In honour of Black History Month, and to stand in solidarity with Black communities and persons of African descent in the United States and around the world, the US Embassy Port of Spain raised the Black Lives Matter (BLM) flag at its Queen’s Park West compound today. The flag will fly over the Embassy for the remainder of Black History Month.
Black History Month is held each February to commemorate and celebrate African American history and the African diaspora. While Black History Month originated in the United States, it has received international recognition in countries including Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
The phrase “Black Lives Matter” seeks to raise awareness of and respond to ongoing racism in the United States and abroad. It also draws attention to the need to end systemic racism and inequity experienced by communities of colour, and most acutely, people of African descent. Raising BLM flags on US Embassy and consulate flagpoles throughout the world calls attention to efforts to advance racial equity and access to justice in the United States and worldwide. The flags serve as a visible reminder of the collective responsibility to advance social justice issues and the US Government’s resolute commitment to confronting the injustices that exist today.
Upon raising the flag, US Chargé d’Affaires Shante Moore said, “The United States was founded on the principle that all people are created equal, and it is an ideal we have yet to reach, but continue to strive for to form a more perfect union as articulated in our Constitution. This Black History Month, I encourage everyone to take time to reflect how Black history and culture have influenced our lives through music, art, literature, politics, science, business, and sports, and their roles in our strong bilateral relationship between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago.”
Embassy staff and their families attended the flag raising ceremony and confirmed their commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in all Embassy programs and activities.