my mentor got tired of watching me scroll through my photo album on my phone and felt my carnival photos should be organized in one place because I spoke about it so much. And so, she had me sit down and create an Instagram page.
I stumbled upon the hashtag #americanwinesmatter and felt it resonated with what I had been telling a lot of people: Anyone can play mas.
I used the Instagram account to connect with other carnival-goers and had no idea the phrase would spark many in-depth conversations about body image, cultural backgrounds, experiences, and perceived barriers.
In 2019, I was inspired to write a mission statement and committed myself to AWM as a content creator to spread the message of Caribbean carnival: Unity, liberation, and love.
This platform is a reflection of myself as an African American woman engaging in the Caribbean carnival experience as a form of healing while learning about the culture. This platform is also a reflection of celebrating the things that make us similar throughout the African diaspora while honoring what makes us different.
AWM Mission Statement
To shed light on an African American woman’s perspective of discovering her roots embedded in Caribbean culture.
To capture the experiences of Caribbean Mas, J’ouvert, fetes, and other activities in means that inspire others to embrace the culture and dispel many misconceptions of those who do not understand its historical roots.
To share current and developing knowledge through my experiences. To spread awareness and love of Soca and Caribbean Mas to all those interested, especially those who feel they are not included because of their cultural backgrounds.
To utilize my life experiences, gifts of intelligence, optimism, and charisma to cultivate a love of self in all women of varying shapes and sizes and encourage them to step outside their comfort zone to enjoy the Caribbean culture.
AWM in the media
You can check out interviews with American Wines Matter (AWM) here:
The CockTale hour with LA Wade – October 2021
TheMasIV – Bridging the Understanding – June 2020
