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Carry On Friends: The Caribbean American Experience

Carry On Friends: The Caribbean American Experience

By: Kerry-Ann Reid-Brown
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About this listen

Carry On Friends has an unmistakable Caribbean-American essence. Hosted by the dynamic and engaging Kerry-Ann Reid-Brown, the podcast takes listeners on a global journey, deeply rooted in Caribbean culture. It serves as a melting pot of inspiring stories, light-hearted anecdotes, and stimulating perspectives that provoke thought and initiate conversations.

The podcast invites guests who enrich the narrative with their unique experiences and insights into Caribbean culture and identity. With an array of topics covered - from lifestyle and wellness to travel, entertainment, career, and entrepreneurship - it encapsulates the diverse facets of the Caribbean American experience. Catering to an international audience, Carry On Friends effectively bridges cultural gaps, uniting listeners under a shared love and appreciation for Caribbean culture.

© 2025 Carry On Friends: The Caribbean American Experience
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Episodes
  • From Carnival Streets To Magazine Pages: Herman Hall On Building Caribbean-American Media
    Dec 9 2025

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    Carnival didn’t just arrive on Eastern Parkway; people fought for it, paid for it, and sometimes lost careers over it. I sit down with Herman Hall, publisher of Everybody’s Magazine and longtime promoter to map how Caribbean culture took root in New York and how a small community magazine became a historical record. From a 1978 Bob Marley cover that sold out twice to the tumult of the Grenada revolution and Michael Manley’s labor politics, Herman walks us through the moments that turned diaspora headlines into global stories.

    We dig into the migration from Harlem to Brooklyn, the resistance to bringing Carnival to the museum grounds, and the quiet pioneers who made Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights home decades earlier. Herman explains why he ran publishing and promotion in tandem, taking Oliver Samuels across boroughs and managing calypso legend Shadow. The theme is consistent: build platforms that pay artists, grow audiences, and keep Caribbean voices in the spotlight.

    As the media landscape shifts, Herman shares a pragmatic view: print won’t die, but it won’t be the same. He’s preserving a vast archive - photos, interviews, and manuscripts. In addition, he is writing new books tracing Caribbean contributions from Alexander Hamilton and Claude McKay to Shirley Chisholm and Colin Powell.

    If you enjoy this episode, follow the show, share with a friend who loves Caribbean culture, and leave a review.


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    Support How to Support Carry On Friends

    1. Donate: If you believe in our mission and want to help amplify Caribbean voices, consider making a donation.
    2. Get Merch: Support Carry On Friends by purchasing merchandise from our store.


    Connect with @carryonfriends - Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
    A Breadfruit Media Production

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    24 mins
  • Why Caribbean Media Must Organize, Monetize, And Own Its Platforms
    Nov 25 2025

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    If you’ve ever wondered why Caribbean-American media still rents space on other people’s platforms, this conversation goes straight to the root: ownership, organization, and the business engine behind our stories.

    In this special episode in partnership with WhereItzAt Magazine, I sit down with two veteran publishers - Clive Williams of Where It’s At Magazine and Herman Hall of Everybody’s Magazine; to map what it takes to build power: an association with teeth, a revenue model that outlasts trends, and alliances that turn small outlets into a market force.

    We dig into the tough stuff too: why advertisers often ignore Caribbean audiences, how tourist boards spend outside the community, and what data and collaboration it takes to win budgets back. Real stories from missed chances to buy stations to the WLIB legacy reveal how fragmentation costs us and how shared platforms can change the math.

    Call it a blueprint for the next wave: set clear priorities, package real audience insights, and pool resources like other communities do. If we want equity and visibility, we need leverage media kits with proof, sales teams that go to market together, and partnerships that protect voice while scaling reach. By the end, you’ll see a path from consumer to producer, from renting attention to owning distribution. Subscribe, share this with a creator or marketer who needs to hear it, and leave a review with one action you’ll take to support Caribbean-owned media.


    Subscribe to the Newsletter


    Support How to Support Carry On Friends

    1. Donate: If you believe in our mission and want to help amplify Caribbean voices, consider making a donation.
    2. Get Merch: Support Carry On Friends by purchasing merchandise from our store.


    Connect with @carryonfriends - Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
    A Breadfruit Media Production

    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
  • Hurricane Melissa: Stories from the Diaspora and the Cultural Anchors That Hold Us
    Nov 11 2025

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    When Hurricane Melissa struck Jamaica, the impact rippled far beyond the island. This episode explores “the middle place” — that emotional space between home and abroad — through the voices of Caribbean people across the diaspora.

    Through Lens 3 of the Caribbean Diaspora Experience Model (CDEM): Cultural Anchors, Kerry-Ann reflects on how faith, music, sayings, and pride keep us grounded in times of uncertainty and loss.

    Episode Highlights:

    • The emotional toll of watching home in crisis while abroad
    • Finding strength through cultural anchors: music, prayer, proverbs, and national pride
    • Diaspora coordination, empathy, and responsible giving during disaster recovery
    • How resilience and cultural memory fuel the long work of rebuilding
    • Re-examining “giving back” as a year-round cultural practice

    Mentioned & Related Episodes:

    • Rethinking Caribbean Disaster Relief: A Call to Action
    • Support the Caribbean Year-Round: Giving Before, During & After Disaster Strikes
    • From Carriacou to Brooklyn: Building Sustainable Futures & Cultural Legacy.


    Subscribe to the Newsletter


    Support How to Support Carry On Friends

    1. Donate: If you believe in our mission and want to help amplify Caribbean voices, consider making a donation.
    2. Get Merch: Support Carry On Friends by purchasing merchandise from our store.


    Connect with @carryonfriends - Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
    A Breadfruit Media Production

    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
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