MIAMI, Florida — The Miami Marlins joined the nation in celebrating Bahamian culture as part of Caribbean-American Heritage Month at Saturday’s game, The Miami Herald reported on Saturday, June 12, 2021, in an article written by Jacqueline Charles and Devoun Cetoute.
Bahamas Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Iram Lewis threw out the first pitch of Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Braves. That wasn’t the only festivities in store at IoanDepot Park.
The Bahamas Junkanoo Revue paraded through the stadium in festive clothing and with a band in tow playing music before the game.
The group, based in South Florida, practices junkanoo, a Bahamian parade tradition that occurs on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, according to the HistoryMiami Museum. They perform year-round in handmade clothing.
Bahamian Prime Minister Hubert Minnis and others also hoped to be in town, but Minnis couldn’t make it, Lewis said.
Lewis isn’t just a member of the Bahamas Parliament who led the country’s recovery after Hurricane Dorian devastated Abaco and Grand Bahama on Sept. 1, 2019. He’s also a former athlete: He was a member of the Bahamas’ 4 X 100m relay team in the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 2000 Summer Olympics.
“They didn’t have do this,” Lewis said about Miami-Dade County, which made the celebration happen along with the Marlins. “But of course they are doing it and they are celebrating the Bahamian heritage.”
Lewis and his fellow Bahamians are also celebrating shortstop Jasrado “Jazz” Prince Hermis Arrington Chisholm Jr., a star rookie for the Marlins. He hopes that Chisholm, a Bahamian, serves as an inspiration for the country’s youth and shows “how you can make it in life if you’re disciplined.”
“Jazz has shown that he works hard; he is very well mannered. He’s disciplined,” Lewis said. “As long as he stays healthy, he’s going to be a superstar.”
Bahamian roots run deep from Key West to Palm Beach. Their arrival dates back to the early 1900s, when settlers came to work on the railroad being built by Henry Flagler and also flower farms. They in turn built communities including churches, houses and businesses. See complete story in The Miami Herald at https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article252081463.html
